English at Crudwell Church of England Primary School

Welcome to our English curriculum page. As a maintained Church of England primary school, Crudwell Primary develops confident, curious and capable readers, writers and communicators. Our Roots to Grow and Wings to Fly vision underpins every part of our approach: we give children the secure foundations (roots) they need to flourish, and the confidence and skills (wings) to express themselves across a wide range of contexts.

Our intent

We aim to ensure that every child becomes a fluent reader, a purposeful writer and an effective communicator who can access learning across the curriculum and participate fully in school and community life.

• We take an inclusive approach: every child’s needs are identified and met so they can access high-quality texts and writing opportunities. This includes targeted support for pupils with additional needs, scaffolded tasks, and carefully sequenced learning that builds confidence and independence.
• We prioritise high-quality texts across year groups to inspire speaking, listening, reading and writing. Children experience a wide range of genres (narrative, explanation, persuasion, poetry, non-fiction) so they can write for different audiences and purposes.
• Our curriculum supports character development through our values: respect (listening to others’ viewpoints), responsibility (taking care with presentation and accuracy), perseverance (revising and improving work), trust and teamwork (collaborative talk tasks), and creativity (inventive writing and drama).
• We use the Literacy Tree resources to structure units, select purposeful texts and provide progressive skills development. These sequences ensure a balance of reading comprehension, vocabulary development, modelled writing and independent composition.
• Our pedagogy is informed by Tom Sherrington’s WalkThrus: lessons are clear, tightly structured and focused on high-impact teaching moves—modelled examples, deliberate practice, precise questioning and rapid feedback.

Our implementation

How we put our intent into practice day-to-day:

• Sequence and progression

  • Units are planned using Literacy Tree schemes and adapted to meet the needs of our cohorts. Each unit includes work on vocabulary, reading comprehension, grammar and composition.
  • Genres are revisited progressively so children develop transferable skills and increasing independence.

• Teaching approach

  • Lessons follow WalkThrus principles: clear learning objectives, modelling, guided practice, independent application and specific feedback.
  • Teachers use short, focused input and high-quality examples to show expectations (the “I do, we do, you do” model).
  • Deliberate practice and retrieval activities are built into each week to strengthen memory and fluency.

• Reading

  • Daily reading opportunities include guided reading, whole-class reading of a high-quality text, and individual reading practice.
  • Phonics and early reading follow a systematic approach with regular assessment to ensure pupils are securely on track.
  • The school promotes a love of reading through book corners, whole-school reads, ERIC and reading challenges.

• Writing

  • Writing lessons use model texts from Literacy Tree and other carefully chosen high-quality sources. Teachers explicitly teach genre features, sentence-level skills and planning strategies.
  • Editing and redrafting are taught as essential parts of the writing process to develop perseverance and responsibility for improvement.
  • Handwriting, grammar and presentation are taught discreetly and reinforced in context.

• Vocabulary and speaking

  • Rich classroom talk, subject-specific vocabulary displays and planned discussion activities support oracy and comprehension.
  • Drama, performance and pupil-led presentations provide regular opportunities to practise speaking skills and creativity.

• Assessment and support

  • Formative assessment (live feedback, marking, quizzes) informs next steps and targeted interventions.
  • Additional support is provided through small-group work, differentiated tasks and liaison with our SEN team where required.
  • Regular moderation ensures consistency of standards across school.

• Enrichment

  • Visits, visitors, theatre, local community links and cross-curricular projects bring texts to life and show pupils authentic purposes for reading and writing.
  • Extra-curricular clubs (e.g., debate club) extend opportunities for creative expression.

Impact

We measure the impact of our English curriculum through a combination of formative and summative evidence to ensure pupils are making strong progress and developing a lifelong love of language.

• Outcomes we expect:
  • Confident, fluent readers who can access curriculum learning and demonstrate strong comprehension and vocabulary knowledge.
  • Writers who can plan, draft and edit for a range of audiences and purposes, using accurate grammar and appropriate structure.
  • Pupils who show our values in practice: respectful listeners, responsible learners, resilient writers and creative communicators.
• How we monitor impact:
  • Regular class progress tracking, reading fluency checks and moderated writing assessments.
  • Pupil voice and reading engagement surveys to evaluate enthusiasm and confidence.
  • Records of intervention impact and adjustments to provision when progress is slower than expected.

Examples of impact at Crudwell:

• Children make measurable progress in reading age and comprehension after targeted guided reading blocks and phonics interventions.
• Portfolios of extended writing across a year show improved use of genre features, vocabulary and editing.
• Positive feedback from parents about increased confidence in reading at home and improved enjoyment of books.

How this links to our vision and values

Our English curriculum is a practical expression of “Roots to Grow and Wings to Fly.” The roots are the solid, inclusive skills and knowledge each child receives; the wings are the confidence, creativity and communication skills that allow them to express ideas, take part in community life and aspire to personal success. Every lesson reinforces our values—teamwork in shared writing, perseverance in editing, creativity in composition and respect in listening to others.

Practical information for parents

• How to help at home:
  • Read daily with your child and discuss words, characters and choices authors make.
  • Encourage writing for real purposes—shopping lists, letters, stories, diaries.
  • Use school-provided reading logs and suggested book lists for each year group.
• Resources we use:
  • Literacy Tree units and high-quality texts chosen to inspire and challenge.
  • Teaching approaches guided by Tom Sherrington’s WalkThrus to ensure clarity and consistency.
• Support and contact:
  • If you have questions about your child’s reading or writing, please speak to your child’s class teacher or the English subject lead. Appointments can be made via the school office.

Next steps (for parents and carers)

• Book a visit to see English lessons in action and view our reading spaces and Forest School links where texts are brought to life.
• Look out for termly reading lists and curriculum overviews sent home and on the school website.

Summary
At Crudwell Primary we believe every child should leave with strong roots in reading and writing and the wings to communicate confidently. Through an inclusive, well-sequenced curriculum using Literacy Tree resources and WalkThrus pedagogy, we develop resilient, creative and responsible learners who live our values each day.