At Abbey Park Primary School, our English curriculum aims to ensure that every child becomes a confident reader, a knowledgeable writer and an articulate communicator. English underpins learning across the entire curriculum, enabling children to access knowledge, express ideas, listen actively, develop vocabulary and become critical, thoughtful learners.

We deliver English through two high-quality, research-informed programmes:

• Little Wandle (Phonics and Early Reading) – taught daily from Nursery to Year 2 and as Rapid Catch-Up intervention across Key Stage 2.

• The Literacy Tree (Writing, Reading & Spelling Curriculum) – used from Reception to Year 7 as a consistent whole-school approach to reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary development. We follow the Literacy Tree principles by using a book-based approach.

Both programmes work together to ensure coherent progression from the earliest foundations of reading in the Early Years to the complex skills of analysis and composition required by the end of Year 7.

Intent

At Abbey Park, our intent is that every child:

Reading

• becomes a fluent, confident and enthusiastic reader
• reads a broad range of high-quality literature, including diverse and culturally rich texts
• uses decoding, fluency and comprehension to understand increasingly complex texts
• develops a secure reading voice, expression, intonation and prosody
• builds a lifelong love of reading for pleasure

Writing

• develops a strong authorial voice through purposeful, high-quality writing opportunities
• understands text structure, grammar and vocabulary choices
• writes effectively for a wide range of genres and audiences
• thinks like a writer, makes choices, edits and improves independently

Phonics & Spelling

• acquires rapid, secure phonic knowledge in the Early Years and KS1
• spells confidently using phonic knowledge, morphology and spelling rules
• understands spelling patterns through Spelling Seeds from Year 2 onwards

Oracy

• speaks with confidence in discussions, drama, presentations and collaborative learning
• listens actively and responds thoughtfully

Implementation

Early Reading and Phonics (Nursery – Year 2)

We follow Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, delivering:

• Daily phonics teaching (consistent, systematic and progressive)
• Small-group reading practice sessions focusing on decoding, prosody and comprehension
• Decodable books accurately matched to assessment
• Rapid Keep-Up and Rapid Catch-Up interventions
• Daily story time to promote reading for pleasure

Reception and Year 1 follow the full Little Wandle progression of GPCs, tricky words, blending and fluency. Year 2 continue with phonics where required and move into Spelling Seeds for spelling instruction.

 English Curriculum (Reception – Year 7) Using The Literacy Tree

The Literacy Tree is used across the whole school to drive:

• Writing Roots (core writing units)

• Reading Leaves (comprehension)

• Spelling Seeds (spelling and morphology, Y2–Y6)

Reception

Reception teachers use Literacy Tree texts to build early language, composition and story structure. Children produce early writing through storytelling, mark-making, captions, labels and simple narratives inspired by high-quality books.

Key Stage 1

Children move into more structured writing sequences, building on phonics through:

• story writing
• simple non-fiction
• poetry
• character, setting and event descriptions

Reading Leaves begins in simple form in Year 1 and is fully embedded in Year 2.

Key Stage 2

Pupils engage in rich, progressively challenging Literacy Tree units that ensure they:

• respond critically to texts
• write across genres (narrative, explanation, persuasion, non-chronological reports, discussion, poetry)
• develop deep knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and authorial craft
• edit, revise and publish writing independently

Key Stage 3

Pupils use transition units from The Literacy Tree to ensure a smooth progression into the KS3 curriculum. They will build on KS2 skills and then move on to other units following the KS3 currciulum.

Progression of English Across the School

Reception (EYFS)

• Phonics: Little Wandle Phase 2–4; secure blending/segmenting
• Reading: early comprehension, vocabulary, predicting, retelling
• Writing: captions, simple sentences, story beginnings
• Speaking & Listening: high-quality talk through continuous provision

Year 1

• Consolidation of phonics and decoding
• Early comprehension (literal and simple inference)
• Writing short narratives & simple non-fiction pieces
• Basic grammar and punctuation

Year 2

• Transition from phonics to Spelling Seeds
• Secure comprehension skills (retrieval, inference, sequencing)
• Writing structured stories, recounts, reports and poems
• Use of conjunctions, expanded noun phrases, correct punctuation

Year 3–4

• Fluent reading, deeper inference and summarising
• Writing developed paragraphs, dialogue, description
• Grammar embedded through Writing Roots units
• Spelling Seeds focusing on prefixes, suffixes, homophones, morphology

Year 5–6

• Critical reading, viewpoint, authorial intent
• Writing for purpose & audience across a wide range of genres
• Cohesion across paragraphs, controlled grammar and varied sentence structures
• Spelling rules including etymology, morphology and accurate application
• Preparation for KS2 SATs through high-quality texts rather than test-driven teaching

Year 7

• Advanced Reading Comprehension: Develops the ability to analyse themes, characters, and language techniques in increasingly complex texts, including poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.

• Independent Writing Skills: Builds on earlier writing foundations to produce well-structured essays, narratives, and persuasive texts with clear voice, purpose, and audience awareness.
• Grammar and Vocabulary Development: Expands understanding of sophisticated grammar structures and figurative language to enhance clarity, accuracy, and style.
• Critical Thinking and Discussion: Encourages thoughtful interpretation and debate of texts, supporting ideas with evidence and developing confidence in oral expression.
• Preparation for Secondary Transition: Strengthens study habits, independent reading, and written communication to ensure readiness for the rigour of secondary English studies.

Assessment

Reading

• Little Wandle phonics assessments every 6 weeks
• Reading Leaves responses and VIPERS-style questioning (Y2–Y6)
• Benchmarking/fluency checks
• Pupil conferencing and teacher assessment

Writing

• Assessed against Literacy Tree objectives, National Curriculum statements and moderation frameworks
• Regular independent writes
• Editing and publishing outcomes

Spelling

• Spelling Seeds assessments and ongoing application in writing

Inclusion & SEND

• Little Wandle SEND Programme for children who need a bespoke pathway
• Reading interventions using Rapid Catch-Up from Year 2–6
• Visuals, scaffolds, adapted texts and pre-teach vocabulary
• High-quality first teaching with adaptations

Impact

By the end of Year 7, children at Abbey Park:

• read fluently, confidently and with enjoyment
• understand and engage with a wide range of literature
• write effectively for multiple audiences and purposes
• speak with confidence and listen respectfully
• are fully prepared for the next stage of education

Our English curriculum ensures every child becomes a capable reader, writer and thinker.