English at Outwood

Reading 

It is our aim at Outwood, to encourage all our children to become confident and enthusiastic readers; we actively promote a love of reading. We encourage our children to read and to enjoy looking at a variety of fiction and non-fiction books. Book bag books and library books are taken home to share with parents which supports the children's reading progress and love of books. Children in KS2 have daily guided reading time, using the Talk4Reading approach, for 30 minutes which develops their comprehension skills of prediction, inference, retrieval, explanation, summarising and vocabulary. An appreciation of literature is achieved by ensuring that children are introduced to a wide range of texts.  All year groups have dedicated story time built into their time table when well-chosen books are read, with enthusiasm and expression, to the children.  KS2 also have access to First News, a newspaper designed for children. Library time is allocated to each class where the skills of how to use a library are taught as well as books being shared with the children. 

Please take a look at our dedicated Reading and Phonics page.

Writing

Our writing curriculum is designed to provide a broad and balanced education that meets the needs of all children. We follow the award-winning Ready Steady Write from Literacy Counts to develop confident, independent and successful writers with high aspirations. Our writing curriculum is research-informed and impact-proven, carefully designed to support all children to master the foundational skills and write for a clear audience and purpose. Through the use of high-quality, vocabulary-rich texts, we provide exciting and meaningful reasons to write. Children are immersed in literature and taught to craft their writing with precision, using a range of pedagogical approaches, including sentence accuracy, modelled writing and shared writing, as well as regular opportunities for editing. We value spoken language as a foundation for writing. Through structured talk, drama and vocabulary exploration, children learn how to organise and express their ideas clearly before writing them down. Our aim is for every child – regardless of need – to write fluently and take pride in their work. We want our pupils to leave primary school as enthusiastic writers, ready for the next stage of their education. Please see the attached policy for further information to find out about the intent, implementation and impact.

Spelling

Our spelling curriculum is designed to provide a broad and balanced education that meets the needs of all children. We follow the award-recognised Ready Steady Spell by Literacy Counts to ensure that all pupils become fluent, accurate spellers. Our spelling curriculum is research-informed and impact-proven, helping children secure the essential skills and strategies they need to spell confidently across the curriculum. Through engaging activities, consistent teaching routines and regular opportunities to revisit prior learning, we help children move spelling knowledge into their long-term memory. Our aim is to build confident writers who are equipped with the tools they need to communicate clearly and effectively. Spelling is taught in a clear and systematic way, with regular reviews and assessments. Additional support is provided through Ready Steady Spell: Go sessions, which offer targeted intervention for pupils who need further consolidation. Please see the attached spelling policy for further information to find out about the intent, implementation and impact.

Files to Download