Our Vision for English

At North Lakes School, our English curriculum is designed to foster a love of language, develop confident communicators, and empower every child to become a skilled reader and writer.

We believe that Reading, Writing and Oracy are the foundations for success across the whole curriculum. Our aim is for every child to leave North Lakes as a powerful communicator who can express ideas clearly, creatively, and confidently.

Reading at North Lakes

Reading is at the heart of our English curriculum. We focus on developing both word recognition and comprehension, ensuring that children become fluent, accurate, and enthusiastic readers. A key priority is improving pupils’ pace, fluency, and accuracy to strengthen overall comprehension.

Our reading provision includes:

• Whole‑class reading sessions for all year groups, in addition to daily English lessons.

• Targeted individual reading, with staff listening to children read and guiding them toward appropriate book choices.

• Home reading expectations of at least five times per week.

• Reading for pleasure 

Phonics & Early Reading Support

Although North Lakes is a junior school, some pupils continue to develop phonetic security. We provide targeted phonics intervention using the DFE‑approved Unlocking Letters and Sounds programme. These interventions build fluency, confidence, and decoding skills.

Writing at North Lakes

Our writing curriculum follows a mastery approach aligned with National Curriculum expectations. We aim to develop confident, creative writers who can apply their skills across a wide range of genres and contexts.

We use Mike Cain grammar objectives to ensure grammar is taught progressively and purposefully throughout our writing curriculum. These objectives help children understand how grammar choices shape meaning and strengthen the quality of their writing.

We are also developing our English curriculum to include more elements of Talk for Writing, as talking through ideas is a vital step in becoming a strong writer. Through discussion, oral rehearsal, and shared storytelling, pupils learn to organise their thoughts, build vocabulary, and develop confidence before writing.

Curriculum Intent

Through our English curriculum, we aim to:

• Immerse children in a language‑rich environment

• Provide high‑quality texts that inspire imagination

• Offer meaningful opportunities for Reading, Writing, and Oracy

• Build vocabulary that enables children to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas

• Develop children into authors who can inform, entertain and inspire others

• Ensure all pupils become fluent, confident readers who enjoy reading for pleasure

• Equip pupils with the skills to write with accuracy, purpose and creativity

Inclusion

We are committed to ensuring that every child can succeed in English. Our inclusive approach includes:

• Targeted interventions in Phonics, Reading, Grammar and Writing

• Adaptive teaching strategies to meet a wide range of needs

• Carefully selected texts that reflect diversity and promote representation

• Scaffolded support to ensure all pupils can access ambitious learning

• Regular assessment to identify gaps and tailor support

All interventions are reviewed regularly to ensure they meet individual needs and accelerate progress.

Enrichment

To nurture a lifelong love of English, we offer a range of enrichment opportunities:

• Author visits and workshops

• Library trips and bookshop experiences

• Reading competitions and challenges

• Whole‑school events such as World Book Day and themed weeks

• Opportunities to perform, debate and present through Oracy‑focused activities

• Lower and Upper KS2 productions

Impact

The impact of our English curriculum is seen in pupils who:

• Read fluently, confidently and with enjoyment

• Write with clarity, creativity and purpose

• Use ambitious vocabulary and make thoughtful language choices

• Communicate effectively in a range of contexts

• Demonstrate strong progress from their starting points

• Are well‑prepared for the next stage of their education.