English

‘Teachers should develop pupil’s spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary as integral aspects of the teaching of every subject. English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching; for pupils, understanding the language provides access to the whole curriculum. Fluency in the English language is an essential foundation for success in all subjects.’ (National Curriculum)

Intent

Emerson Valley emphasizes the importance of English across the

curriculum, fostering students’ abilities in speaking, listening, reading, and writing for various purposes. Staff play a key role in supporting English development, ensuring pupils can confidently communicate ideas and emotions. Through exposure to diverse writing genres, students develop accuracy, coherence, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling skills. They are encouraged to draft, edit, and take pride in their handwriting and presentation.

Implementation

English is taught through whole-class lessons to ensure all students access the National Curriculum. More able pupils are challenged to enhance their writing with advanced grammar and vocabulary.

Writing lessons follow The Write Stuff approach, incorporating experience days, structured sentence stacking lessons, and independent writing with editing. Sentence stacking involves creating three interconnected "chunks" per lesson, encouraging idea-sharing through "chotting." These lessons build progressively, culminating in a larger written piece.

Impact

Emerson Valley School aims to ensure all pupils engage in diverse English activities through effective lesson planning, teaching, and resources. Students will develop writing skills across genres, expand their vocabulary, receive appropriate support, and take accountability for their learning. They will also focus on presentation and mastering spelling rules. Additionally, parents and carers will be informed on how to support spelling, grammar, and composition at home.