Our English Intent at Eastway is for all children to:
- Fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum
- Lay the foundations needed for successful early reading and writing through the robust delivery of our Phonics Scheme (Read Write Inc)
- Cultivate a love for reading and writing
- Develop a deep knowledge of grammatical skills that are essential to their future success in literacy including: text, sentence, word and punctuation skills
- To close any gaps children may have in their reading and writing knowledge through quality teaching and targetted intervention so that no child is disadvantaged
- Bring learning to life as children have real-life experiences and have a clear purpose for writing- we use a quality text led approach in which pupils are immersed in an age appropriate book and where they move through to analysing text and language features. Pupils finally plan and write their own text
- Develop independent learners who are confident in their ability to read and write.
English Implementation at Eastway
To achieve our aims, we have carefully designed a clear and progressive curriculum that sets out exactly what children will learn in each year group. This ensures that knowledge and skills build securely year on year, giving every child the strongest possible foundation in English.
Our approach places a strong emphasis on revisiting and reinforcing prior learning, so children are able to make meaningful connections between what they already know and new concepts they are introduced to. This helps them to retain key knowledge over time and apply it confidently in their reading and writing.
We also use a daily ‘Sentence Accuracy’ session to sharpen children’s grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills. These short, focused tasks allow teachers to address any gaps, while also developing precision and accuracy in writing.
Alongside this, our curriculum nurtures a love of reading and writing. Children are exposed to a wide range of high-quality texts, and they are given regular opportunities to write for different purposes and audiences. This not only develops technical accuracy but also encourages creativity, imagination, and self-expression.
At Eastway, our aim is for every child to become a fluent reader, a confident writer, and an enthusiastic learner who sees English as a gateway to success across the whole curriculum and beyond.
Please see a summary of your child’s year group curriculum below:
English Impact at Eastway Primary School
To check that your child has understood and can apply what they have been taught, we carry out independent writing pieces every 3–4 weeks. This allows children to put their learning into practice and helps teachers see how much knowledge and skill has been secured. Teachers then adapt their lessons to support any areas that need further development.
At the start of each lesson, we also complete a short daily sentence accuracy task. Alongside this, teachers regularly review the work in pupils’ books to build a clear picture of what children are remembering and retaining over time.
Each term, teachers review pupils’ writing to check that key knowledge has been remembered and is being applied independently. From the end of Year 1, children also sit a termly reading and spelling test, which helps us to see how well they can recall and use their learning without support. Where gaps are identified, teachers prioritise these areas and give pupils time to consolidate their understanding. All of this information is used to assess whether your child is meeting the expected standard for their year group.
We will keep you updated on your child’s progress in reading and writing through parent/carer meetings and written reports each term. You will also have the opportunity to look at your child’s work in their books during the year. If you would like any further information, please speak to your child’s class teacher or contact the school office.
