“…English…gives pupils access to the rest of the curriculum and is fundamental to their educational success.”

(OFSTED Research Review Series: English, 2022)

Building on the aims of the statutory frameworks and considering the unique context of Thomas Hickman School, we want our children to:

• be interested in books and read for pleasure and for information, both in school and at home – learning to read and reading to learn; 

• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage;

• have an interest in words and their meaning and a growing vocabulary, including a suitable technical vocabulary through which to understand and discuss their reading and writing as well as other areas of their learning;

• have fluent and legible handwriting;

• understand the sound and spelling system and use this to read and spell confidently, fluently and with understanding;

• develop an awareness of purpose and audience for both written and oral language and develop an understanding of how purpose and audience can dictate form and language choices;

• be able to reflect on and accurately evaluate their own and others’ contributions, feeding back sensitively and acting on advice as appropriate;

• write confidently in a variety of styles and forms appropriate to a range of situations;

• be confident, competent and expressive users of the language with a developing knowledge of how it works (i.e. grammar, spelling and punctuation);

• plan, draft, revise, edit and publish their own writing;

• be competent in the arts of speaking and listening, demonstrated through making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

Quality texts, which both complement and deepen the understanding of each Field of Study, are selected to inspire children’s speaking and listening and reading and writing. Teachers keep up-to-date with the latest book releases so they can be sure that they are always choosing the best book to drive their English unit and give our THS BIRDS access to the best children’s literature available.

Please click on the links below to find out more about each area of the English curriculum and ways in which you can support your child.