English Policy

The key skills for English are how we break down the National Curriculum into component skills to teach to the children. Each skill is taught multiple times with the aim of children mastering each one by the end of the year. Our key skills are designed to allow children to build and develop their knowledge over time.

Coldfall Reading and Writing Objectives

I am the English Lead at Coldfall Primary School, where I combine my passion for reading with a deep commitment to driving excellence in literacy. As a voracious reader and a member of a book club for over a decade, I enjoy exploring a wide range of genres, particularly historical fiction, crime, and fantasy. This passion underpins my dedication to fostering a culture of reading for pleasure across the school, inspiring both students and staff to explore the transformative power of books.

Although I was not taught formal grammar at school, I embraced the challenge of mastering it as a teacher and have since become a real grammar enthusiast. I’m passionate about teaching grammar as a tool for effective communication, empowering children to express themselves clearly and creatively in their writing. It is by gaining a strong understanding of the rules surrounding sentences that children can become excellent writers themselves.

Handwriting is another area close to my heart. As a former school handwriting competition champion, I understand the pride and confidence that comes from developing fluent and legible handwriting. I have always enjoyed working closely with children to help them improve this essential skill, ensuring their written work reflects the effort and thought they put into it.

In my role, I focus on raising standards in reading, writing, speaking and listening by implementing research-based strategies, supporting colleagues through professional development, and ensuring our curriculum is engaging, inclusive, and ambitious. My goal is to equip every child with the skills and confidence to excel in literacy and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Sebastian Descrettes – Assistant Headteacher, English Subject Lead and Safeguarding Lead

At Coldfall, we use the Spelling Shed scheme for the teaching of spelling. Lessons align with the National Curriculum for spelling. In a typical week, the children look at a selection of words that follow a particular pattern, often using etymology, morphology and segmentation to gain a better understanding of the rules and words that they are learning. The teaching of spelling is cyclical, with children returning to previously taught rules and patterns regularly. Each child has a log in for the Spelling Shed website, which they can use to practise their spelling words at home.

You can see an overview of the scheme here.

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope this email finds you and your family in good health.

The following websites have been created to help children aged 3-11 develop their reading skills at home. You will find a range of popular fiction and non-fiction titles all available for children to read at their leisure. All of the eBooks are free to use, but you will need to register and log in. Please note, the eBooks are not optimised for mobile phones and are best viewed on a computer, laptop, or tablet.

Regular reading practice is one of the most important things we can ensure our children do, so please take full advantage of this free offer.

https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/free-ebooks/

https://www.getepic.com/

Yours sincerely,

Miss King

Assistant Headteacher