Intent

At Hatfield Wick School, our English curriculum aims to empower pupils to become confident readers, expressive writers, find their voice by becoming articulate speakers, and thoughtful listeners. Guided by the CARES360 ethos – Compassion, Autonomy, Respect, Empathy, Support – our curriculum develops learners’ academic competencies while also supporting emotional literacy, wellbeing, and personal growth.  

Our intent is that all pupils: 

• Develop a secure foundation in reading, writing, spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG), and spoken language. 

• Build fluency, stamina, vocabulary and comprehension skills through ambitious, diverse texts.  

• Write for a wide range of audiences and purposes, applying increasing control and creativity that will also foster improved life skills. 

• Develop critical thinking, discussion skills, and confidence in sharing ideas. 

• Access high-quality teaching through inclusive adaptive strategies and the CARES360 pathways – Nurture, Growth & Flourish. 

• Experience a curriculum that is broad, balanced, culturally rich, and responsive to the needs of the learner. 

Implementation 

Many of our pupils have missed out on crucial parts of their education as a result of exclusion, isolation, anxiety-related issues, and lack of support. It is up to us to facilitate accelerated achievement in phonics, reading and writing despite the challenges they have and may continue to face. With this in mind, we provide: 

• Daily, differentiated and scaffolded (where necessary) English sessions for all pupils focused on shared, guided reading and writing, word and sentence level skills, extended writing, SPaG and speaking activities.

   

• High-quality texts are planned for, and reviewed by staff in an ever-changing landscape of literature, to provide rich language experiences, cultural breadth, and to promote inclusivity and diversity through relatable characters. 

  
  

• Modelled and shared writing, supported by explicit teaching of sentence construction and grammar help embed knowledge and understanding through explicit teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar in order to provide pupils with opportunities to develop the basic skills of writing. Spelling Shed is used to assist spelling, punctuation and grammar practice. 

• Daily, discrete phonics sessions using resources from Little Wandle, in line with Letters and Sounds are used within class and as interventions. For carefully selected students in Key Stage 3, the rapid catch-up intervention is used to increase reading confidence. Pupils who are confident and complete the phonics requirements move on to become free readers where they have more free choice. A Barrington Stokes selection offers dyslexic-friendly texts alongside our wide variety of books. Teachers, LSAs and even senior leaders can help guide students reading choices based on their levels but also to ensure a love for reading is promoted throughout the school and becomes an embedded part of the culture of Hatfield Wick. 

  
  

• Additional reading sessions, such as guided reading for pupils in Key Stage 2 and 3, using VIPERS (vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval, sequencing, summarising) techniques from, but not limited to, Literacy Shed (based on the national curriculum) along with a specified, appropriate reading book for pleasure. Whole-class guided reading enables mixed-age learning with appropriate scaffolds and challenges based on individual need. Retrieval routines are regularly practiced ensuring teaching supports long-term memory development and consolidation. 

  
  

• Pupils who need additional one-to-one or group intervention will access this with a teacher or learning support assistant. Systematic vocabulary instruction, in both class and interventions, include Tier 1-3 words and etymology where appropriate. 

  
  

• Pupils have access to a variety of engaging fiction and non-fiction texts in their classrooms and libraries. The teaching of writing encompasses a wide range of genres which will prepare pupils for later in life (for example, writing reports, letters/emails, recounts). 

  
  

• Primary pupils and secondary pupils at an early stage of reading take appropriately challenged books home. Pupils have access to e-books online and families are encouraged to read with their children regularly using whichever form they find more successful (hard copies or e-books). Visits to libraries are encouraged and experiences that link with our texts/topics are encouraged to bring learning to life. 

  
  

• Reading is given a high profile across all subjects and cross-curricular opportunities are planned to engage pupils with topics they enjoy. Strong links are made between other subjects (such as history, geography, science & PSHCE) so reading opportunities are regular and discrete at times. Next steps for reading and writing are set using pupils’ assessments which identify gaps in knowledge and skills. These are communicated verbally (where appropriate) and in books. 

  
  

• Neat, legible handwriting and presentation are encouraged to maintain high standards. Pupils should take pride in their work and are encouraged to take ownership of this. Handwriting is taught through regular and short focused sessions and may be linked with other areas where necessary e.g. phonics/spelling and grammar. Regular practice is encouraged to ensure good progress in handwriting and fine motor skills. 

Pupils are taught on a two-year rolling programme in KS2/KS4: Year A (2026-2027), Year B (2027-2028) to ensure they receive full breadth without repetition to ensure they are exposed to and, have the opportunity to, meet the National Curriculum standards for their age requirement. 

At Key Stage 4, depending on the individual pathway, pupils’ work towards AQA awards, Functional Skills or GCSE qualifications in English. In KS4, depending on the cohort, groups can be split into two classes: one focussing on AQA and Functional Skills Awards, the other focussing on GCSE level to ensure we meet the needs of our students and ensure they are in the environment best suited to their abilities, goals and targets. Extra, targeted one-to-one or small group sessions are available to best support needs.