English
Reading
Reading is at the heart of Our Lady's and we want all our children to be passionate about reading. We make sure that all children have access to a range of exciting, diverse and language-rich books and reading materials both across our curriculum and also in our library. We provide many opportunities for children to read, and be read to, throughout the school day.
Children are taught the skills of decoding and comprehension depending on their age and stage of development. All children are encouraged to read at home at least 3 times weekly with an adult.
EYFS and KS1 have a taught daily phonics session. This teaches children to hear, say, read and write the full range of sounds needed to read and write independently. We are following the synthetics phonics programme – Twinkl Phonics.
Focused Reading
At the end of Key Stage One and continuing through Key Stage Two, we develop reading comprehension through our whole class ‘Focused Reading’ sessions. High quality, appropriately challenging texts are chosen that link to all areas of our curriculum, and over a course of each half-term, children will have been exposed to fiction, non-fiction and poetry. As the texts are carefully planned to relate to our wider curriculum, this allows our children to reflect on their learning and connect with a broad range of texts. In addition, we also use Focused Reading to explore class novels in more depth. In these sessions, children are given the opportunity to consider authors’ intent; make connections and comparisons; and reflect on their own reactions as readers.
Home reading
Each week, children bring home books to share and read with an adult. This will include, when appropriate, a book at their phonics level or a 'book-banded level' and also a book of their choice. Please spend time reading with and talking to your child about what they read and help them to use their reading records to note their enjoyment of reading.
Reading Newsletter
World Book Day 2026
Writing
At Our Lady's, we teach writing by following the writing roots from Literacy Tree.
The Literary Curriculum at Literacy Tree immerses children in a literary world, therefore creating strong levels of engagement to provide meaningful and authentic contexts for primary English.
Children become critical readers and acquire an authorial style as they encounter a wide-range of significant authors and a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
The Literacy Tree (writing roots) is a whole school approach which we adopt from Key Stage 1. Within Reception, children will engage with some of the suggested Literacy Tree texts, alongside others which link to their individual interests and curriculum themes. Within the summer term in Reception, children will follow more of the Literacy Tree units of work in preparation for effective transition into Key Stage 1.
The Literacy Tree (writing roots) provides complete coverage of all National Curriculum expectations for writing composition, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary. All units of work lead to purposeful application within a wide variety of written outcomes.
A writing roots lesson involves a daily 60 minute session. We grow literary knowledge and develop skills by using whole books, rather than extracts, promoting a love of learning and an eagerness to engage with similar texts. Many of our texts links to aspects of other curriculum subjects, leading to deeper thinking and further discussion.
Grammar and Punctuation
Grammar and punctuation is explored and taught within a real context: this is done through the use of high-quality texts, as mapped out in our Long Term Plan and on our grammar progression documents.
Click here for our Grammar Progression Documents
Spelling
In Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, children receive a daily session in phonics (also see phonics). This teaches children to hear, say, read and write the full range of sounds needed to read and write independently. Children are taught the high frequency words and common exception words.
At Our Lady's we use Spelling Shed to support children’s spelling in KS2.
Designed to build on phonics knowledge, it embeds essential spelling rules through fun and memorable activities. Each lesson is interactive, with a mix of age-appropriate activities that promote active learning. Children also benefit from partner work and talk time to reinforce their learning.
Handwriting
We aim for all children to achieve a neat, legible style with correctly formed letters in a cursive font, eventually producing a fluent joined handwriting style.
It is vital that children can write quickly, comfortably and legibly, as it is a skill needed in many curriculum areas. Children’s self-esteem is also heightened when they are able to take pride in their handwriting.
At Our Lady’s we use the Twinkl Handwriting programme which aligns with our Phonics and Reading scheme. Twinkl Handwriting offers a school wide consistent approach with a planned sequence of lessons to help teachers ensure they have progressively covered the skills required to meet the aims of the National Curriculum for writing transcription and the related Early Learning Goals.
The Twinkl Handwriting scheme intends to take all pupils on a journey to using fluent, speedy and joined handwriting throughout their independent writing. This, in turn, will help to support their composition and spelling.
From EYFS to Year 6
For our youngest pupils we teach short handwriting lessons, which will include the following:
- enhancing gross motor skills such as air-writing, pattern-making and physical activities
- exercises to develop fine motor skills such as mark-making on paper, whiteboards, sensory trays, iPads, tablets, etc.
- becoming familiar with letter shapes, their sounds, formation and vocabulary
- correct sitting position and pencil grip for handwriting
In Early Years, letter formation starts with fine and gross motor skills warm-up exercises, correct sitting position and tripod pencil grip.
From Year 1 onwards, the children continue to focus on their letter formation. Teaching progresses to sessions that support the following:
- continuing with gross and fine motor skills exercises
- strengthening handwriting, learning and practice
- numerals, capitals and printed letters; where and when to use, learning and practice
When ready, in Year 2 children learn how to join their letters. They will have regular practice in letter formation and joining their handwriting. Over time, children should now be developing the fluency and speed of their writing.
Handwriting lessons continue to to take place throughout KS2, with support given for those who need further intervention.
Year 1/2 Curriculum Map
Year 3/4 Curriculum Map
Year 5/6 Curriculum Map