English

English Long Term Plan 2024-25.pdf

English at The Beacon

The Beacon English curriculum is carefully designed to align with our Inspire Curriculum and enriched to reflect the lives, backgrounds, and local community of our pupils. Our primary aim in English is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of spoken and written language. We also strive to cultivate a love of literature through extensive, enjoyable reading experiences that connect with our broader curriculum, supporting pupils' learning across all subjects. This approach enhances pupil outcomes by fostering a deep engagement with language and text.

The English curriculum covers essential skills in Speaking and Listening, Reading, and Writing, as well as Spelling and Handwriting. English is explicitly taught through daily lessons and integrated across the curriculum. Additionally, pupils in Years 2–6 participate in 30-minute shared reading sessions at least four times weekly. These sessions emphasize key reading skills, focusing on comprehension and content-related reading domains to build fluency and understanding.

Fostering a love of reading is central to our approach. Each class, from Reception through Year 6, engages with a different core text every half-term, chosen to resonate with other areas of learning whenever possible. The Read to Write (Literacy Counts) programme supports our curriculum with rich, vocabulary-driven texts that inspire writing and critical thinking. From Reception to Year 6, these units provide detailed instruction on grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary, with sequential learning episodes, curriculum enrichments, model texts, and ample resources, ensuring pupils build strong language skills progressively across their school years.

Early Years at The Beacon

Our Early Years curriculum at The Beacon CE Primary School focuses on:

Developing strong communication, language, and literacy skills.
Encouraging creativity, resilience, independence, and resourcefulness.
Cultivating respect and understanding for diverse cultures.
Inspiring children to become positive role models.

We provide Early Years education through our 2–3 Room, Nursery, and Reception Class. Our aim is to give children a secure, confident start, fostering a lifelong love for learning.

Intent

Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of every child, ensuring that all children succeed. We prioritise a supportive and stimulating environment where each child’s unique experiences are valued. Our curriculum builds upon children’s knowledge, encouraging independence, curiosity, and a passion for learning. Family involvement is essential, and we welcome active parental participation. We celebrate achievement across the EYFS curriculum to ensure all children feel included and supported.

Implementation

Following the EYFS Statutory Framework, our approach is shaped by recognising that:

-Each child is unique and capable of growth.

-Positive relationships foster confidence and independence.

-Learning environments respond to individual needs and are enriched through partnership with parents.

-Children develop and learn in varied ways and at different rates.

Phonics

Phonics instruction is central to language development at The Beacon. We follow the RWI (Read Write Inc.) Phonics programme, ensuring high-quality, systematic delivery. Children in Reception work through RWI Sets 1, 2, and 3 sounds in ability-based groups. In our 2–3 Room and Nursery, children are introduced to phonics through language games and letter sounds, building foundational skills for reading and writing. RWI letter cards and rhymes in Nursery support phonics knowledge as children progress.