Our English curriculum is built around four interconnected elements.

Oracy

Children learn to speak, listen, explain, question, discuss, debate, present and perform.

Reading

Children learn to decode accurately, read fluently, understand increasingly complex texts and read for pleasure.

Writing

Children learn to compose, transcribe, revise and publish writing for different purposes and audiences.

Vocabulary

Children acquire the words they need to understand texts, express increasingly complex ideas and access learning across the curriculum.

These elements support one another, but each is also taught explicitly. Talk prepares children to read and write; reading introduces them to new language, knowledge, ideas and structures; writing enables them to communicate and refine their thinking.

Phase	What we teach	How we teach it
Nursery	Communication, attention and listening; vocabulary; stories, songs and rhymes; oral composition; book knowledge; phonological awareness; early Read Write Inc. sounds; mark-making and the physical foundations of writing.	Through high-quality adult interaction, explicit language teaching, shared stories, rhyme, repetition, purposeful play, continuous provision and short, carefully structured teaching sessions.
Reception	Read Write Inc. phonics; word reading and fluency; comprehension through talk and stories; oral composition; sentence construction; phonically plausible spelling; handwriting; early fiction and non-fiction writing.	Through daily phonics, Read Write Inc. Storybooks and Get Writing, shared reading, storytelling, oral rehearsal, explicit modelling, dictation, handwriting practice and meaningful writing across the provision.
Year 1	Read Write Inc. phonics; matched reading; fluency and comprehension; sentence construction; grammar and punctuation; fiction and non-fiction writing; handwriting and systematic spelling.	Through daily Read Write Inc. Phonics and Get Writing, matched decodable books, Read Write Inc. Handwriting, No Nonsense Spelling, oral rehearsal, explicit modelling, dictation and guided and independent writing.
Year 2	Secure decoding; reading fluency and comprehension; vocabulary; spelling; handwriting; sentence construction; grammar and punctuation; increasingly sustained fiction, poetry and non-fiction writing.	Through Read Write Inc. and Get Writing, alongside wider reading and writing teaching as children complete the phonics programme. Read Write Inc. Handwriting and No Nonsense Spelling are taught systematically.
Years 3–6	Reading fluency and comprehension; study of high-quality texts; vocabulary; grammar; spelling; handwriting; sentence construction; planning, drafting, revising and editing; writing for different purposes and audiences.	Using Ark Mastery English as our curriculum toolkit, supported by Read Write Inc. Handwriting and No Nonsense Spelling. Teaching includes explicit modelling, structured discussion, close reading, sentence-level instruction, guided practice and increasingly independent composition.
Specialist provision	Reading, writing and communication matched to each child’s developmental stage, including phonics, functional communication, comprehension, transcription, composition and access to literature.	Through Read Write Inc. or heavily adapted Ark Mastery English, depending on each child’s stage of development. Learning connects with mainstream English and Cornerstones projects wherever this is meaningful and appropriate.

English begins long before children can independently read or write.

In Nursery, our priority is to develop children’s communication, attention, listening and understanding. Children encounter a language-rich environment in which adults model vocabulary, extend children’s sentences and create meaningful reasons to communicate.

Children are taught to:

• listen and respond to stories, rhymes and instructions;

• join in with repeated language, songs and familiar texts;

• learn and use new vocabulary;

• take turns in conversations;

• sequence and retell simple events;

• distinguish between environmental and speech sounds;

• handle books and understand how print works;

• express an idea before attempting to record it;

• develop the strength, coordination and control needed for handwriting;

• make marks, assign meaning to them and begin to form recognisable letters.

Read Write Inc. begins in Nursery in a developmentally appropriate way. Children develop phonological awareness and begin to encounter the sounds and routines that will support more formal phonics teaching.

Read Write Inc. Handwriting also begins in Nursery through physical preparation, movement, pattern and the early teaching of accurate letter formation.

Play remains an important context for learning, but adults do not leave language development to chance. They deliberately model, explain, question, repeat and extend.

Phonics and early reading

We use Read Write Inc. Phonics as our systematic synthetic phonics programme, beginning in Nursery and continuing through Reception and Key Stage 1.

Children are taught to:

• recognise the sounds represented by letters and groups of letters;

• blend sounds to read words;

• segment spoken words to support spelling;

• read common exception words;

• read accurately matched decodable books;

• develop accuracy, fluency, expression and understanding.

Children are assessed regularly and grouped according to their current stage of reading development. Grouping is flexible and changes as children progress. This enables teaching to be closely matched to what children know and what they need to learn next.

Children read books containing the sounds and words they have already been taught. This provides successful practice, strengthens fluency and develops confidence.

Assessment identifies children who are at risk of falling behind. These pupils receive prompt additional practice or individual tutoring so that gaps do not become established. Read Write Inc. continues beyond Key Stage 1 for pupils who still require systematic phonics teaching.

Reading beyond phonics

Learning to decode is essential, but it is only one part of becoming a reader.

Throughout the school, children are explicitly taught to:

• read accurately and fluently;

• retrieve and summarise information;

• use evidence from a text;

• make and justify inferences;

• predict and ask questions;

• explore vocabulary and authorial choices;

• compare texts, characters and ideas;

• explain and defend their interpretations;

• develop preferences and make informed reading choices.

Children encounter a carefully selected range of stories, poetry, traditional tales, non-fiction and texts representing different cultures, periods and perspectives.

In Key Stage 2, Ark Mastery English provides a high-quality literary spine and a structured approach to reading. Teachers adapt materials, questions and scaffolds while maintaining the ambition and richness of the text.

Teachers also read aloud to children. Class reading allows every pupil to encounter books that may be beyond their current independent reading level, building vocabulary, knowledge, imagination and reading identity.

Reading for pleasure

We want children to become readers who choose to read, not simply pupils who can pass a reading assessment.

Children are given opportunities to:

• listen to adults read;

• discuss and recommend books;

• explore authors, genres and themes;

• visit and use the library;

• choose books that reflect their interests;

• revisit favourite texts;

• participate in reading events and celebrations;

• take books home to share with their families.

Our reading offer includes books that act as windows into lives and worlds beyond children’s immediate experiences, as well as mirrors in which children can recognise themselves, their families and their communities.

Writing in the Early Years and Key Stage 1

In the Early Years and Key Stage 1, we use the Get Writing elements of Read Write Inc. as our principal toolkit for teaching early writing.

Reading and writing are closely connected. The sounds, words and texts children encounter through phonics provide a secure foundation for spelling and composition.

Children learn to:

• say what they intend to write;

• orally rehearse words and sentences;

• use phonics to segment words for spelling;

• form letters correctly;

• hold and control a pencil effectively;

• construct complete sentences;

• use vocabulary and sentence structures drawn from their reading;

• apply appropriate punctuation;

• reread writing to check that it makes sense;

• develop ideas across a sequence of sentences;

• write fiction, poetry and non-fiction.

Teaching follows a structured journey from oral rehearsal to increasingly independent composition. Adults explicitly model each step and gradually withdraw support as children become more secure.

Our approach reflects the principles of the Department for Education’s Writing Framework, including the importance of oral composition, sentence-level instruction, handwriting, spelling, dictation and regular opportunities to write.

Writing in Key Stage 2

In Years 3 to 6, we use Ark Mastery English as the toolkit through which reading, writing and grammar are planned and taught.

We describe Ark as a toolkit because it supports teaching rather than dictating it. Teachers retain responsibility for responding to assessment, adapting explanations, selecting scaffolds and meeting the needs of the children in front of them.

Ark provides:

• a clear sequence of reading and writing knowledge;

• high-quality complete texts;

• explicit vocabulary teaching;

• structured reading comprehension;

• cumulative grammar and sentence-level instruction;

• models of effective writing;

• opportunities to write for different purposes and audiences;

• progression towards increasingly independent writing.

Learning is heavily adapted for Waterloo’s children. Adaptation may include additional vocabulary teaching, shorter instructional steps, increased modelling, oral rehearsal, visual support, worked examples, guided practice and opportunities to revisit previous learning.

Adaptation does not mean replacing ambitious texts or routinely giving pupils easier work. Support enables children to reach the intended learning with increasing confidence and independence.

Our writing pedagogy

Writing is complex. Children must generate ideas, select vocabulary, construct sentences, spell words, form letters and organise a whole text—often simultaneously.

We therefore teach writing through manageable, carefully sequenced steps.

Building knowledge

Before writing, children develop the knowledge needed to have something meaningful to say. This may come from a high-quality text, discussion, wider curriculum learning or direct experience.

Exploring models

Children examine effective examples of writing. Teachers draw attention to how authors organise ideas, construct sentences, choose vocabulary and influence the reader.

Oral composition

Children say sentences before writing them. Partner talk, storytelling, sentence rehearsal and structured discussion help children organise and refine their ideas.

Explicit modelling

Teachers make the writing process visible. They model how to generate ideas, choose language, construct sentences, solve spelling difficulties and revise writing.

Sentence-level instruction

Children are explicitly taught how sentences work. They practise constructing, expanding, combining and manipulating sentences before applying this knowledge within longer pieces.

Transcription

Handwriting and spelling are taught explicitly and practised regularly. As these skills become increasingly automatic, children can devote more attention to meaning and composition.

Guided and independent practice

Support is gradually reduced. Children move from shared and guided writing towards independent composition, applying what they have been taught.

Revising and editing

Children learn that successful writers return to their work. They revise ideas and language before checking spelling, punctuation and grammar. Editing is taught as a purposeful part of writing rather than as a final correction exercise.

Writing across the curriculum

Children apply their English knowledge in other subjects. Writing in science, history, geography and the wider curriculum helps children communicate subject knowledge and write for meaningful purposes.

However, writing in other subjects does not replace dedicated English teaching. The primary purpose of work in a foundation subject remains the learning of that subject

Handwriting is taught through Read Write Inc. Handwriting from Nursery to Year 6. This gives children a consistent language, sequence and method throughout their time at Waterloo.

In the Early Years, children develop the physical foundations needed for writing through activities that strengthen gross-motor control, fine-motor coordination and pencil grip. They are then explicitly taught the correct formation of letters.

As children progress, teaching develops:

• accurate letter formation;

• appropriate pencil grip and posture;

• consistent letter size, orientation and spacing;

• accurate placement of letters on the line;

• appropriate joining patterns;

• increasing fluency, speed and stamina;

• a clear and legible personal style.

Handwriting is taught directly and practised regularly. Adults model the agreed Read Write Inc. formations and joins consistently in every subject. Children are expected to apply the same standards whenever they write, not only during handwriting lessons.

Children move towards joined handwriting and the use of a pen when they are developmentally ready and can maintain accuracy, fluency and legibility. Expectations are based on readiness and quality rather than age alone.

From Year 1 to Year 6, spelling is taught systematically through No Nonsense Spelling.

In the early stages, spelling is closely connected to Read Write Inc. Phonics. Children use their knowledge of sounds and graphemes to segment spoken words and select plausible spellings.

No Nonsense Spelling then provides a progressive framework through which children learn:

• phoneme–grapheme correspondences;

• common spelling patterns and conventions;

• prefixes, suffixes and word families;

• morphology and how words are constructed;

• etymology and the origins of words;

• statutory words and common exception words;

• strategies for learning and checking unfamiliar spellings;

• how to apply spelling knowledge independently.

Spelling is taught explicitly and revisited frequently. Children investigate patterns, practise words in context and apply what they have learned within sentences and extended writing.

Teachers identify whether errors arise from insecure phonics, limited knowledge of a spelling convention or difficulty applying known spelling independently. This allows teaching and intervention to respond to the specific barrier.

Spelling is not treated as the memorisation of disconnected word lists. Children are taught to understand how the English spelling system works and to become increasingly confident in making, checking and correcting their own spelling choices.

Waterloo is a Voice 21 Oracy School.

Oracy means learning to talk and learning through talk. It is particularly important in our context because strong spoken language supports reading, writing, learning, relationships, confidence and future opportunity.

Oracy is explicitly taught and deliberately interwoven through English and the wider curriculum. Teachers plan talk with the same care that they plan reading and writing.

The Voice 21 Oracy Framework identifies four interrelated strands:

Strand	What children learn
Physical	Voice, fluency, pace, expression, gesture and body language.
Linguistic	Vocabulary, sentence construction, register and language choices.
Cognitive	Reasoning, organising ideas, asking questions, clarifying and evaluating.
Social and emotional	Listening, turn-taking, confidence, collaboration and responding respectfully.

Teachers use strategies such as:

• paired rehearsal;

• “my turn, your turn”;

• talk partners and structured groupings;

• sentence stems and talk frames;

• discussion roles and guidelines;

• storytelling and retelling;

• drama and role-play;

• questioning and reasoning;

• debate and deliberation;

• presentation and performance;

• reflection on the quality of talk.

Talk is purposeful and structured. Teachers explicitly teach children how to listen, build on another person’s contribution, challenge an idea respectfully and adapt speech for different audiences.

For children with communication needs, oracy may include signing, symbols, visual supports, communication boards or augmentative and alternative communication. Finding a voice does not depend upon speech alone.

Voice 21 describes high-quality oracy education as learning through talk and learning to talk, supported by deliberate planning, modelling, scaffolding and structure.

Children in our specialist provisions share the same fundamental entitlement to become readers, writers and effective communicators.

Their English curriculum is determined by developmental stage, prior learning, communication profile and individual outcomes—not simply by chronological age.

Depending on their starting points and needs, children may access:

• Read Write Inc. Phonics;

• the Get Writing elements of Read Write Inc.;

• heavily adapted Ark Mastery English;

• No Nonsense Spelling;

• Read Write Inc. Handwriting;

• English learning connected to mainstream classes;

• texts and writing opportunities linked to Cornerstones projects;

• an individualised communication and literacy pathway;

• a combination of these approaches.

Read Write Inc. is used where children require systematic teaching of phonics, early reading and early writing. Ark Mastery English is used where children are developmentally ready to access its texts, knowledge and progression, with substantial adaptation where necessary.

All children access Read Write Inc. Handwriting at an appropriate developmental level. No Nonsense Spelling is used where children are ready to access its content. Where pupils are still developing earlier phonological knowledge, spelling remains closely connected to their Read Write Inc. pathway.

Teaching may include:

• smaller instructional steps;

• additional repetition and overlearning;

• pre-teaching of vocabulary;

• objects, visuals, symbols or signing;

• alternative methods of recording;

• assistive or communication technology;

• personalised texts and motivators;

• additional processing time;

• explicit teaching of functional communication;

• specialist teaching before application in another context.

Practical or sensory activity is used when it has a clear role in developing language, comprehension, communication or composition. It does not replace the systematic teaching of reading and writing.

Where meaningful and appropriate, children connect with the English learning of their mainstream peers and with the content of mainstream Cornerstones projects. These links support shared experiences, relationships and belonging. They are planned around what each child is ready to learn rather than being tokenistic.

For some children, progress may be demonstrated through looking, attending, anticipating, selecting, signing, vocalising, speaking, sequencing, matching, reading, recording or independently communicating. Each of these can represent important progress towards greater understanding and independence.

High expectations apply to every child, but children may require different routes into the same learning.

Teachers adapt English through:

• explicit vocabulary teaching;

• visual and concrete support;

• carefully chosen examples;

• oral rehearsal;

• sentence stems and writing frames;

• chunked instructions;

• additional modelling and guided practice;

• pre-teaching and overlearning;

• alternative methods of recording;

• assistive technology;

• additional time;

• targeted adult support.

Adaptation should increase participation and independence. It should not create unnecessary limits or long-term dependence on an adult.

Teachers distinguish between different barriers. A child with weak handwriting or spelling may have sophisticated ideas; a fluent reader may have limited comprehension; a child with strong understanding may find spoken expression difficult. Teaching and support respond to the particular component of English that needs development.

Assessment is used to decide what children need to learn next.

In phonics, pupils are assessed regularly and teaching groups are adjusted accordingly. Staff identify the precise sounds, words or blending skills that require further teaching.

Across reading and writing, teachers use:

• observation and discussion;

• questioning;

• oral reading and fluency checks;

• comprehension tasks;

• spelling and handwriting evidence;

• writing in English and across the curriculum;

• independent application;

• periodic assessments.

Teachers assess the specific components of English rather than relying on an overall impression.

Assessment may show, for example, that a pupil:

• decodes accurately but lacks fluency;

• reads fluently but has limited comprehension;

• communicates ideas well orally but struggles to record them;

• composes effectively but has insecure spelling or handwriting;

• applies skills in a lesson but does not yet retain them over time.

For pupils working significantly below age-related expectations, assessment recognises meaningful progress from individual starting points while retaining a clear pathway towards the greatest possible communication, literacy and independence.

Our English curriculum is successful when children:

• communicate their needs, ideas and feelings effectively;

• listen to and learn from others;

• speak with increasing confidence and clarity;

• decode accurately and read fluently;

• understand and discuss what they read;

• choose to read and develop preferences;

• acquire and use a rich vocabulary;

• write accurately and with increasing stamina;

• form letters fluently and produce clear, legible handwriting;

• understand spelling patterns and apply them independently;

• make deliberate choices about language and structure;

• revise and improve their writing;

• apply English knowledge across the curriculum;

• make strong progress from their individual starting points;

• see themselves as readers, writers, speakers and valued members of the Waterloo community.

Above all, English gives every child the means to understand more, participate fully and make their voice heard.