--- title: "How we teach English" url: "https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/curriculum/how-we-teach-english" school: "Harefield Primary School" --- # How we teach English **English Curriculum Intent** At Harefield Primary School we have developed a ‘reading into writing’ curriculum that teaches all children key skills, concepts and attitudes and develops their knowledge and understanding of English that are outlined in the National Curriculum. **The intent of our curriculum is to:** - Provide all children with a well sequenced English curriculum that builds on knowledge and skills as children progress through the school. - Increase children’s confidence, enjoyment and ability in reading, writing and communication. - Promote a love of reading and writing whereby children want to read and write spontaneously with enjoyment. **We teach skills through the following areas:** - Spelling (including transcription) - Handwriting (including transcription) - Spoken language – developed through the whole curriculum - cognitively, socially and linguistically, which underpins reading and writing development. - Reading - phonics, word reading and comprehension (listening and reading). - Writing – composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing), vocabulary, grammar and punctuation For more information on our English learning journey and content please see below. Please note that our English writing curriculum is currently under review and updated planning information will be coming soon: EYFS Communication and Language and Literacy Journey 68 KB [Open for printing](https://files.schudio.com/harefield-primary-school-2/files/documents/EYFS-Comunication-and-Language-and-Literacy-Journey.342959879.pdf) Yr 1 - 6 Writing Journey Overview 81 KB [Open for printing](https://files.schudio.com/harefield-primary-school-2/files/documents/Yr-1-6-Writing-Journey-Overview.342959879.pdf) Y1 - 6 English Reading into Writing Overviews 578 KB [Open for printing](https://files.schudio.com/harefield-primary-school-2/files/documents/Y1-6-English-Reading-into-Writing-Overviews.342959879.pdf) How we teach Grammar and Punctuation The purpose of teaching grammar and punctuation is to support our pupils to recognise, understand and apply these skills to both reading and writing. The key concepts we focus on through our English Curriculum are: - - Sentence Structure - Text Structure - Punctuation - Vocabulary Over time, pupils will develop grammatical techniques and punctuation to enhance their writing. Y1 - 6 Grammar and Punctuation Progression 85 KB [Open for printing](https://files.schudio.com/harefield-primary-school-2/files/documents/Y1_-_6_Grammar_and_Punctuation_Progression.pdf) How we teach Handwriting At Harefield Primary School, we use the ‘Teach Handwriting Scheme’ from Reception to Year 6. The scheme develops Key Strengths (Gross and Fine Motor Skills) and Key Abilities (Knowledge) from Foundation Stage through to the end of Key Stage 2. It is a systematic, differentiated and progressive approach that supports children of all abilities. **“Teach Handwriting Scheme” Intent** The aim is for a child to develop a good handwriting style: which means: - They can produce and maintain a good speed. - Have a fluid hand movement that is comfortable. - Letters are of a consistent and appropriate size, positioned correctly. - Handwriting is legible. The lessons within the ‘Teach Handwriting Scheme’ develop good handwriting by - Improving whole body strength and dexterity (Gross and Fine Motor Skills). - Understand direction, movement and position (Spatial Awareness & Motor Memory). - Remember and recall how to form the different shapes of the letters (Visual & Motor Memory). - Sit Correctly (Gross Motor Skills). - Hold pencil appropriately (Fine Motor Skills). - Control the pencil (Fine Motor Skills). - Tile and move the paper on the desk (Gross Motor Skills and Spatial Awareness). - Join the letters to form words (Fine Motor Skills, Visual & Motor Memory, Spatial Awareness and Eye Tracking. *(Taken from Teach Handwriting Scheme* [*Home - Teach Handwriting*](https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/)*)* How we teach Spelling ### Spelling For Early Years and Year 1 phonics and early reading, please go to: - [Juniper CMS Website - How We Teach Phonics and Early Reading (harefieldprimaryschool.net)](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/curriculum/how-we-teach-phonics-and-early-reading) In Year Two, we use the Little Wandle spelling scheme of work, for children that have completed Phase 5 phonics and passed the Phonics Screening in Year One. This scheme incorporates a review of Phase 5, “Bridge to Spelling” and then spelling units. Pupils who did not pass their Phonics Screening in Year 1 will receive additional intervention to support the gaps in their phonological knowledge (the sounds that they have not been able to recall). In Key Stage Two (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6), we use the Emile spelling scheme to explicitly teach the requirements of English Appendix1: Spelling of the National Curriculum. Pupils also have access to the Emile APP in school and at home to revisit, revise and consolidate spellings taught. Emphasis is placed on: - - Etymology (the origin of a word and the historical development of its meaning) - Morphology (the study of the forms of words) by teaching words in groups with similar roots (the most basic form of a word). Years 3-6 have been broken down into 6 half terms, nearly all of which have 12 spelling lists. Year 2 Little Wandle Spelling Programme Overview 272 KB [Open for printing](https://files.schudio.com/harefield-primary-school-2/files/documents/Year-2-Little-Wandle-Spelling-Programme-Overview.342961929.pdf) Overview of Spelling Yr 3 - 6 133 KB [Open for printing](https://files.schudio.com/harefield-primary-school-2/files/documents/Overview-of-Spelling-Yr-3-6.342961929.pdf) ### Curriculum - [Curriculum](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/curriculum) - [Curriculum Statements](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/curriculum/curriculum-statements) - Curriculum Overviews - Autumn Term - Curriculum Overviews - Spring Term - Curriculum Overviews Summer Term - [Curriculum Leaders](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/curriculum/curriculum-leaders) - [EYFS](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/curriculum/eyfs) - [How We Teach Mathematics](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/curriculum/how-we-teach-mathematics) - [How We Teach Phonics and Early Reading](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/curriculum/how-we-teach-phonics-and-early-reading) - [British Values](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/curriculum/british-values) - [How we teach English](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/curriculum/how-we-teach-english) - [Reading](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/curriculum/curriculum-statements/reading) ![Harefield Primary School](https://files.schudio.com/harefield-primary-school-2/images/logo/logo-white.png) ### Harefield Primary School Yeovil Chase Bitterne Southampton SO18 5NZ 023 8046 3240 ### Quick Links - [Hamwic Education Trust](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/our-school/hamwic-education-trust) - [Ivy School Dog](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/our-school/ivy-our-school-dog) - [Admissions](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/key-information/admissions) - [Ofsted Report](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/key-information/ofsted) - [School Policies](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/key-information/policies) ### Useful Links - [Term Dates](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/parents/term-dates) - [Online Payments](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/parents/online-payments) - [Pupil Voice](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/children/pupil-voice) - [Online Safety](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/children/online-safety) - [Wellbeing](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/children/wellbeing) ### Social Media - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/) - [X](https://x.com/) - [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/) © Copyright 2026 Harefield Primary School School & Trust Websites by [ ![Schudio logo](https://harefieldprimaryschool.net/img/logo/light.png) ](https://www.schudio.com/)