Children improve their spoken English daily in engaging, animated lessons and through the school’s annual public speaking competition which begins as early as Reception.  The school’s metacognition initiative higher up the school provides children with additional high-quality occasions for discussion at a deeper level.

Children develop their reading in exciting ways. In Early Years, they begin their journey learning how to hold a book and talk about what they see.  By the end of Reception, pupils will be beginning to read using their newly acquired phonics and early comprehension skills.  Hearing stories being read in an imaginative and creative way by staff on a daily basis fosters a love of reading and books in general. We have purchased the DfE validated scheme- Little Wandle: Letters and Sounds Revised to support our teaching and learning of phonics in EYFS and KS1 and furthermore into KS2. 

In Key Stage 1, we will equip children with the necessary skills required to become capable and confident readers, thus providing a lifelong love of reading and literature.  By immersing the children in a rich variety of texts, we will inspire their imagination.

In Key Stage 2, pupils read regularly as individuals and in groups. They further develop their comprehension of texts and their ability to respond to higher-order questions about what they have read. Where children need help with phonics they are supported so that they can make rapid progress towards reading proficiency. Children love reading from the school’s vast and varied collection of books and e-books.

When beginning to write, mark making in context in Early Years is valued before being encouraged to use phonic and letter formation knowledge to write more formally. 

In Key Stage 1, children will develop an extensive vocabulary and their use of grammar that will inspire them to write clearly and accurately for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. 

Further up the school in Key Stage 2, children are taught to write accurately, grammatically and neatly, enabling them to approach their creative written work with ease and confidence. A major strength of the school is its approach to cross-curricular writing. Children have excellent opportunities to develop their understanding of other subjects by writing in original and innovative ways.

The school’s delivery of the English curriculum is structured and progressive, and yet open to flexibility and flair. Children are assessed consistently across the school, and staff know what children have experienced previously and what will be taught in the future. There is a rigorous programme of monitoring, feedback, and in-house training in key areas of the English curriculum.

Reading, writing and speaking at Lady Bankes Primary School are central to the school’s successful ethos, both in English lessons and across the whole curriculum. The subject is integral to the values of our school and gives every child a chance to fulfil their Ambition, Togetherness, Opportunity, Respect, Curiosity and Happiness!