Our English Mission.

At Southbury, we want every child to discover the power of language: to read with understanding and curiosity, write with confidence and purpose, and communicate their ideas with clarity.

We believe an ambitious English curriculum should inspire children while challenging them to achieve more than they thought possible. Through carefully chosen, high-quality texts and rich contexts for learning, we immerse children in stories, ideas, people, places and periods beyond their everyday experiences, broadening both their knowledge of the world and the language they have to express it.

Our English curriculum is carefully sequenced so that learning builds over time. Children draw upon prior knowledge and make connections between what they read, what they know and what they are learning across the wider curriculum. Vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, reading comprehension and the craft of writing are developed progressively, enabling children to become increasingly confident, thoughtful and independent readers and writers.

We have high expectations of the work children produce. Children learn that great writing takes time, thought and perseverance. They plan, write, edit, improve and redraft, developing the stamina and independence to produce increasingly sophisticated pieces of writing that they can be genuinely proud of.

Above all, we want children to leave Southbury seeing themselves as readers, writers and communicators who have the knowledge, confidence and creativity to express themselves and engage with the ideas of others.

Reading: Opening Doors.

We believe that reading opens doors to knowledge, imagination and experiences beyond our own lives.

Through a rich and diverse range of high-quality texts, children encounter new ideas, perspectives, cultures, characters and experiences. Books are carefully selected not only to develop children's reading skills, but also to broaden their knowledge and provide meaningful opportunities for discussion, thinking and writing.

Children develop the knowledge, vocabulary and fluency needed to understand increasingly challenging texts. They learn to read closely, retrieve information, make inferences, explain their ideas, make connections and discuss different interpretations.

Our reading curriculum builds progressively over time. Children revisit and deepen their understanding of important vocabulary, concepts and reading strategies, developing increasing independence and stamina as readers.

We want children to read widely, read deeply and, most importantly, develop a genuine love of reading.

Writing: Crafting Amazing Work

At Southbury, we believe that writing is a craft.

Children are immersed in engaging texts and rich contexts that give them something meaningful to think about, discuss and write about. Our English learning is often connected to the wider curriculum, allowing children to draw on the knowledge they have developed in subjects such as History, Geography and Science. A child learning about the Second World War, for example, is able to use their growing historical knowledge to enrich their reading, discussion and writing.

Children are taught how to write for different purposes and audiences, developing increasing control over vocabulary, sentence structure, organisation and style.

We place a strong emphasis on the process of writing. Children plan, draft, evaluate, edit and redraft their work, learning that the first version is rarely the best version. Through teacher modelling, live marking, feedback and discussion, children learn to make deliberate choices about how they can improve their writing and communicate their ideas more effectively.

Over time, children develop the stamina to sustain longer and more complex pieces of writing and the independence to take increasing ownership of the writing process.

We don't want children simply to complete a piece of writing. We want them to create something they are genuinely proud of.

Oracy and Communication.

Oracy and Communication are integral to English at Southbury.

Children are given frequent opportunities to discuss ideas, articulate their thoughts, listen carefully to others and build upon different perspectives. Through partner and group discussion, drama, role play and class assemblies, children develop the confidence to communicate clearly and effectively.

Children learn to choose language carefully, explain their thinking, ask questions and respond thoughtfully to others. These experiences help them develop the vocabulary, confidence and communication skills they need not only in English, but across the wider curriculum and throughout their lives.

Grammar, Spelling and Handwriting

Grammar

Grammar is taught as an essential part of becoming a confident reader and writer. Children develop their understanding of how language works through explicit teaching as well as through reading and writing.

They learn to make deliberate choices about vocabulary, sentence structure and grammatical features so that they can communicate their ideas with increasing clarity, precision and impact.

Spelling

Children develop secure spelling knowledge through the systematic teaching and practice of spelling patterns and rules. Spelling is also embedded within everyday reading and writing, enabling children to apply what they have learned and develop increasing accuracy and independence as writers.

Phonics.

Handwriting

Children are taught to develop fluent, legible and increasingly automatic handwriting. Cursive handwriting is taught progressively from Year 1 to Year 6 through discrete lessons and reinforced through children's everyday writing.

As their handwriting becomes increasingly fluent, children are able to focus more fully on developing and communicating their ideas.

English Across the Curriculum

English is not confined to the English lesson.

Our wider curriculum provides children with the knowledge, experiences and vocabulary that give their reading, writing and discussion greater depth and purpose. Children draw on what they have learned across subjects to develop ideas, make connections and communicate their understanding.

Equally, English enables children to access the wider curriculum. Strong reading skills allow them to understand increasingly complex information, while confident speaking and writing enable them to articulate their knowledge and ideas.

Through this approach, children see that language is a tool for learning, thinking and communicating across every subject.

The Southbury Reader and Writer

By the time children leave Southbury, we want them to be confident and enthusiastic readers who choose to read, engage deeply with texts and use reading to learn about themselves and the world around them.

We want them to be thoughtful, articulate communicators who can listen to others, express their ideas and adapt their language for different purposes.

As writers, we want them to have the knowledge, vocabulary, skills and stamina to craft writing that is purposeful, creative and ambitious. They will understand that excellent writing comes through reflection, perseverance and refinement, and will have the confidence to edit, improve and challenge themselves.

They will know that their words matter, that their ideas are worth expressing and that they are capable of creating something amazing.