At Tattershall Primary School we know that by putting reading at the heart of all our learning, children will be able to enter into exciting worlds through books, improve their powerful knowledge and confidently access the curriculum we provide. We believe everyone at our school has a duty to promote reading and this begins in reception and throughout Key Stage One. We develop children’s love for books through sustained structured conversations and discussions.

Our aim is to help children develop a lifelong love for reading so we teach reading in Reception through our Systematic Synthetic Phonics Programme, Little Wandle Letters and Sounds.  Children learn to decode and recognise words through daily, high quality, systematic, phonics teaching. (See link below for more information). Skills in comprehension, stamina and fluency are developed in Key Stage Two where children are taught through small group guided reading sessions.

English at Key Stage 1:

Building the Foundations

In KS1, our primary goal is to transition pupils from "learning to write" to "writing to communicate." Following the latest DfE guidance, we are focusing on the two core pillars of literacy: Transcription and Composition.

Foundation Knowledge: The "Simple View of Writing"

As a school we emphasise that writing is a craft requiring automaticity in technical skills to free up "working memory" for creativity.

• Transcription (The Mechanics):

  • Handwriting: We teach explicit, daily handwriting lessons. By the end of Year 2, pupils should move from correct letter formation to beginning to use some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters.

  • Spelling: Closely linked to our Phonics programme (Little Wandle Letters and Sounds), pupils learn to segment spoken words into phonemes and represent these with graphemes. We focus on the "Common Exception Words" (tricky words) identified by the DfE.

• Composition (The Ideas):

  • Oral Rehearsal: "If they can’t say it, they can’t write it." We prioritise oral composition, where children "say out loud" their sentences before putting pen to paper.

  • Sentence Mastery: Rather than rushing into long stories, we focus on the quality of individual sentences—ensuring they make sense, are punctuated correctly, and use "and" or "because" to join ideas.

Outcomes for Key Stage 1

At the end of Year 2, pupils are assessed against the National Statutory Framework. The new 2025/26 guidance shifts toward a "Best Fit" model, allowing teachers to judge a child’s writing as a whole craft rather than a rigid checklist of grammatical features.

Expected Standard (EXS)

By the end of KS1, a pupil working at the expected standard can:

• Write simple, coherent narratives about real or fictional events.

• Demarcate most sentences with capital letters and full stops.

• Use present and past tense mostly correctly and consistently.

• Use co-ordination (e.g., or, and, but) and some subordination (e.g., when, if, that, because) to join clauses.

• Segment spoken words into phonemes and represent these by graphemes, spelling many correctly.

• Form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another.

Greater Depth (GDS)

Pupils working at Greater Depth demonstrate:

• Authorial Intent: Making deliberate choices about vocabulary to create specific effects.

• Full Punctuation Range: Consistent use of question marks, exclamation marks, and commas in lists.

• Suffixes: Using suffixes effectively to change word meaning (e.g., -ment, -less, -ness, -ful, -ly).

English at Key Stage 2

As children move into Key Stage 2 (Years 3–6), the focus shifts from the mechanics of "learning to write" To the refined craft of purposeful communication. Our curriculum follows the DfE’s Writing Framework (2025), which emphasizes that by the end of Primary school, pupils should be "writers by choice," capable of manipulating language to suit any purpose or audience.

Foundation Knowledge: The Three Pillars of KS2 Writing

In line with the latest DfE guidance, we categorise our teaching into three essential pillars to ensure no child is left behind as the complexity of the curriculum increases.

1. Composition and Effect

At KS2, writing is about intentionality. We teach pupils to:

• Plan with Purpose: Identifying the audience (e.g., a formal letter to the Council vs. a diary entry from a Victorian child).

• Draft and Refine: Moving beyond the "first draft is the final draft" mentality.

• Select Vocabulary: Choosing specific nouns and vivid verbs rather than over-relying on adjectives.

2. Grammar and Punctuation (The "Tools")

Grammar is not taught in isolation; it is the toolkit for better writing.

• Sentence Economy: Learning when to use a short, punchy sentence for impact and when to use complex multi-clause sentences for detail.

• Cohesion: Using fronted adverbials, pronouns, and conjunctions to make writing "flow" logically.

3. Transcription: Automaticity

By KS2, the DfE Framework expects transcription to be "automated." If a child is still struggling to form letters or spell basic words, their working memory is too full to focus on creative composition.

• Statutory Spellings: We follow the Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 word lists strictly.

• Fluent Handwriting: Developing a personal, legible, and fast cursive style.

Outcomes for Key Stage 2

The Teacher Assessment Framework (TAF) at the end of Year 6 serves as the benchmark for "Secondary Readiness."

Expected Standard (EXS)

By the end of Year 6, a pupil can:

• Write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting appropriate form.

• Use the full range of punctuation taught at KS2 (including commas, hyphens, colons, and semi-colons).

• Use the passive voice to affect the presentation of information.

• Use a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs.

• Spell correctly most words from the Year 5/6 statutory list.

Greater Depth (GDS)

To achieve Greater Depth, a pupil must demonstrate "The Writer’s Voice":

• Nuance: Distinguishing between the language of speech and writing.

• Atmosphere: Enhancing meaning through conscious control of grammar and vocabulary.

• Selection: Exercising "writer’s restraint"—knowing when not to use a complex feature if it doesn't suit the piece.