At King’s Wood, our intent is to foster fluent, confident, and lifelong readers and writers who possess the Cultural Capital to succeed in the wider world. Our curriculum is designed to:

• Prioritise "teaching the reader" over "teaching the test," focusing on long-term growth and a genuine love for literature.

• Bridge the gap between decoding and deep comprehension through explicit instruction in fluency. 

• Provide a high-challenge, low-threat environment where all pupils—regardless of starting point—access high-quality, complex texts.

• Empower children to write with purpose, heart, and technical precision.

We deliver our vision through a research-informed curriculum built on the work of Mary Myatt, Tim Rasinski, the EEF and CLPE:

• Reading: Foundation Stage and KS1 follow a rigorous Read Write Inc. phonics programme. In KS2, the journey continues from phonics into Fluency groups (Rasinski approach) and Reciprocal Reading (EEF strategy).

• Fast-Paced Text: Every class engages in 15 minutes of daily teacher-led reading from our Reading Spine, modelling prosody and exposing children to a rich, diverse vocabulary.

• Writing: Using the Power of Reading framework, writing is sparked by literature. We follow a clear Writing Cycle: moving from verbal ideation to drafting, then to an Editing and Revision process using red and purple pens. Children then get a chance to publish their final writing in their neat book.

• Transcription & Grammar: Technical skills are mastered through Doodle Spelling and RWI handwriting, with grammar taught at the point of writing for immediate application.

• Oracy: We identify needs early via Language Link and use role-play, hot-seating, and debates to ensure children can articulate ideas before they put pen to paper.

The impact of our English curriculum is evidenced by:

• Fluent Readers: Pupils who decode effortlessly and read with intonation, volume, and pace, as measured by our FFT and RWI assessments.

• Confident Writers: Children who take ownership of their work, moving beyond mechanical accuracy to produce "Big Writes" that demonstrate cohesion, purpose, and impact.

• Rich Vocabulary: Pupils who confidently use Tier 2 and Tier 3 in their daily talk and across the wider curriculum.

• Engagement: A school-wide culture where pupils are enthusiastic about books, from our Year 6 Reading Champions to our youngest learners in Drawing Club.