Corton Church of England Primary School

At Corton CE Primary School & Nursery, we believe that English is a powerful tool for communication, creativity, and expression. Rooted in our Christian values of respect, kindness, and integrity, our English curriculum is designed to inspire a love for reading, writing, and speaking, enabling every child to find their voice and develop the skills they need for a successful future. We strive to create a rich, engaging learning environment where pupils are encouraged to explore the world through high-quality texts, foster their creativity, and grow in confidence. Our approach is inclusive, recognising the unique abilities and needs of each child, and we ensure that our curriculum reflects our commitment to nurturing the whole child—academically, socially, and spiritually. Through our English lessons, we aim to equip children not only with the essential literacy skills but also with a sense of purpose, empathy, and responsibility, empowering them to communicate effectively and compassionately in the world around them.

At Corton CE Primary School & Nursery, we foster a deep love and enthusiasm for reading, helping our pupils become confident, capable, and independent readers. Our recently updated school library provides a welcoming and secure space where children can explore a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books, offering both inspiration and challenge.

Our dedicated staff guide children in selecting books that not only match their reading level, but also spark their curiosity and ignite their imagination. Each class is immersed in a diverse range of books across the curriculum, encouraging creativity, enhancing writing skills, and introducing children to a variety of ideas and worlds.

From Early Years through to Year 6, every pupil is encouraged to take home two books. One is carefully selected from the colour-banded books, which are tailored to their reading level, allowing them to practice and build fluency in comprehension. The second book is chosen independently from the library, inspiring their own interests and fueling a lifelong passion for reading.

At Corton CE Primary School & Nursery, we believe that every child is capable of becoming a confident, fluent reader and writer. To ensure this, a strong foundation in phonics is essential. Phonics is the first step in helping children decode words, which is crucial for reading fluency and writing ability.

We teach Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) through the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. This approach shows pupils how phonemes (letter sounds) can be blended together to form words. For example, the word "cat" can be decoded by combining the sounds: c-a-t = cat.

To ensure consistency and progress, we use the Little Wandle scheme across Early Years and Key Stage 1. This phonics programme is carefully structured, with each phase building on the previous one to guarantee steady progression. At the end of each phase or half term, teachers assess each pupil’s phonics skills, providing targeted support where necessary to close any gaps in learning.

All the books pupils read at Corton CE Primary are fully decodable and aligned with the phonics programme. This means that children’s reading materials match the phonics they are learning, allowing them to practise their decoding skills confidently and improve their reading comprehension. We are committed to providing our pupils with a rich, phonics-based reading experience that supports their journey to fluency and enjoyment in reading.

At Corton CE Primary School & Nursery, we are committed to helping our children develop the skills needed to speak, read, and write fluently, enabling them to express themselves confidently. We believe that speaking and listening are fundamental to a child's growth, and our curriculum integrates four key components: speaking, listening, discussion, and performance.

Our teaching encourages active participation, with children regularly engaging in discussions, presenting their work, collaborating with peers, and receiving constructive feedback. These activities are woven into every lesson to enhance speaking and listening skills and promote a deeper understanding of learning.

We encourage children to share their work aloud and celebrate excellent examples from their classmates. Through this, children can reflect on their own work, build a bank of ideas, and apply new language and techniques to their writing. This process sparks creativity and supports continuous improvement.

Ultimately, our aim is to nurture strong communication skills, preparing children to confidently express themselves and excel in all areas of life.

At Corton CE Primary School & Nursery, we believe writing is a vital part of our curriculum, offering every pupil the opportunity to express their thoughts, creativity, and ideas, while equipping them with the skills they need for future success.

Our writing lessons are structured to build upon one another, guiding pupils step by step toward a final piece that demonstrates the range of skills they’ve developed. From word and sentence-level practice to paragraph application and final editing, our approach nurtures both writing stamina and excellence.

Through a text-based approach, pupils learn to understand the purpose and audience of their writing, as well as how to adjust their tone and register accordingly. Each lesson is designed to incorporate the grammatical and punctuation skills needed to create an effective, polished piece of writing.

Our curriculum provides engaging writing prompts, ensuring high levels of enjoyment and creativity. By giving pupils time to absorb texts and explore new writing techniques, we help them gain a deeper understanding of the writer’s craft. Carefully selected texts ensure children are immersed in rich literary traditions and are encouraged to apply their learning across the wider curriculum. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are taught within the context of everyday lessons, allowing pupils to master these concepts and apply them confidently in their own writing.