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Reading, writing and spoken language are at the heart of everything we do at Bowlee Park. Our English curriculum is carefully sequenced to develop strong foundations in oracy, phonics, reading, handwriting and writing, enabling all pupils to become confident communicators, readers and writers.
We maintain high expectations for all pupils and use adaptive teaching, scaffolding and timely intervention to ensure every child can access and succeed within the curriculum.
In Pre-School, children develop early communication, language and literacy skills through storytelling, discussion, role play and carefully planned learning experiences. A strong emphasis is placed on speaking and listening, recognising that spoken language provides the foundation for future reading and writing.
Children participate in daily Dough Disco and Write Dance sessions to develop the fine and gross motor skills needed for writing. As they become ready, they begin to access elements of Phase 1 phonics through the Read Write Inc. programme.
In Reception and Year 1, children learn to read through the Read Write Inc. phonics programme and read fully decodable books matched to their phonic knowledge.
Writing is taught daily. In Reception, writing develops alongside phonics through Read Write Inc. In Year 1, pupils continue daily Read Write Inc. sessions alongside daily writing lessons following the Ready Steady Write programme. Daily dictation activities support spelling, sentence construction and transcription skills.
Handwriting is taught discretely from EYFS using Ruth Miskin's Letter Village programme, progressing from correct letter formation to fluent joined handwriting. Any difficulties are identified quickly and support is put in place.
From Year 2 onwards, reading is taught through the Ready Steady Read Together programme. High-quality texts are used to develop reading fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and a love of reading.
Pupils who require additional phonics support continue to access Read Write Inc. and decodable texts until phonics knowledge is secure. Most pupils in Key Stage 2 access Accelerated Reader, helping them to select appropriately challenging books and monitor their understanding.
Reading for pleasure is a priority throughout the school. All classes enjoy daily story time and access a carefully planned range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Author visits, World Book Day and other reading events help foster a strong reading culture.
Writing is taught daily through the Ready Steady Write programme. Pupils learn to write for a range of audiences and purposes through carefully sequenced units based on high-quality texts.
Daily sentence accuracy activities reinforce age-related grammar and punctuation knowledge, while spelling is taught through the Read Write Inc. Get Spelling programme. Vocabulary is explicitly taught through Ready Steady Write and pupils are given regular opportunities to rehearse and apply new language in both spoken and written contexts.
Talk is fundamental to learning at Bowlee Park. Structured discussion, partner talk and oral rehearsal are embedded across the curriculum, helping pupils develop confidence, vocabulary and communication skills.
Inclusion is central to our approach. Through adaptive teaching, targeted intervention and high-quality support, we ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND and additional barriers to learning, can access the full English curriculum and achieve success.
Further detailed information about the English curriculum at Bowlee Park can be downloaded below.