English

Vision

Literacy is the vehicle of change in a community. By developing fluency in reading, writing, and deepening children’s knowledge of language and texts, we know that children will leave the school with a life-long love of reading and the art of communicating articulately, for a range of purposes and audiences, whether speaking or writing. 

Our mission is to ensure that every child will leave Hillary Primary school being able to read. The children will want to read because they will have fostered a love of reading by being exposed to a range of high quality diverse and relatable texts. The children will need to read because it is an essential life-skill. The children will know how to read because they will be confident accessing and understanding vocabulary and comprehension.

Our Aims

Through our English curriculum our aims are to ensure that all pupils:

  • Read easily, fluently and with good understanding.
  • Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.
  • Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language.
  • Appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage.
  • Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
  • Use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas.
  • Are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

Oracy

At Hillary, spoken language is the foundation of learning. Our curriculum places oracy at its heart, helping children speak clearly, listen actively, and express themselves confidently—skills that support success across reading, writing, and the wider curriculum.

From the earliest stages, children are immersed in rich language experiences that nurture cognitive, social, and linguistic growth. We embed oral rehearsal into our teaching, using the “Say it and Write it” approach to develop confident speakers and writers. Through high-quality vocabulary, shared texts, and meaningful discussion, children learn to express their ideas clearly before transferring them to paper. 

We proudly celebrate the diversity of our school community, where 47 different first languages are spoken. To ensure every child thrives, we use tailored resources and create bespoke programmes for newly arrived children, helping them acquire English and feel confident in their learning.

As a Voice 21 school, we embed structured oracy teaching across all year groups, developing children’s ability to reason, reflect, and communicate effectively. Our dedicated speech and language provision also offers expert support for children with identified needs, ensuring no child is left behind in their journey to becoming a confident communicator

Reading

At our school, we believe reading is the key to unlocking imagination, knowledge, and confident self-expression. We know that “children who read a lot do well at school – whatever their background,” and we are committed to nurturing a love of reading in every child.

We begin with a strong foundation in phonics. Our robust Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme ensures that children in Key Stage 1 learn to decode words accurately and fluently—an essential step in becoming skilled readers. Daily reading lessons help children explore high-quality texts and build vital comprehension skills.

As children progress into Year 2 and Key Stage 2, they take part in daily 'Reading for Meaning' and weekly 'Fluent Zoo' sessions. These are designed to boost fluency, deepen understanding, and spark curiosity. The 'Reading into Writing' curriculum provides children with a wide range of diverse, engaging and relatable texts, helping them discover favourite authors and genres while developing personal reading preferences.

We explicitly teach strategies to strengthen comprehension and encourage children to read widely across fiction and non-fiction. This broad exposure builds vocabulary, expands their understanding of the world, and fuels their imagination—opening up a world of wonder and discovery for curious young minds. Dedicated reading time and rich discussions with adults and peers help children apply their learning, think critically, and grow into confident, thoughtful readers.

We also inspire children through regular reading competitions, which motivates them to read more widely, share their favourite books, and celebrate their reading journeys. These events help foster a sense of pride, aspiration, and excitement around reading.

We believe that reading should be a joyful experience, not just a skill. Every child has access to our school library on a fortnightly basis, where they are encouraged to choose books simply for pleasure.

Our dedicated 'Reading for Pleasure' Leads work hard to ensure a diverse and exciting range of books are available to spark every child’s interest.

To further promote a love of reading, our Pupil Reading Ambassadors in Key Stage 2 and Parent Reading Ambassadors play an active role in encouraging and celebrating reading across the school community.

From Year 2 onwards, children also select a book from their class library that matches and challenges their reading level—helping to build stamina and confidence. This personalised approach supports their journey toward becoming fluent, independent readers.

By the end of primary school, our aim is for every child to read fluently and confidently across all subjects, ready to thrive in their secondary education and beyond.

Writing

At Hillary, we believe writing is a powerful tool for self-expression, creativity, and communication. Our writing curriculum is thoughtfully structured into two key strands: Transcription and Composition, each supporting children to become fluent, thoughtful, and imaginative writers.

We understand the importance of getting the basics right. From Reception onwards, children are taught phonics rigorously and consistently to support accurate spelling. Alongside this, we follow a progressive pathway for teaching handwriting (Penpals for Handwriting) from EYFS to Year 6 and and spelling (Spelling Shed) in Year 2 to Year 6. Daily dictation is used to practise transcription skills to ensure accuracy and automaticity. Dedicated time is allocated on the timetable for children to practise these skills, helping them develop fluency and automaticity. By securing these foundational skills, children can reduce cognitive load and focus more fully on the creative aspects of writing.

Our ‘Reading into Writing’ curriculum empowers children to transform what they read into powerful, purposeful writing. Through rich, diverse texts, they explore vocabulary, authorial choices, and a wide range of grammatical structures—building fluency, precision, and voice. Each text acts as a springboard, inspiring ideas and guiding sentence-level work. Children learn to write with clarity and intent, drawing on what they’ve read to shape their own expression.

Children are guided through every stage of the writing process—from planning to publishing—using explicit teaching and expert teacher modelling to give children the confidence to become independent writers. Immersive activities help them step into character roles, explore settings, and write with empathy and imagination.

Writing is meaningfully linked across the curriculum, encouraging children to draw on diverse experiences and knowledge. They learn to write with the reader in mind—making deliberate choices to connect, inform, and inspire through stories, letters, and persuasive pieces.

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure progression in both knowledge and skill. As children move through school, they build on prior learning and grow into confident, capable writers, ready for the challenges of secondary education.

At Hillary, we believe writing should be joyful and empowering. Beyond the classroom, our ‘Writing for Pleasure’ approach inspires children to write with creativity, confidence, and purpose.

Children write for real audiences and meaningful purposes—crafting stories, letters, and reports with the reader in mind. They make thoughtful choices, drawing on what they’ve read and experienced to shape their voice and impact.

We celebrate writing across the school through regular competitions, giving children the chance to showcase their talents, build self-esteem, and develop a lasting love of writing.

Our aim is to nurture young authors who write not just because they have to—but because they love to.