English at Bexton
Every child a reader. Every child a writer.
English is the subject that unlocks all the others. A child who reads fluently can access the whole curriculum. A child who writes well can show what they know and make themselves understood. Everything we do in English is built around those two things.
We teach reading and writing as distinct disciplines because they need different approaches, different time in the week and different expertise.
Reading begins with phonics and daily practice with books matched to the sounds children know, and grows into deep comprehension of ambitious, high-quality texts. Writing begins with the physical act of mark-making and the sounds in a word and grows into extended pieces written for real readers with a real purpose.
They are also inseparable. Children learn to write from what they read. The books at the heart of our writing curriculum are chosen to be read aloud and enjoyed first and talked about long before anyone picks up a pencil. Talk runs through both: in reading lessons children discuss, question and justify, and in writing lessons they rehearse aloud before they write.
Our curriculum is ambitious for every child, whatever their starting point. Where children need support, we give it quickly and specifically, and we keep the expectation the same.
Use the separate reading and writing pages to find out how they are taught at Bexton, what your child will learn in each year group and how you can help at home.