English at Leamington
Writing
At Leamington Primary Academy, our Writing curriculum is designed to ignite creativity and inspire confident writers. Through a rich and diverse selection of high-quality texts, we provide every child with the tools they need to explore a wide range of genres, supporting their curiosity and enhancing their learning. Our aim is to develop fluent, imaginative writers who can confidently craft texts for different purposes and audiences, transferring their skills seamlessly across subjects and contexts. We encourage our pupils to take risks, think critically, and write with intent, so they feel proud of their achievements.
Every year group engages with a variety of genres, including poetry, ensuring our pupils experience the full breadth of writing styles. Our writing sequences begin with an immersion phase, where children dive into the topic they’ll be writing about, with a strong focus on developing their vocabulary. Where possible, we link these sessions to our enquiry themes, incorporating speaking activities and drama to deepen their understanding and engagement alongside the development of oracy.
Reading
Our Vision for Reading at Leamington Primary Academy
At Leamington Primary Academy, we believe that reading is one of the most powerful and essential skills a child can develop. It lays the foundation for their education and enriches their lives beyond the classroom. That’s why we are committed to delivering reading instruction of the highest quality, ensuring that every child, regardless of their background, needs, or abilities, has the opportunity to become a confident, capable reader. Our vision is to ignite a passion for reading that lasts a lifetime, inspiring every pupil to explore new worlds through books and discover the joy of storytelling.
Reading is celebrated and nurtured at every stage of a child’s development at Leamington. From the very beginning in Early Years, children are introduced to daily phonics lessons and the magic of oral storytelling, setting the stage for a lifelong love of reading. We enhance this foundation through our carefully structured reading lessons, ensuring every child builds strong early literacy skills.
As children progress in their reading journey, we continue to cultivate their enthusiasm and skill through engaging whole-class reading sessions in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. We focus on building fluency and comprehension, starting with phonics-based strategies like segmenting, blending, and interactive storytelling.
To deepen children’s understanding and appreciation of texts, we use a comprehensive reading framework from Year 2 onwards, providing clear progression and tailored challenges as they advance.
We know that effective reading instruction requires expert teachers, so our staff are highly trained and equipped with deep subject knowledge. We ensure consistency across all year groups, supported by well-organized, high-quality resources. Daily reading sessions are carefully planned and informed by ongoing assessments, allowing us to adapt our approach to meet the needs of each pupil. Our commitment to excellence includes creating literacy-rich environments in every classroom, featuring inviting reading corners and well-stocked libraries.
Beyond the classroom, we actively involve parents in their child’s reading journey, offering guidance on supporting reading development at home. We also engage with the wider community, partnering with local libraries and volunteers to promote a love of reading. Throughout the year, we celebrate reading through special events such as book fairs, author visits, and World Book Day and regular reading breakfasts making reading a vibrant and integral part of our school culture.
Our structured approach to phonics aims to ensure that all children become fluent readers by the end of Key Stage 1. This fluency allows them to focus on developing their comprehension skills as they progress through school. We measure reading attainment using statutory assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, as well as the Phonics Screening Check at the end of Year 1. These results are benchmarked against national standards to ensure our pupils achieve their full potential.
Beyond phonics, we teach reading skills through carefully structured lessons using high-quality texts. These texts are always connected to the genre being explored in writing lessons, allowing children to become fully immersed in the themes and style of that genre. This approach also supports their learning by deepening their understanding and building knowledge, as it connects with the broader themes and enquiries being studied.
However, at Leamington Primary Academy, we believe that the impact of reading goes beyond assessments. We strive to open the doors to the magical worlds within books, encouraging children to explore a variety of genres, authors, and cultures. We want our pupils not just to read but to fall in love with reading, developing their own tastes, reviewing books thoughtfully, and becoming passionate, lifelong readers.