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Bryn Offa CE Primary School

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'Let your Light Shine'Matthew 5:16

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English

Bryn Offa English Intent and Implementation Statement:

Intent 

At Bryn Offa C of E Primary School, our intent for English is to develop articulate, confident, and enthusiastic readers, writers, and communicators who can express themselves clearly and creatively. We aim to foster a lifelong love of reading and writing, providing our pupils with the tools they need to succeed across the curriculum and in life beyond school.  

Children are encouraged and steered towards reading widely to develop knowledge of themselves and the world around them, establish an appreciation of reading and also to gain knowledge across the curriculum. We strive to ensure the children at Bryn Offa have the opportunity to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Reading is viewed as a key skill across the curriculum so is an integral part of every child’s school day at Bryn Offa. Our reading curriculum is underpinned by VIPERS (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval, and Sequencing/Summarising), which ensures a consistent and progressive approach to reading comprehension from EYFS to Year 6. We want all children to develop fluency and comprehension skills while exploring a rich variety of texts that reflect the wider world and promote empathy, curiosity, and imagination. 

In writing, we use a blended approach drawing on Pathways to Write, Talk for Writing and a Cross Curricular approach often linked to our whole class texts. These approaches provide a clear and progressive framework that builds children's skills through modelled, shared, and independent writing. We aim for all children to write with purpose, clarity, creativity, and accuracy, developing strong grammar, vocabulary, and transcription skills. Our goal is for pupils to become thoughtful and reflective writers who can plan, draft, revise, and evaluate their own work. Pupil’s writing is formally assessed half termly during moderation sessions which is used to set future interventions and targets. 

We believe spoken language underpins the development of reading and writing. Therefore, we explicitly teach and model high-quality talk, encouraging all pupils to articulate ideas, clarify thinking, and engage in respectful dialogue. Key Stage One children engage in Talk-Boost sessions to develop their vocabulary whilst Key Stage 2 children are all given the opportunity to engage in Debating, taking on a number of roles and a wide range of topics. 

Implementation 

Reading: 

  • We follow the VIPERS framework to explicitly teach the key reading comprehension skills across the school. These skills are taught through whole-class reading sessions using high-quality, diverse texts.  
  • Other strategies to develop reading skills include whole class teacher led reading, group or individual reading with an adult, sharing a text with peers, echo and choral reading and completing journal activities or follow-up comprehension. 
  • Phonics is taught rigorously in EYFS and KS1 using the systematic phonics programme ‘Little Wandle’ to ensure early reading success. 
  • Pupils read widely and often through access to our well-resourced and engaging whole school library and diverse class libraries, regular whole-class texts, and opportunities for independent reading. 
  • We encourage a love of reading through events such as World Book Day, our regular local author visits, trips to our local library and reading challenges. 
  • Children are assessed throughout the year using PM Benchmarking to ensure fluid progression through book bands and PIRA termly to provide accurate scaled scores. Interventions are regular, supporting our lowest 20% of readers with high quality support which is closely monitored and tailored to the specific needs of our children. 

 

Writing: 

  • At Bryn Offa, we use Pathways to Write to provide a carefully sequenced, book-led writing curriculum that embeds grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary in meaningful contexts.  
  • In parallel, we draw on elements of Talk for Writing to enrich the writing process with drama, oral storytelling, and imitation strategies, particularly to support children’s development of structure, cohesion, and authorial voice. 
  • Writing is purposeful and linked to cross-curricular themes where appropriate, providing relevance and context to inspire learners. 
  • Other high-quality stimuli such as Literacy Shed Plus are also used to inspire leaners to produce interesting and engaging writing across a range of topics. 
  • WAGOLLS and guided and modelled writes are built into lessons to provide children with high quality examples giving children the opportunity to critique and explore high quality vocabulary. 
  • Editing and redrafting are taught explicitly to help children refine and improve their work. 

Spoken Language: 

  • Oracy is promoted across all subjects. Children engage in partner talk, group discussions, debates, presentations, and role play to deepen understanding and build confidence. 
  • Vocabulary is explicitly taught, displayed, and revisited across the curriculum, supporting children’s ability to articulate their ideas clearly and effectively. 

 

Impact 

The impact of our English curriculum is that pupils leave Bryn Offa as confident, capable, and creative communicators. They read fluently and with understanding, able to retrieve information, infer meaning, and critically engage with a wide range of texts. They demonstrate a genuine enjoyment of reading, often choosing to read for pleasure and able to talk confidently about the books they enjoy. 

 

In writing, pupils develop into articulate and thoughtful writers who can adapt their writing for different purposes and audiences. They apply grammar and punctuation accurately, use ambitious vocabulary, and demonstrate the ability to edit and improve their work independently. Through our dual use of Pathways to Write and Talk for Writing, pupils develop a solid foundation in both the technical and creative aspects of writing, allowing them to write with both accuracy and flair. 

 

Our emphasis on oracy and vocabulary ensures that pupils can express themselves clearly, listen actively, and engage in respectful, purposeful dialogue. These communication skills support their learning across all subjects and prepare them well for the next stage of their education giving them the opportunity to debate in current world topics. 

 

Progress is monitored through regular formative and summative assessments, pupil voice, and work scrutiny, ensuring every child is supported to reach their full potential. By the end of their time with us, pupils at Bryn Offa are equipped with the literacy skills they need to thrive in the wider world. 

 

Phonics Intent, Implementation and Impact 

Intent 

At Bryn Offa, we are committed to ensuring that every child becomes a confident, fluent reader by the end of Key Stage 1. We recognise that phonics provides the foundations for reading and writing, and it is our intent to deliver a high-quality, consistent phonics programme that enables all children to decode words effectively and develop a love of reading from the very start. 

We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme to ensure a systematic and rigorous approach to phonics. Our aim is to support all children, including those who are disadvantaged or have additional needs, in developing secure phonic knowledge, fluency, and confidence in reading. 

Implementation 

  • We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme with fidelity, beginning in the Foundation Stage and continuing through Key Stage 1, with additional support provided into Key Stage 2 where necessary. 
  • Daily phonics lessons are taught in a clear progression, with consistent structure and pace across all year groups. Lessons are interactive, fast-paced, and engaging. 
  • Children are assessed regularly to ensure they are taught at the correct level. Any children who fall behind receive daily catch-up interventions that are closely aligned to the programme. 
  • Children read fully decodable books matched precisely to their phonics knowledge to ensure success and build reading confidence. These books are read in school and taken home to reinforce learning. 
  • We provide ongoing staff training and coaching to ensure all adults are confident and consistent in their delivery of the programme. 
  • Parents are supported through information sessions and regular communication so they can help reinforce phonics and early reading at home. 

Impact 

As a result of our consistent and rigorous approach to phonics: 

  • The vast majority of children pass the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check and enter Key Stage 2 as fluent, confident readers. 
  • Children develop strong decoding skills and quickly become independent readers who enjoy reading for pleasure. 
  • Pupils who need additional support are swiftly identified and receive targeted, effective interventions, ensuring that no child is left behind. 
  • Children use their phonic knowledge not only in reading but also in their early writing, enabling them to spell words and compose sentences with increasing accuracy and confidence. 
  • Regular assessments show clear progress across all phonics phases, and internal monitoring confirms high-quality, consistent teaching. 
  • By the end of KS1, our pupils are well-prepared for the demands of the wider English curriculum and are equipped with the foundational literacy skills essential for future learning.