English
‘If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.’ Martin Luther King
At Lady Katherine Leveson School, we foster confident learners. We do not put ceilings on what pupils can achieve in reading and writing and we do not hold pre-conceptions about any pupils’ ability to make progress. We acknowledge that Literacy not only changes lives but also life chances.
‘Children should be taught to use phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words.’ National Curriculum 2014

As global learners, we want our pupils to read their way to a better life using a carefully selected and sequenced collection of texts, which explore the diverse and multicultural society that we live in. Reading and writing are inextricably linked therefore the LTP is built around a selection of outstanding texts which enable teachers to extract all aspects of English and that promote a love of reading.
Learning to write requires careful, deliberate and systematic teaching. This is essential but alone will not guarantee success. Good teaching of writing must enthuse and inspire children by developing their love of language. (Considine 2016)
Above all, our English Curriculum is designed so that all children can experience success and from this a true joy for Literacy.
The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. The national curriculum for English aims 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 National Curriculum 2014
Our English Curriculum is driven through evidence based-resources, and research to ensure our literacy provision is highly effective.
Doug Lemov’s Reading Reconsidered has played a huge part when selecting texts and acknowledges the ideal that there are five types of texts children should have access to in order to successfully navigate reading with confidence. These are complex beyond a lexical level and demand more from the reader than other types of books: archaic language; non-linear time sequences; narratively complex; figurative/symbolic texts; resistant texts.
The long-term plan is designed to meet the needs of the children in our school. Therefore, it does not rely on one particular schema; resources from Jane Considine, Literacy Shed Plus and CLPE have all been used to help support staff through the teaching and learning journey.


Phonics – Letters and Sounds
As a Letters and Sounds school, we use a systematic, synthetic approach to the teaching of phonics for reading and spelling. We show total fidelity to this scheme and value the importance of consistency in our approach. Appendices 1, 2 and 3 map out the Letters and Sounds progression throughout EYFS to KS1.
Early Reading
‘We know that young children who enjoy reading independently will have had the door opened to new discoveries and wide interests, to knowledge, creativity, and confidence. Reading is the critical route to other subjects as well as a provider of wider opportunities for giving more and getting more from life and work.’ Read On Get On Report 2014
At Lady Katherine Leveson School, we are fully committed to making every child a reader. To ensure a secure start to every child’s reading journey and help children progress from decoding words to reading fluently and for pleasure, we follow Collins Big Cat Phonics reading scheme.
Throughout EYFS and KS1 our children will explore a range of both fiction and non-fiction texts which are with fully decodable and aligned to Letters and Sounds. This ensures that the books children read at home are 95% decodable, allowing them to practise the phonics which have been taught at school.

LADY KATHERINE LEVESON CE PRIMARY SCHOOL ENGLISH OVERVIEW | |||||||||
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| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
Y1
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| Ruby’s Worry Narrative: Complexity of character
Outcomes: Order and sequence the events of the story – retell through role Retell the story of Ruby
Beeju – Alexis Deacon
Narrative: complexity of plot
Outcomes: Letter writing; lost poster; character description
| Firework Night – Andrew Collet
Poetry: Complexity of symbol
Outcomes: Multi-sensory poem based on Firework Night.
Pumpkin Soup: Helen Cooper
Narrative: Complexity of plot
Outcomes: Narrative retelling; instructional writing
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| Trip to the woods – Jane Considine unit
Non-fiction: write a recount
Outcomes: Compose a recount based upon forest school experience
Hibernation Hotel – John Kelly
Narrative: Non-Linear time sequence
Outcomes: Descriptive retelling; non-chron reports | By Myself – Elouise Greenfield
Poetry: Complexity of symbol
Outcomes: To write effective lines for a poem in the style of By Myself.
A Squash & a Squeeze J Donaldson
Narrative: Complexity of plot
Outcomes: write a recount |
| CC Links with Geography Songs of the Sea – Tomm More
Narrative: Visual literacy – Irish Myth
Outcomes: Write a description for under the sea.
The Way Back Home – Oliver Jeffers
Narrative: Resistant text
Outcomes: Descriptive Writing
| Bold Woman in Black History – Vashti Hardy
Non-Fiction: Biographical writing
Outcomes: Write effective sentences for sporting biography.
Little Red Riding Hood – Lari Don
Narrative: Traditional tale
Outcomes: order and retell the plot points of LRRH
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Y2
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| The Colour Monster – Anna Llenas Narrative: Resistant Text
Outcomes: Character description; 1st person narrative In My Heart – Jo Witek
Poetry: Complexity of symbol
Outcomes: Describe feelings based on a continuous theme.
| The Owl Who was Afraid of the Dark – Jim Tomlinson
Narrative Genre: Complexity of plot
Outcomes: Retell an emotive story
Meerkat Christmas – Emily Gravett Non-fiction: Non-linear
Outcomes: Write effective sentences for a postcard. |
| CC Links to Geography
Where the Forest Meets the Sea- Jeanie Baker Australia
Outcomes: Non-chronological report; fact file
Bog Baby – Jeannie WIllis Narrative Genre: Complexity of character
Outcomes: Extended narrative retelling the story
| The Dark – Daniel Handler Narrative: Resistant text Extended Unit
Outcomes: Write a poem based on one element of the book; plan a story based on fear with a B/M/E
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| The Day the Crayons Quit – Oliver Jeffers.
Non-fiction: Complexity of narrator
Outcome: Persuasive letter
CC Links to D&T Making bird feeders Jane Considine Non-Fiction: Instructional writing
Outcomes: Write a set of instructions
| A Crow’s Tale – Naomi Howarth Narrative: fable – complexity of plot
Outcomes: Writing from a different viewpoint
CC Links Geography All Kinds of Cars – Carl Johanson / William Bee’s Wonderful World of Tractors and Farm Machines William Bee
Non-fiction: Explanatory texts
Outcomes: Explanation writing; non-chron report |
Y3
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| Stone Age Boy – Satoshi Kitamura Narrative: Non-linear time sequence Outcomes: Adventure Story
Summer is Here! Jane Considine Unit Poetry: Complexity of symbol
Outcomes: Gather language to describe Autumn; produce a poem about autumn in the style of Summer is Here.
| Iron Man – Ted Hughes Narrative: Archaic text Outcomes: setting scene; diary; instructions;
How a Robot Dog works – Jane Considine Non-Fiction: Information text
Outcomes: Writing to explain |
| True Story of the Little Pigs – Jon Scieszka Narrative:Tales with a twist – complexity of narrator Outcomes: writing from a different view point
Jack and the Beanstalk – Raymond Briggs Narrative: Tales with a twist – non-linear narrative Outcomes: compose a conversation; rewrite the story changing key components | The Secret of Black Rock- Joe Todd Stanton Narrative: Surreal modern folktale – complexity of plot Outcomes: Descriptive setting
The Dream Giver – Literacy Shed Film Unit
Narrative: Visual text
Outcomes: Setting description; character description; 1st person recount
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| The Street Beneath My Feet – Charlotte Gullain Non-Fiction: Mixing urban and rural settings, covering subjects such as geology, archaeology and natural history.
Outcomes: Explanation writing
CC Link – History Meet the Ancient Egyptians – James Davies Non-Fiction: Information book
Outcomes: Non-chron reports; instructional writing;
| Varjak Paw – SF Said
Narrative: Complexity of narrator
Extended Unit
Outcomes: Descriptive missing poster; extend the narrative. |
Y4
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| Tuesday – David Weisner Narrative: Complexity of plot Outcome: Description; newspaper report
The Lost Thing –Shaun Tan Narrative: Fantasy – resistant text Outcomes: Creature description; radio script; fantasy story.
| Invite the Author Non Fiction: Outcomes: Persuasive Letter
Eye of the Wolf/Girl and the Fox: Daniel Panec
Novel: Non-linear time sequence
Outcomes: writing in the style of – retold narrative based upon the Girl and the Fox
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| The Great Choco Plot: Chris Callaghan Links to Geography – The Rainforest Narrative: Complexity of plot.
Outcomes: Descriptive writing; dialogue; 3rd person narrative.
Pigeon Impossible: Literacy Shed Film Unit
Outcomes: Journalistic writing
| The River – Poetry Valerie Boom
Poetry: Resistant text
Outcomes: Poetry composition
Float – Aaron Becker
Narrative: Resistant text
Outcomes: Adventure story
CC Link: The Water Cycle
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| The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – Kate DeCamillo
Narrative: Complexity of character
Extended Unit
Outcomes: Narrative writing and informal letter.
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Shakespeare
Narrative: Archaic Outcomes: Character description; writing in role
Feast – Disney Short Film. Visual Literacy Unit
Outcomes: New viewpoint on the same plot: Retell from male owner’s perspective
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Y5
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| The Boy at The Back of the class Onjali Q. Raúf Narrative: Complexity of character Outcomes: Persuasive letter; diary entry
Refuges: Speech taken from Girls in Education Non-fiction. Outcomes: Write a persuasive Speech | The Explorers – Katherine Rundell Narrative: Novel – Complexity of plot Outcomes: Extended 3rd person narrative
BLACK HISTORY MONTH Non-Fiction: Little Leaders –Bold Woman in Black History: Vashti-Hardy
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| Mars Transmission: Non-Fiction – uses The Martian Trailer Outcomes: Journal writing
Roads End – Literacy Shed Narrative: Sci-Fi visual text / complexity of character Outcomes: Internal monologue; first person narrative
| The Present – Jacob Frey Narrative: Film unit with link to PSHE – living with a disability. Outcomes: 3rd person narrative
Non-Fiction: Screen Use: How healthy behaviour supports children’s wellbeing’ (Public Health England, 2013) Outcomes: Compose a balanced argument |
| The Nowhere Emporium – Ross Mackenzie Novel narrative: Non linea time sequence
Outcomes: Biography; setting description building to a 3rd person narrative.
The Highway Man – Alfred Noyes Poetry: Archaic text
Outcomes: Poetry to prose. | Beetle Boy – MG Leonard Narrative: Complexity of character
Outcomes: A non-fiction unit designed to be delivered after reading the novel. Create information texts and a formal letter.
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Y6
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Hansel and Gretel – Neil Gaiman Narrative: Complexity of Narrator Outcomes: Scene setting Extended tale with a twist.
Arrival – Shaun Tan Narrative: Resistant text/ graphic novel
Outcomes: Diary writing; extended narrative
| Holes – Louis Sachar Narrative: Non-linea time sequence Outcomes: Descriptive writing; Letter; Non-chronological report
RE LINK: People who inspire us. Non-Fiction: Little Leaders –Bold Woman in Black History: Vashti-Hardy
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| Dulce et Decorum Est – Owen Poetry: Archaic / complexity of symbol Outcomes: Responding critically to a text; converting poetry into prose.
The Watertower – Gary Crew Graphic text: Resistant text Outcomes: Police report; extended description. | CC Link – Climate zones and Biomes Diary – Scott of the Antarctic Non-Fiction: Archaic texts – Shackleton’s Journey: William Grill Non Fiction: Pictorial representation Frozen Planet – BBC
Outcomes: Non-chron report; first person account; writing in the style of; extended narrative based on events of Scott. |
| The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman
Narrative: Mystery Novel – resistant text. Outcomes: extended 3rd person narrative.
The Raven: Edgar Alan Poe Poetry: Archaic/ complexity of symbol Outcomes: Internal monologue; poetry to prose
| Boy in the Tower – Polly Ho Yen Narrative: complexity of narrator/ contemporary fiction Extended Unit
Outcomes: Newspaper report; journal writing; continuing the chapter NB: this text deals with themes such as young careers; dealing with mental illness
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