English

English at Parkside Academy

Our Belief

At Parkside Academy, we believe a great education starts with strong English skills. Reading, writing, grammar, and spelling are at the heart of everything we do. These skills not only help children do well in every subject—they also open up the world around them and prepare them for life beyond school.

How We Teach English

English is woven into all areas of our curriculum. From the very start, we focus on helping children become confident readers and writers. We start with phonics—helping children match sounds to letters—so they can learn to read with success and enjoyment.

As they grow, children build their vocabulary, learn how sentences work, and explore the richness of the English language. They also read a wide range of high-quality books, poems, and stories. These texts help children understand different cultures, people, and points of view.

English isn’t just taught in English lessons—it connects with every subject, from history and science to art and geography. We also bring the subject to life through visits from real authors. In 2024, we were proud to welcome author Tom Palmer, and this year, poet Matt Goodfellow inspired our pupils with his work. We also celebrate words through poetry competitions, reading challenges, and more.

Reading at Parkside

Reading is at the heart of everything we do. From our youngest babies to our confident Year 6 readers, we aim to build a love of books and language that lasts a lifetime.

How We Teach Reading

We follow a clear and structured approach to help every child become a fluent reader:

• In Early Years, children enjoy daily stories, songs, and rhymes to build their listening and speaking skills.
• From Reception, we teach phonics using the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme. Children learn to:
  • Recognise sounds and letters
  • Blend sounds to read words
  • Segment words to spell them
  • Build confidence using storybooks that match their reading level
• In Key Stage 1, children continue daily phonics lessons until they’re confident readers. Then, they move onto our Book Band Scheme, which helps them progress through a wide variety of exciting fiction and non-fiction books.

Reading in Key Stage 2

As children grow, their reading continues to develop. In Key Stage 2, children:

• Continue through the book bands until they become ‘Free Readers’
• Read widely across different genres, authors, and cultures
• Learn more advanced comprehension and inference skills
• Use reading to support learning in all subjects
• Take part in book clubs, author visits, and reading competitions to keep reading fun and exciting

What We Use:

• Read Write Inc. (RWI): A structured phonics programme taught in small groups to help children build strong foundations in reading and spelling.
• Book Band Scheme: A colour-coded book system to make sure every child reads books that are just right for them—challenging but enjoyable.

How You Can Help at Home

Parents and carers play a big part in their child’s reading journey. Here’s how you can support your child:

• Read together every day—even a few minutes makes a difference
• Talk about books, characters, and stories
• Show your child that you enjoy reading too

Together, we can help your child develop a lifelong love of reading and learning.

Writing at Parkside

Writing is explicitly taught during English lessons through a range of genres; however, it is woven into every subject. We aim to build confident, passionate writers and celebrate writing by displaying writing in school.

How We Teach Writing

We follow a clear and structured approach to help every child become a confident writer:

• In Early Years, children enjoy daily mark making opportunities with a wide range of tools both indoors and outdoors.
• From Reception, we teach writing using the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme. Children learn to:
  • Recognise sounds and letters
  • Form letters
  • Blend sounds to write simple words
  • Build confidence in using the correct pencil grip
• In Key Stage 1, children continue to build a clear handwriting style through structured handwriting lessons. They learn about sentence structure in year 1 and go on to explore different writing styles by exploring and learning different genres in year 2.

Writing in Key Stage 2

As children grow, their writing continues to develop. In Key Stage 2, children:

• Revisit genres learnt in Key Stage 1 and build on these.
• Continue to explore different genres of writing
• Use a broad range of vocabulary and apply this to their writing
• Learn to join letters to create neat, legible handwriting
• Use writing to support learning in all subjects
• Take part in clubs, author visits, and writing workshops to keep writing fun and exciting