English

Reading sits at the heart of the Archibald curriculum. Our vision is that every child will not only learn to read but become a reader, able to read fluently and for meaning so they can access the whole curriculum. We want pupils to write accurately, purposefully and confidently for a range of audiences. Our English curriculum is at least as ambitious as the National Curriculum and is carefully sequenced from the Early Years onwards.

In Nursery, high-quality talk, stories, songs and rhymes build the language and listening skills that underpin early reading. From Reception, phonics is taught daily through Read Write Inc., and pupils read books closely matched to the sounds they know. Pupils are regrouped after regular assessment, and any child at risk of falling behind receives extra 1:1 or small-group support straight away. As pupils move through school, comprehension is taught explicitly in guided reading sessions, where teachers model how to question, clarify and summarise a text. Through our partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, every writing unit begins with drama-based activities that help pupils explore a text’s world, characters and language before they write. Lessons follow our whole-school teaching model, OPTIC, which builds in regular opportunities to revisit and strengthen prior learning.

Pupils leave Archibald as confident, fluent readers and capable writers, ready for the demands of secondary school. Progress is measured by pupils knowing and remembering more, and is checked through assessment in lessons, summative assessment and reviews of pupils’ work. Leaders review outcomes regularly so that support and challenge can be adapted quickly.