A good book can take you anywhere. A well-chosen word can help you tell your own story.

At Bloxham, children learn to read with confidence, discover books they love and find their voice as writers. English is part of the whole school day: children discuss a class story, explain a discovery in science and turn their ideas into writing they are proud to share.

Becoming a reader

The journey begins in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 with daily phonics through Read Write Inc. Children learn the sounds they need, practise blending them into words and use what they know when they read and write. If a child still needs phonics teaching in Key Stage 2, we continue to provide it through sessions matched to what they need to learn next.

Learning to read opens the door; enjoying reading keeps children exploring. Children read individually and together as a class. Books linked to the topics they study bring new places, people and ideas into the classroom. They can explore our library, follow their own interests and hear recommendations from our pupil reading ambassadors.

Finding a voice as a writer

A rich text often begins a writing journey. Children talk about what they have read, notice how an author has used language and gather ideas for their own work. Teachers show them how to shape those ideas, choose words carefully and improve a draft. As children grow, they learn to write for different purposes and audiences, with increasing control over spelling, handwriting, vocabulary and punctuation.

Writing we are proud to share

Reading gives our children ideas; writing gives them a way to make those ideas their own. Three pieces from our pupils offer a glimpse of that journey.

In Year 2, a child steps into the world of Katie Morag and writes a diary entry about arriving on the Isle of Struay. In Year 4, a river becomes the subject of a poem full of movement and vivid comparisons. By Year 6, a pupil can organise facts and precise vocabulary into an engaging report about wolves.

Each piece has its own voice. Together, they show children using what they have read and learned to write with imagination, knowledge and purpose.

Words that travel beyond English lessons

Reading, speaking and writing help children learn in every subject. A class book might bring a historical period to life. A new word in science might help a child explain an observation more precisely. We introduce important vocabulary, give children chances to use it aloud and in writing, and return to it so that it becomes their own.

Every child’s journey is different. Teachers listen, check what children understand and provide further practice or support when it is needed. We want every child to experience the pleasure of understanding a book and the pride of making someone else stop and read their words.

Come and see English at Bloxham. Ask our children what they are reading, which books they would recommend and what they have enjoyed writing. They will have plenty to tell you.