At Alderman Cogan’s we want to give all our children the best possible start in life academically, as citizens and as lifelong learners. Above all, we want them to be highly literate and able to have all the learning necessary to help them to thrive in a complex, changing and competitive world.
We want all our students to be ambitious for themselves and about their futures. We will provide the pathways and support for them to realise their ambitions, ‘through a Christian lens’.
Our ambitious and aspirational curriculum is underpinned by our strong Christian Values through our ‘Cogan Learning Goal’. It is through living out these values within our curriculum and everyday life that our children “work together to follow His example and be the best people we can be.”
We are committed to providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. We encourage an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and promote Christian values through the experience we offer to all our pupils.
“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29, v11
Intent
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 word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.
English teaching at Alderman Cogan’s Church of England Academy aims to ensure that children are able to:
- 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;
- become competent in the arts of speaking and listening.
At Alderman Cogan’s Church of England Primary Academy, we teach English in a way that enables children to develop their skills and use them to communicate effectively in everyday life.
We want our children to be able to:
- use a wide variety of interesting and exciting vocabulary;
- respectfully articulate their responses in any discussion;
- read and write with confidence, fluency and understanding;
- develop an understanding of how to use a range of independent strategies to take responsibility for their own learning, including self-monitoring and correcting their own errors;
- develop a love of reading and a desire to read for enjoyment;
- understand a range of text types and genres;
- write in a variety of styles and forms appropriate to the situation;
- develop their creativity, imagination and inventiveness.
Phonics and Early Reading: Little Wandle
At our school, we believe that learning to read is one of the most important milestones in your child’s education. To ensure every child becomes a fluent, confident reader with a lifelong love for books, we use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, a complete systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme validated by the Department for Education.
Our goal is to build strong reading habits from the very beginning, helping children retain sounds in their long-term memory and confidently apply them to their everyday reading and writing.
How We Teach Phonics
- Daily Phonics Lessons: Children in Reception and Year 1 participate in high-quality, daily 30-minute phonics sessions. These follow a consistent structure of review, teach, practice, and apply to minimise cognitive load and maximize confidence.
- Consistent Language: Every teacher and teaching assistant in our school is fully trained, meaning we use the exact same routines and phrasing across all classrooms. [1]
- No Child Left Behind: We use regular, ongoing assessments to instantly spot any gaps in learning. Children who need a bit of extra help receive timely, small-group ‘Daily Keep-up’ interventions so they don’t fall behind.
Our Reading Books
To build genuine fluency and confidence, children read books that are specifically matched to their current phonics knowledge.
- Reading Practice Books: Your child will bring home a phonetically matched book (such as the Collins Big Cat series) that they can read with roughly 95% accuracy. This allows them to show off their skills to you without feeling frustrated.
- Sharing Books for Pleasure: They will also bring home a ‘sharing book’ from our school library. This book is for you to read to or with them, encouraging a love of stories, vocabulary building, and family reading time.
How You Can Help at Home
Your support at home makes a massive difference! You can help your child by:
- Listening to them read their matched reading book regularly, focusing on praise and encouragement.
- Reading aloud to them using their weekly library sharing book.
- Practising correct sound pronunciations. [1]
You can find excellent video guides, sound cards, and game ideas to use at home on the official Little Wandle Parents Page.
Oracy
Speaking and listening skills are fundamental to a child’s language development and underpin all areas of learning and social development. We plan opportunities to teach and develop these skills throughout the curriculum to ensure children are able to express themselves clearly and confidently and listen attentively. We are partnered with Voice21 to deliver an in-depth oracy offer that is intertwined in everything we do.
Writing
At Alderman Cogan’s Church of England Primary Academy writing is a key lesson that is taught every day. Writing lessons are based around a ‘key text’ that is linked to the classes Key Project. The skill of writing can be split up into 5 main subjects. This document explains what objectives are taught in each year group during writing lessons.
English Progression of Knowledge and Skills
