At Fern House School, our systemic approach to English is designed to address the significant language and communication needs that often characterise our pupils. Through a meticulously planned and responsive curriculum, we aim to build strong foundational literacy skills while developing confident, articulate communicators.

Reading: Our reading provision begins with a rigorous, individualised assessment to identify each pupil's capabilities and needs. Based on this, pupils receive a daily phonics lesson delivered through the highly effective 'Read Write Inc.' programme, or a targeted comprehension lesson using the 'MIDAS reading detective programme'. This consistent and structured approach ensures pupils develop a firm foundation of phonics knowledge, simultaneously cultivating the higher-order reading skills crucial for confident and competent reading.

Writing: English lessons are carefully planned on a two-week cycle, providing extended opportunities for focused decoding, comprehension, and the development of writing skills. We employ consistent strategies embedded throughout our planning, including:

• In-depth analysis of genre features
• Ample opportunities for oral rehearsal
• Clear success criteria, consistently exemplified through teacher modelling

Grammar is explicitly taught in discrete starter sessions and reinforced through ongoing teacher modelling of grammatical features within meaningful contexts.

Text Selection & Impact: We carefully select texts that not only engage pupils but also thoughtfully address and explore the social and emotional challenges they may face. These texts acknowledge the core of their special educational needs and learning difficulties, providing opportunities for understanding and processing. Furthermore, our aim is to expose pupils to a rich and varied range of high-quality literature. This broadens their horizons, challenges insularity, and counters the effects of cultural deprivation often experienced by many of our pupils, nurturing a deeper appreciation of diverse perspectives.