At Fern House School, we prioritise the development of essential English 'sticky skills' that are fundamental for effective communication and lifelong success.

Punctuation (Capital Letters, Full Stops, Commas, and Paragraphs): Mastery of punctuation is paramount in written English. It serves to clarify meaning, reveal authorial intent, and ensure text is logical and readable. Equipping our pupils with precise punctuation skills is an imperative step towards their confident engagement with the wider world.

• Capital Letters: Capitalisation effectively conveys information, signalling the start of new sentences and highlighting the uniqueness of proper nouns (names of specific people, places, or things). We ensure pupils understand both how and why capital letters are used, enabling them to present information clearly and accurately.
• Full Stops: As the most frequently used punctuation mark in English, correct application of the full stop is consistently emphasised. Its primary function is to mark the end of declarative or imperative sentences. Beyond this fundamental use, pupils also learn how full stops contribute to writing rhythm, build tension, and punctuate abbreviated words, treating them as both a necessity and a powerful tool.
• Commas: Arguably one of the most versatile grammatical tools, commas are crucial for coherence and clarity. They effectively splice sentences, separate items in lists, delineate clauses, and can link simple sentences. Given that a misplaced comma can significantly alter a sentence's meaning, we rigorously teach correct comma usage to ensure pupils' ideas and information are always delivered precisely.

Phonetic Awareness: Phonics focusses on the vital relationship between sounds and their spellings. Our goal is to teach pupils the most common sound-spelling correspondences, enabling them to confidently decode (sound out) words. This decoding ability is a crucial element in fostering reading success and independence.

Formal Writing: In an era where the boundaries between formal and casual writing have blurred due to digital communication, we underscore the importance of audience awareness. Pupils learn to discern when formal writing is imperative, particularly for critical life applications such as formal letters and job applications as they approach the latter stages of their time at Fern House. Our instructions includes meticulous attention to proper punctuation, correct spelling, avoidance of contracted and colloquial words, and the paramount importance of thorough proofreading.