Why do we learn English?
Our approach
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6

Why do we learn English?

English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.

(National Curriculum, 2014)

Our approach

There are three strands to the Ark Tindal English curriculum:

  • Reading: if our pupils can read with confidence, they will be able to learn and know more, and enjoy the life-changing experience of reading for pleasure. Therefore, to meet this intention, our age-appropriate, diverse selection of texts link to wider curriculum units and support pupils to develop the 'Five Pillars of Reading' (National Reading Panel), which include phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.  For more information about our approach to reading, click here.
     
  • Writing: we believe in the importance of eloquent self-expression in improving pupils’ future opportunities and personal well-being. Based on the Talk for Writing approach, our writing curriculum aims to develop knowledge and vocabulary, whilst focusing on handwriting, spelling, grammar, punctuation and writing structures for a range of forms. 
     
  • Spoken language: we recognise the importance of spoken language in pupils’ development across the whole curriculum – cognitively, socially and linguistically. Spoken language underpins the development of reading and writing. Lessons across the curriculum ensure the continual development of pupils’ confidence and competence in spoken language and listening skills.

Each strand is complemented by the wider curriculum (particularly in citizenship, history, geogryaphy and science) where appropriate. Knowledge and skills are revisited and built upon each year, forming a spiralised, interwoven curriculum from Nursery – Year 6.

Year 1 - English

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Animals Beautiful Britain

Fiction: Rumble in the Jungle- Giles Andreae

Non-fiction: DK First Animal Encyclopaedia

Fiction: Paddington- Michael Bond

Non-fiction: Look Where We Live! Scot Richie

  • Letter formation, writing sentences
  • Narrative: describing animals
  • Narrative: city adventures
  • Recount: letters from Paddington
Spring 1 Spring 2
Around the World Materials

Fiction: Lost and Found- Oliver Jeffers

Non-fiction: Collins Children’s Picture Atlas

Fiction: Three Little Pigs

Non-fiction: Everyday Materials- Peter Riley
  • Narrative: finding stories
  • Non-fiction: How to...guides
  • Narrative: traditional tales
  • Recount: diary of a wolf
Summer 1 Summer 2

Kings, Queens & Castles

 Weather

Fiction: Cinderella- Suzanna Davidson

Non-fiction: The Queen and her Family- C.J Leonard

Fiction: The Mousehole Cat- Antonia Barber

Non-fiction: Seasons- Peter Riley
  • Narrative: fairytales
  • Non-fiction: biography of Queen Elizabeth II
  • Narrative: setting description focus
  • Poetry - Seasons

All Year 1 Subjects Next Year 1 Subject - Science

Year 2 - English

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Where do our things come from? The Great Fire of London

Fiction: Fantastic Mr Fox- Roald Dahl

Non-fiction: Journey of a T-shirt- John Malam

Fiction: Vlad & the Great Fire of London

Non-fiction: The Great Fire of London- Emma Adams & James Weston

  • Narrative: character descriptions
  • Narrative: villain story
  • Recount: newsround script
  • Narrative: changing perspective
Spring 1 Spring 2
Living Things & Their Habitats Saving our World: The Arctic

Fiction: The Jungle Book- Rudyard Kipling

Non-fiction: David Attenborough- Sonya Newland

Fiction: Somebody Swallowed Stanley- Sarah Roberts

Non-fiction: Ice Trap! - Meredith Hooper, 10 things I can do to help my world
  • Poetry - animals in habitats
  • Narrative - journey story
  • Non-fiction: leaflet - how can we help the environment?
  • Persuasion: letter writing
Summer 1 Summer 2

Plants

 The Seaside

Fiction: Jack and the Beanstalk

Non-fiction: Plants and Trees- Margaret Grieveson

Fiction: Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch- Ronda and David Armitage

Non-fiction: How Does a Lighthouse Work?- Roman Belyaev
  • Non-fiction: Instructions - How to plant a seed
  • Narrative: character descriptions
  • Poetry: Beside the seaside
  • Recount: Our trip to the seaside

All Year 2 Subjects Next Year 2 Subject - Science

Year 3 - English

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Stone Age - Iron Age The Romans

Fiction: Booom! - Alam Macdonald

Non-fiction: The Secrets of Stonehenge- Mick Manning

Fiction: The Grim Ghost- Terry Deary

Non-fiction: Roman Myths Volume One- Fiona Macdonald

  • Recount: diary entry
  • Non-fiction: Non-chronological report
  • Narrative: mythical stories
  • Poetry
Spring 1 Spring 2
Natural Disasters Natural Disasters

Fiction: The Firework Maker’s Daughter- Philip Pullman

Non-fiction: See Inside Weather and Climate- Katie Daynes

Fiction: Hurricane- David Weisner/ Escape from Pompeii- Christina Balit

Non-fiction: The Street Beneath my Feet
  • Recount: newspaper article
  • Instructions: what to do in an earthquake
  • Non-fiction: Explanation - What is a volcano?
  • Recount: letter to family
Summer 1 Summer 2

Ancient Egypt

 Around the World

Fiction: The Egyptian Cinderella- Shirley Climo

Non-fiction: Secret Treasures of Ancient Egypt- Kate Sparrow

Fiction: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- C.S Lewis

Non-fiction: South America- Margaret Hynes
  • Narrative: adaptations to fairytales
  • Non-fiction: travel article - visit Egypt
  • Narrative: portal stories
  • Recount: persuasive letter

 

All Year 3 Subjects Next Year 3 Subject - Science

Year 4 - English

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
The Anglo-Saxons The Vikings

Fiction: Anglo-Saxon Boy- Tony Bradman

Non-fiction: Edward the Confessor- Claire Throp

Fiction: How to Train Your Dragon - Cressida Cowell

Non-fiction: Anglo-Saxons and Vikings- Hazel Maskell
  • Narrative: problem stories
  • Recount: newspaper
  • Non-fiction: non-chronological report about a new dragon
  • Poetry - a battle
Spring 1 Spring 2
The Water Cycle Rivers & Mountains

Fiction: Floodland- Marcus Sedgwick

Non-fiction: Investigating Floods- Elizabeth Elkins

Fiction: River Boy- Tim Bowler

Non-fiction: Water Wise- Alison Hawes
  • Recount: diary entry
  • Narrative: dilemma stories
  • Narrative: journey stories
  • Non-fiction: Fact file about a mountain/river
Summer 1 Summer 2

Life as a Brummie

 Sustainability

Fiction: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- Roald Dahl

Non-fiction: Two Brothers and a Chocolate Factory - Juliet Clare Bell

Fiction: The Wind in the Willows- Kenneth Grahame

Non-fiction: Rubbish and Recycling- Stephanie Turnbull
  • Recount: Letter writing from different perspectives
  • Narrative: adventure stories (sequels)
  • Poetry: looking after our environment
  • Non-fiction: Why should you recycle?

 

All Year 4 Subjects Next Year 4 Subject - Science

Year 5 - English

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Ancient Greece Earth & Space

Fiction: Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey- Gillian Cross

Non-fiction: The Greek Gazette- Fergus Fleming

Fiction: A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L’Engle

Non-fiction: Space - Harriet Brundle
  • Narrative: myths
  • Recount: newspaper
  • Narrative: flashback stories
  • Recount: biographies
Spring 1 Spring 2
Birmingham to Manaus The Amazon Rainforest

Fiction: Journey to the River Sea- Eva Ibbotson

Non-fiction: Exploring Rainforests - Anita Ganeri

Fiction: Journey to the River Sea- Eva Ibbotson

Non-fiction: Voices of the Rainforest- Mick Manning
  • Non-fiction: tourism magazine article
  • Narrative: setting description focus
  • Poetry - rainforests vs city life
  • Narrative: characteristion focus
Summer 1 Summer 2

Black History

 World War II: British Perspective

Fiction: How High the Moon- Karyn Parsons

Non-fiction: Martin Luther King- Jen Green

Fiction: Goodnight Mr Tom- Michelle Magorian

Non-fiction:  World War Two- Tony Robinson
  • Non-fiction: Non-chronological report
  • Speech: formal writing, persuasion
  • Recount: diary from an evacuee
  • Narrative: adventure story

 

All Year 5 Subjects Next Year 5 Subject - Science

Year 6 - English

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
World War II: Jewish Perspective Refugees

Fiction: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas,

Non-fiction: Anne Frank’s Diary		 Fiction: Welcome to Nowhere, Elizabeth Laird
Non-fiction: Who are Refugees and Migrants? Michael Rosen
  • Narrative: setting descriptions & characterisation
  • Recount: diary entry influenced by Anne Frank
  • Letter writing from the perspective of a refugee
  • Narrative: journey of a refugee
Spring 1 Spring 2
The Victorians The Victorians

Fiction: Street Child- Berlie Doherty

Non-fiction: The Industrial Revolution- Leon Gray

Fiction: The Railway Children- E.Nesbit

Non-fiction: Victorians- Ann Kramer
  • Non-fiction: non-chronological report about workhouses
  • Persuasion: Radio advert/campaign for Barnardos charity
  • Narrative: journey stories
  • Poetry
  • Newspaper article
Summer 1 Summer 2
Evolution & Inheritence Orienteering

Fiction: Wonder- R.J Palacio

Non-fiction: The Story of You- Anna Claybourn

Fiction: The Girl of Ink and Stars- Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Non-fiction: Types of Maps- Melanie Waldron
  • Narrative: chapter in the style of an author
  • Formal & informal letters
  • Discussion: Should homework be abolished?
  • Poetry about a place

All Year 6 Subjects Next Year 6 Subject - Science