Welcome to English

Core Text: The Three Little Pigs

Traditional Tales: Pupils listen to, read, retell and perform a range of familiar traditional tales. They identify good and bad characters, traditional settings and repeated phrasing, using these elements to compose their own traditional stories with similar themes.

Recount: Pupils draw upon their own experiences to recount a trip within the local area. They recall key events using time language to sequence, including how they travelled, where they visited and the materials they discovered along the way.

Reading: Pupils continue to learn Set 2 and 3 sounds in Phonics, reading with increasing fluency. They apply sounds when writing.

Core text: Traction Man Is Here Story: Heroic Adventure: Pupils are inspired by the adventures of Traction Man to write their own story. They choose their own toy to act as the hero and bring this to life in an action-packed adventure story. Pupils use a range of adjectives, drawn out from their exploration of toys in History, to describe the heroic toy and the setting in which they find themselves. They continue to focus on writing sentences using correct punctuation. Instructions: Pupils draw upon their learning in Design & Technology to compose a simple set of instructions that will accompany their creations. They choose the best sentences to explain how they made the object/toy and write these using correct punctuation, spacing and letter orientation, while also using their sounds to spell new words.

Text: Mr. Gumpy’s Motor Car

3-Part Adventure Story: Pupils participate in recalling the story of Mr Gumpy’s journey with his friends, using their imaginations to assume the role of one of the animals. They learn to write as the character, using description and emotion to show what the characters did when the car got stuck in the mud and how they eventually overcame this!

Recount: Pupils recall the journey taken by Mr. Gumpy and his friends, including key events and the things they saw/heard along the way. They learn to write a recount of the journey using time words to sequence, conjunctions to add extra information and adjectives for description.

Text: Last Stop on Market Street

Information: Pupils draw upon their learning in History to write a non-fiction text about how transport and vehicles have changed over time. They record information and facts about modern day vehicles and compare these to those in the past. Pupils are careful to construct and edit sentences using correct punctuation. They use suitable adjectives for description and correct forms of past tense.

3-Part Discovery Story: Pupils follow the journey of CJ in the core text as he discovers the different people that make up his local community. They are inspired by this to write their own story as they journey through their own local area encountering people with different strengths, needs and intentions.

The Queen’s Handbag

3-Part Journey Story: Pupils draw upon their learning from Geography and knowledge of the U.K. to plan and write a story inspired by the events of The Queen’s Handbag. They reimagine the events of the story to create a journey for a character seeking a similar object. They use language of time and sequence, expanded noun phrases for description and specific vocabulary for key landmarks that are visited along the way.

Diary: Pupils learn how to write and structure a diary entry, sharing their own preferences and opinions. They draw upon the events in their new versions of The Queen’s Handbag, writing in role as a character on a journey across the U.K to retrieve an important item.

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch Persuasion: Pupils learn how to compose and structure a piece of persuasive writing, linking this to their learning about the seaside throughout time. They consider the purpose for their writing and how to convince their audience to book a holiday to the seaside.

Instruction: Pupils draw upon their learning in Design & Technology to create a set of instructions for making a fruit kebab. They consider how to sequence their instructions to ensure the reader can follow them easily. Pupils choose suitable verbs and adjectives to ensure their instructional sentences are specific and will be followed correctly.

Poetry: Pupils use rhyme and alliteration to create poems about activities at the seaside.

Text: The Illustrated Tales of King Arthur

Legend: Pupils learn to write a detailed character description and setting description in isolation before composing their own legends with key themes drawn from their core text. They develop their fictional writing to ensure there is a clear progression of events from beginning to end.

Information Report Pupils draw upon their learning in History to capture key information about each of the monarchs they explore. They consider how best to present the information, incorporating key features such as timelines and portraits. They present the similarities and differences between the monarchs and being careful not to repeat information or give too much opinion.

Core text: George’s Marvellous Medicine Recipe: Pupils are inspired by George’s imaginative creations in the core text to design, make and write set of instructions for their own marvellous medicines. They learn how to sequence and structure the steps to support the reader to recreate the recipe. Pupils use imperative verbs to provide clear direction to the reader and adjectives when needed to provide specific information.

Text: The Iron Man

3-Part Story: Pupils are inspired by key events in the story to create their own story based on science fiction themes. They create an encounter between a character and an unfamiliar being, using descriptive elements in their writing to portray settings and changing characters’ emotions.

Text: Greta’s Story

Persuasion: Pupils are inspired by the words and actions of Greta Thunberg to write their own persuasion piece about Planet Earth. They draw upon their learning in Geography as a basis for their argument. Pupils learn to distinguish between fact and opinion, using powerful language and facts to evoke emotion and a reaction from, their audience.

Instructional Leaflet: Pupils draw upon their learning in Science to write an instructional piece describing how humans can care for the habitats in which many of the worlds endangered species live. They consider how best to engage their audience and how to ensure the instructions they give are written with clarity and accurate descriptions.

Malala’s Magic Pencil
5-Part Story: Pupils are inspired by the story of Malala and her wish for a better world. They create their own character who goes on a quest to influence change. Pupils consider the range of punctuation that could be used to build suspense, to question or to make a statement. They use their knowledge of prefixes and suffixes to adapt root words.

Biography: Pupils learn to structure and compose a biographical text. They draw upon their learning in History to gather factual accounts of the lives and motivations of influential leaders/heroes. Pupils learn to select relevant information to include in their biographical accounts. Pupils pay close attention to their use of punctuation.

The Akimbo Adventures
5-Part Story: Pupils are inspired by the many adventures of Akimbo to plan and write their own adventure story set in Kenya. They create their own character who encounters an array of wildlife and overcomes a dilemma to protect the animals from harm. Pupils learn to develop each part of the story equally, with a clear sequence of events. They edit and redraft their stories, ensuring accuracy in their use of punctuation, high frequency spellings and conjunctions.

Poetry: Pupils draw upon their learning in Geography to write poems reflecting life in Kenya, the array of animals that are native to the country and the adventures of Akimbo. They use descriptive language with effect.

Core Text: The BFG
Story (Openings): Pupils take on the role of Sophie to write a fictional story opening from the character’s point of view. They consider how to portray the character’s emotions and responses to key events within the beginning of the story. Pupils learn how to compose and structure a different form of story opening, focussing this time on writing setting and character descriptions. They consider how best to portray these images for an audience.

Core Text: Cloud Busting

Diary: Pupils write in role as a character who is experiencing bullying at the hands of the class bully, as in the core text. They capture a day in the life of the character portraying the ever-changing emotions experienced as the character comes into contact with other characters around them. Pupils consider how best to convey these emotions to the reader.

Letter: Pupils draw upon their learning in History to write a letter from an Iron Age person to someone in the Stone Age detailing how life has changed for them since the discovery of Iron. They explain the benefits of iron and attempt to persuade Stone Age people to adopt the material as a better option for making tools and shelter.

Text: The Queen’s Nose

Non-chronological Report: Pupils explore draw upon events from the story to write an information report on how to car for a rabbit. They use both fact and opinion to create a clear and concise guide. Pupils use a range of non-fiction features to enhance the reader’s understanding, including diagrams, facts, images and captions.

Advertisement and Promotion: Pupils explore the language and features used to promote products to a consumer audience. Drawing upon event sin the story, pupils create an advertisement for a brand-new bike model. They replicate this model to promote their own pizza creating from their design project

Text: Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales Fairy Tales / Traditional Tales: Pupils are inspired by a selection of fairy tales to write their own narratives. They begin by exploring setting descriptions from similarly themed stories, considering how to best create their desired atmosphere by making suitable language choices and constructs for creating imagery. Pupils then explore and compare character descriptions, before writing their own descriptions using finer details and dramatical elements to flesh these out. Finally, pupils are exposed to different narrative problems and endings, considering how to build tension between good and bad characters within a piece. Pupils combine these elements to compose a final story.

The Wild Robot
5-Part Story: Pupils learn to structure a 5-part story ensuring they develop each part to give clear cohesion between events. Pupils write about a character going on a journey, similar to that of the characters in The Wild Robot. They write their narrative in first person and therefore from the character’s point of view.

Instructions: Pupils draw upon their learning in Science to write a detailed set of instructions for growing and caring for plants. They consider how best to structure their writing, how to sequence each of the steps and when/how to give additional detailed information to support the reader. Pupils use specific vocabulary for directions, processes, and measurements to best support the user.

The Adventures of Odysseus
5-Part Myth: Pupils learn to structure a 5-part story ensuring they develop each part to give clear cohesion between events. They pay particular attention to the ending of their story. Pupils are inspired by their reading of myths to write their own about a character going on a journey, encountering an evil character/beast and emerging victorious. Letter: Pupils draw upon their learning in History and their wider reading of myths to write a letter from a royal leader to a hero, thanking them for their heroic endeavours. They carefully consider the purpose of their letter, structuring each paragraph with intent. They use language to address their audience directly, with cohesion throughout.

Core Text: Charlotte’s Web

Letters: Pupils are inspired by key events in the story to write different forms of letters. They learn to identify the difference between formal and informal forms of writing. Pupils use informal language to write a letter between characters who are friends. They compose a formal letters to persuade a character to change their previous decision.

Narrative: Pupils draw upon their learning in History to write an Invasion story. They include key facts and events from Roman times and consider how best to portray the emotions people would have felt at the time.

Core Text: Varjak Paw

Adventure Story: Pupils are inspired by both the events of the core text to compose their own adventure narratives, writing two contrasting stories. The first, centring around the rescue of a key character, the second from the perspective of a small creature looking for food in the big city. Pupils consider how best to portray the different emotions and atmospheres that arise through these themes – considering the impact of language and imagery on a reader.

Formal Letter: Pupils draw upon their learning in History to write a formal letter with themes centred around civilization in Roman Britain. They consider how best to express their thoughts and viewpoint, writing with clear purpose and the audience in mind.

Text: The Explorer

Diary: Pupils explore the difference between writing using a formal and informal tone. They learn to write diaries in an informal tone, using the voice of a character in the story to capture key events in the story. They compare their use of language, structure and content to how this would present differently in a formal tone.

Non-chronological Report: Pupils draw upon their learning in Geography to create an information text about the Amazon Rainforest. They base their writing in fact rather than opinion and consider different ways to aid the reader’s understanding, such as diagrams, images, key facts and data sets.

The Explorer

5-Part Story: Pupils are inspired by the events of the core text to write their own ship-wreck narrative. They begin by exploring setting descriptions from similarly themed stories, considering how to best create their desired atmosphere by making suitable language choices and constructs for creating imagery. Pupils then explore and compare character descriptions, before writing their own descriptions using finer details and dramatical elements to flesh these out. Finally, pupils are exposed to different narrative beginnings and endings, providing both options and inspiration for their own compositions. Pupils combine these elements to compose a final story.

The Boy at the Back of the Class Newspaper Article: Pupils learn to structure and compose an article, detailing information about refugees, with particular reference to the content of the class text. They distinguish between fact and opinion and use each of these with purpose to best to engage their audience and express bias. Pupils write with sophisticated language, using specific terms. Informative and Persuasive Letter: Pupils learn to compose a piece of non-fiction persuasive writing encouraging an audience to read their newspaper article. They provide a balance of essential facts while expressing opinion and preference. Pupils establish a clear sense of purpose and use language to address and persuade the audience directly.

Race to the Frozen North
Portal Story: Pupils learn to structure a 5-part story ensuring they develop each part to give clear cohesion between events. They pay particular attention to the moment when a character is transported to a strange place – creating mystery, tension and anticipation. Pupils learn to create atmospheric setting descriptions using the five senses. They use a range of sentence starters to excite and delight the reader, considering the audience. Discursive Essay: Pupils explore the concepts of fame and memorialisation, with reference to Matthew Henson’s accomplishments. They write a short discussion text to express their own opinions on fame – what it takes to be famous and what should be recognised.

Core Text: Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo Quest: Pupils are inspired by key events in the story to write their own quest story. They consider the changeable settings and contrasting characters that are encountered along the way and how best to convey these to the audience. Pupils sustain the piece throughout, ensuring they develop each part of the story to the same quality. Non-Chronological Report: Pupils draw upon their learning in History to compose a report detailing information about the lives and developments of the Anglo-Saxons. They consider how best to structure their writing, using key organisational features to convey key information with clarity and interest.

Core Text: Riddle of the Runes Diary: Pupils draw upon key themes from the core text to create a fictional recount, recalling significant events in a character’s journey. They learn to write in role as they assume the position of a key character, conveying the character’s thoughts, actions and emotions, while writing in the first person and with accurate use of tense and punctuation.

Non-chronological Report: Pupils draw upon their learning in History to record factual information about the Viking invasions on the United Kingdom. They learn to provide a good level of detail and to represent information in a range of different forms. Pupils make clear the distinction between factual evidence and their own opinion.

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

5-Part Adventure Story: Pupils are inspired by the events of the core text and the heroic main character to write a joyous adventure through a volcanic climate. They create a character and group of friends with the power and determination to break rules, inspire revolution and make change. Pupils incorporate a chase scene and a flashback.

Explanation Text: Pupils draw upon their learning in Geography to write a detailed explanation of how volcanos work and how they erupt. They base their writing in fact rather than opinion and consider different ways to aid their explanations, such as diagrams, representation of data and facts.

Girl Who Stole an Elephant Biography: Pupils explore a range of texts documenting the adventures, journeys and achievements of a range of explorers. Pupils learn to write in a biographical style, sharing the key aspects of the life of another person. They select relevant information to share and present their writing in a formal tone. Pupils learn to use relative clauses with increasing accuracy to present further information. Explanation Text: Pupils draw upon their learning in Geography to write a detailed explanation of how volcanos work and how they erupt. They base their writing in fact rather than opinion and consider different ways to aid their explanations, such as diagrams, representation of data and facts.

The Gauntlet

Instructional Text: Pupils are inspired by the core text to invent their own board game. They will use this to challenge their characters when they compose their own adventure stories. Pupils consider how to provide instructions with clarity, detailed information and clearly defined sequencing. Adventure Story: Pupils learn to structure a 5- part story, ensuring cohesion between sections and equal development of the plot throughout. They pay particular attention to developing the end of the story. Pupils are inspired by the adventures of the characters in The Gauntlet to create their own adventure story with an element of suspense, mystery, danger and achievement.

Cogheart

Non-chronological Report: Pupils learn to structure and write an information text to reflect their knowledge gained through the History unit of work. They distinguish between fact and opinion and cite historical sources and artefacts to support their ideas. Pupils use text features, such as images, diagrams and timelines to convey the information with clarity and purpose. Mystery: Pupils draw upon the events of the core text to compose a story with a character central to the plot. They use first person to capture the thoughts and opinions of the character, as they come across dilemmas, discover solutions and solve mysteries. Pupils use language to create enquiry and tension.

Core Text: Wonder by R. J. Palacio Quest / Discovery Story: Pupils are inspired by key events in the story to write their own story where a character goes on a quest for discovery. They consider the contrasting emotions that are encountered along the way and how best to convey these to the audience. Pupils ensure they develop each part of the story to the same quality. Non-Chronological Report: Pupils draw upon their learning in History to compose a report detailing information about the lives and developments of the Ancient Egyptians. They consider how best to structure their writing, using key organisational features to convey key information with clarity and interest.

Core Text: Holes
Flashback (Character’s Perspective): Pupils draw upon key themes from the core text to create a fictional recount, flashing back to a significant event in a character’s journey. They learn to write in role as they assume the position of a key character, conveying the character’s emotions, thoughts and actions while writing in the first person and with accurate use of tense and punctuation.

Persuasion: Pupils draw upon their learning in Geography to compose a persuasive argument tackling one of the issues raised in their study of climate change. They write to a government, party or leader detailing their viewpoint and demanding action. Pupils consider their audience and adapt the language they use to appeal to the reader.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Historical Fiction: Pupils draw upon key events in the story and the historical events explored through History, to write their own fictional story based in a historical context. They learn to portray historically accurate events through fictional characters, portraying emotion, strong imagery and a deep sense of injustice and resolution. Letters (Formal and Informal): Pupils learn to write in different letter styles, considering the voice of the narrator, purpose for their composition and desired audience. They recount significant parts of a key event, capturing the character’s feelings and emotions as circumstances change.

The Other Side of Truth

Persuasive Letter: When a main character is faced with a dilemma, what should they do? Pupils form their own opinions based on key events in the story and their own inferences based on their wider knowledge. They learn to express their opinions, presenting a balanced argument and leaning the reader towards agreeing with their viewpoint.

Newspaper Report: Pupils draw upon their learning in History to chronical a key event in the conflict. They show appreciation for their audience; considering how best to convey information and distinguishing clearly between fact, opinion and propaganda.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream / Macbeth – William Shakespeare
Tragedy Story: Pupils learn to structure a 5- part story, ensuring cohesion between sections and equal development of the plot throughout. They pay particular attention to developing the end of the story. Pupils are inspired by the misfortunes of the characters in Macbeth to create their own story with an element of suspense, mystery and danger. Story (order and disorder): Pupils are inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream to compose a story where everything is not as it seems! They weave a careful plot where characters encounter difficulties and confusions, yet at times are oblivious to these. Pupils develop each part of the story to ensure cohesion.

Windrush Child
Non-chronological Report: Pupils learn to structure and write an information text to reflect their knowledge gained through the Science unit of work. They distinguish between fact and opinion and cite sources and experiments to support their ideas. Pupils use text features, such as images, diagrams and timelines to convey the information with clarity and purpose. Biography: Pupils draw upon their learning in History and the events of the core text, to write a fictional diary capturing the changing events in a characters’ life and societal change based on the characters’ actions. They consider the impact of the language used in their attempt to influence the reader.