Kimpton Primary School

Reading

At Kimpton, we are committed to ensuring every child learns to read confidently and develops a lifelong love of reading. We prioritise reading fluency to strengthen pupils’ comprehension, and reading is promoted across the entire curriculum.

In Early Years and Key Stage 1, phonics is taught through the Anima Phonics – Letters and Sounds Updated scheme. Reception and Year 1 pupils take part in daily interactive lessons that help them learn, practise, and apply new skills, supported by regular reading opportunities throughout the day.

In Year 2, pupils receive daily guided reading sessions, with additional phonics support provided through Anima Phonics interventions where needed.

In Key Stage 2, pupils take part in daily reading sessions using Bug Club resources, with explicit teaching of key reading skills. These skills are further developed in English lessons through VIPERS. Additional reading opportunities, including 1:1 reading, guided groups, and phonics, are provided as required.

Reading for pleasure is encouraged throughout the school. Teachers regularly share books with pupils, and children are supported in choosing texts from the school library and class book corners. 

Writing

Writing is a tool to communicate and an essential life skill. At Kimpton, we want our children to be able to express themselves and be understood using the written word. We aim to be a school of exceptional writers who love to write for a variety of audiences and purposes. Writing always serves a purpose, even if that is simply to enjoy the process of putting pen to paper, so teachers make explicit the reasons for writing and how these relate to the children's future selves. An enthusiasm for writing and enjoyment of the writing process is modelled by our staff at all times.

The writing learning journey begins in our Early Years where teaching teams develop core strength, fine and gross motor control. Muscles need to be sufficiently developed before a good pencil grip can be introduced. Mark making is the beginning of the written word and explored in a variety of exciting contexts.

Transcription in writing refers to the combined skills of handwriting and spelling. In our EYFS provision, letters are explicitly taught alongside their corresponding phonetic sounds. Pupils learn correct letter formation, and they receive varied opportunities to practise throughout the week in both practical activities and more formal, teacher‑led sessions. Nelson Handwriting workbooks are used to support the development of fine motor skills and accurate letter formation.

As pupils move through Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, we follow the structured Nelson handwriting scheme to introduce letter size, letter families, and the four joins required for fluent cursive writing. In Key Stage 1, pupils continue to develop their phonics and spelling knowledge through the Anima Phonics programme. Once they have secured their common exception words, teachers in Key Stage 2 begin to teach spelling rules using the Emile Spelling Programme

Our Key Stage 2 spelling programme builds on the strong phonic foundations established in Key Stage 1, further developing pupils’ understanding of word structure, vocabulary, and spelling rules. Common exception words continue to be revisited and overlearned, and pupils regularly engage with the statutory spelling lists for Years 3–6. Weekly homework is aligned with the spelling focus for each sequence of learning, reinforcing classroom teaching. Pupils also complete a weekly spelling review, enabling teachers to monitor progress closely and identify any areas requiring further support.

English lessons across the school are carefully mapped and planned using HfL Essentials. Lessons are designed to be engaging and enriching, with high‑quality texts—including picture books—and film clips used to broaden pupils’ literary experiences. Writing skills are explicitly taught and then practised through weekly writing opportunities that span a wide range of subjects and genres.

Grammar and punctuation remain essential areas of focus and are embedded throughout English lessons. Pupils must secure their understanding each year, as new concepts build progressively on their growing repertoire of skills. The knowledge and skills developed in English are applied across the wider curriculum, with pupils expected to draw on their understanding of genres, text features, grammar, punctuation, and spelling in all subjects. Writing in different curriculum areas provides meaningful, real‑life purposes for writing, helping to engage and motivate learners.

Composition

For children to produce strong, varied, and engaging compositions independently, they must first develop secure transcription skills. Once these foundations are firmly in place, their working memory is freed to focus on higher‑level aspects of writing, such as crafting rich and varied language, connecting with their audience, and creating specific atmospheres or tones.

The compositional journey begins with strong oracy skills in EYFS and Key Stage 1, where children learn to articulate their ideas clearly. As they progress, they are taught how to plan their writing and experiment with how they want it to read and feel. Through drafting, editing, and refining, pupils learn to craft their writing with increasing precision and purpose.

To help children recognise and take pride in their development as writers, each pupil keeps a special writing book that follows them throughout their time in school. Writing is celebrated widely across the school community and highlighted weekly in our Going for Gold assembly.