At West Denton Primary School, we believe that literacy and communication are essential life skills. Through our broad and enriching curriculum, we aim to equip children with the knowledge and abilities they need to communicate effectively and creatively with the wider world, both through spoken and written language. We promote a strong love of reading throughout our school, ensuring that all children develop an enjoyment and appreciation of literature in its many forms. We encourage pupils to see books as a source of inspiration and wonder—portable magic that can spark imagination and transport them wherever they choose.

At West Denton Primary School, we are committed to promoting high standards of language and literacy. We aim to equip children with a strong command of both the spoken and written word, while fostering a lifelong love of reading. Through a rich and engaging curriculum, alongside encouragement at home, we support pupils in developing the skills and confidence they need to succeed.

National Curriculum Aims

We strive to ensure that all pupils aspire to achieve and are able to:

• Read easily, fluently and with increasing speed
• Develop secure comprehension skills, enabling them to draw on prior knowledge and make sense of what they read
• Cultivate a love of reading and the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• Acquire a broad vocabulary, alongside a secure understanding of grammar and linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• Appreciate our rich and diverse literary heritage
• Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• Use discussion as a tool for learning, explaining and developing their ideas with clarity
• Become confident speakers and listeners, capable of making presentations, demonstrating understanding and participating in debate

Books!

At West Denton Primary School, books are at the heart of everything we do. Our pupils are encouraged to explore a wide range of high-quality texts from a variety of authors, helping to enrich and support their learning across the curriculum. Each year group studies carefully selected texts that link meaningfully to other areas of learning, creating purposeful and engaging experiences.

Within English lessons, every class has a ‘Book in the Spotlight’, which forms the focus of their study. As pupils immerse themselves in these texts, they explore vocabulary, setting, characters and plot in depth, with key learning revisited and displayed through working walls. In Key Stage Two, alongside their class text, pupils also enjoy an additional book during reading lessons, broadening their exposure to different genres and authors.

Our aim is to provide pupils with a rich and varied reading diet, enabling them to develop their own preferences and a genuine love of reading. We want every child to discover books that inspire, engage and are just right for them.

Overview