English

English at Clockhouse Primary School

“The more that you read the more things you will know, the more that you learn the more places you’ll go!”

- Dr. Seuss

Read on to find out all about English at Clockhouse!

Who leads English at Clockhouse?

My name is Mrs Jarvis, and I am the English Leader at Clockhouse Primary School. I joined Clockhouse in 2016, having begun my teaching career in another school in Havering in 2011.

I have always loved books, reading and stories. As a child, I had a vivid imagination and plenty of ideas, but I sometimes found it difficult to get those ideas down on paper. Writing could feel hard and, at times, a little boring!

When I became a teacher, this experience inspired my passion for finding ways to help children bridge the gap between having wonderful ideas and confidently expressing them through writing. Since joining Clockhouse, I have worked with colleagues to develop an exciting and inclusive English curriculum, with high-quality texts and oracy at its heart. We want every child to develop a genuine love of language and the confidence to express themselves through speaking, reading and writing.

What is English all about at Clockhouse?

At Clockhouse Primary School, English is much more than a daily lesson. It is woven through everything we do.

From enjoying a class novel and discussing characters, to writing a postcard using our best handwriting; from taking part in a class debate to presenting ideas to an audience, children are constantly developing and applying their English skills in meaningful ways.

Our aim is to equip children with the communication skills, knowledge and confidence they need not only to succeed at school, but to thrive throughout their lives. We want our children to become thoughtful, articulate and curious individuals who can understand the world around them and communicate their ideas with confidence.

We provide a stimulating, interactive, enjoyable and challenging English curriculum that celebrates our rich and varied literary heritage. While following the National Curriculum, we carefully plan learning so that children develop the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent and independent readers and writers.

Reading

We want every child at Clockhouse to discover the joy of reading.

Children are introduced to a wide range of high-quality books, authors, genres and experiences. Through carefully chosen texts, we develop children's vocabulary, imagination, knowledge and understanding of the world.

We recognise that reading can have a profound impact on children's future opportunities. It opens doors to learning, develops empathy and imagination, and provides children with the knowledge and language they need to navigate the world around them.

Every class enjoys daily story time, giving children the opportunity to listen to and become immersed in a great story simply for the pleasure of reading.

We also celebrate reading throughout the school year. Our 120 Books to Read Before You Leave Clockhouse encourages children to explore a wide range of wonderful books, while our weekly and end-of-term reading raffles provide additional opportunities to celebrate children's love of reading. Our end-of-term winners even get to visit our very own school book vending machine and choose a book to take home!

We are also fortunate to have a beautiful school library, decorated with much-loved fairytale characters, which creates an exciting and inviting space for children to discover new books. Our junior librarians play an important role in our reading community, helping to promote books and share their enthusiasm for reading with others. All children visit the School Library once a week to choose a book of their choice to read at home. We also have strong links with our local library and visit when we can.

We believe that storytelling is incredibly powerful, so we regularly invite storytellers, authors and other special guests into school to inspire our children and bring stories to life.

Vocabulary and Oracy

Language is at the heart of learning at Clockhouse.

We place a strong emphasis on vocabulary development, helping children to explore new words, understand their meanings and discover where words come from. We want children to develop a fascination with language and to have the vocabulary they need to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly.

Oracy is central to our English curriculum. Through discussion, drama, debate, storytelling and performance, children learn to listen carefully, respond thoughtfully and communicate effectively. Drama provides children with opportunities to explore characters and situations, develop empathy and build confidence in speaking and listening.

We believe that being able to communicate confidently is a lifelong skill, and we want every child to find their voice.

Phonics

Phonics provides the foundations for successful reading.

Our phonics teaching follows a clear and progressive approach, ensuring that children develop the knowledge and skills they need to decode words accurately and become fluent, confident readers. As children progress through school, phonics continues to support their reading development alongside a growing knowledge of vocabulary, spelling and comprehension.

Writing

We want our children to see themselves as authors and writers.

Our writing curriculum is carefully sequenced, beginning with children's existing knowledge and skills and building progressively over time. This enables us to identify and address gaps while ensuring that every child can make meaningful progress.

We use writing journeys for different genres, helping children to understand not only the outcome they are working towards, but also the steps they need to take to get there. Children are taught how to generate ideas, organise their thoughts, select appropriate vocabulary and sentence structures, draft, edit and improve their work.

Where possible, writing is linked to our wider curriculum and the school's Golden Threads, allowing children to make meaningful connections between different areas of learning. We also take advantage of opportunities to develop writing across the curriculum so that children understand that writing has a purpose beyond the English lesson.

Our writing sessions are rooted in high-quality children's literature. Books provide a rich platform from which children can explore language, develop their ideas and write for a range of different purposes and audiences.

By the time children leave Clockhouse Primary School, we want them to be able to write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style for different contexts, purposes and audiences.

English in the Early Years and Key Stage 1

We understand that the foundations of successful reading and writing are built in the earliest years of a child's education.

Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Year 1 provision places a strong emphasis on developing children's language, communication, vocabulary, phonics and early writing skills. Our approach has been further strengthened through the research and recommendations within the updated writing framework published in July 2025.

We want children to develop a strong foundation in language and literacy while retaining their curiosity, creativity and enjoyment of learning.

Find out more about English at Clockhouse?

Our English Curriculum

You might also like to know…

At Clockhouse, we believe that English is about much more than learning to read and write. It is about finding your voice, discovering new worlds, developing your imagination and having the confidence to share your ideas.

We want every child to leave Clockhouse with a love of reading, a confidence in their own writing and the communication skills they need to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead.

Clockhouse Primary School