At Langwith Bassett Junior Academy, our approach to English is grounded in an absolute belief that every child can and will achieve. We focus on reasons why children can succeed, rather than excuses about why they will fail. We understand that learning potential is increased through effort and believe passionately that English is a key skill which is essential for all aspects of everyday life including independent learning and the world of work. We build regular opportunities for children to hear and use spoken language, recognising its importance in the development of reading and writing and pupils’ development across the whole curriculum. We believe that being immersed in good quality literature develops pupils’ acquisition of a wide vocabulary and allows children to explore and appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage and give pupils a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Therefore, we teach an English curriculum rooted in the use of high quality texts which are used to inspire and enable children to write exciting, technically skilled extended pieces of writing at the end of each unit. Reading comprehension and grammatical knowledge are taught in context to facilitate deep and meaningful learning.