English
RATIONALE
Our English curriculum at Cloughwood Academy is carefully designed to meet the needs of pupils in a specialist provision who are working significantly below age-related expectations. Pupils have experienced disrupted and negative experiences in mainstream education. Many arrive with gaps in their understanding and low confidence in their abilities.
To address this, we have created our own bespoke Cloughwood English Curriculum. Our aim is to deliver a:
- Thematic – built around high-interest topics (e.g. gothic, action, sci-fi and war) to spark curiosity and increase engagement.
- Blended and Cyclical – each week, we deliver three lessons based around reading and writing skills (focusing on core skills like vocabulary development, reading fluency, spelling, punctuation and grammar) and one lesson using online platforms to specifically address gaps in learning. This allows for regular revision and spaced retrieval, which supports long-term memory and conceptual understanding.
- Practical and Contextual – ensuring that reading and writing content is applied in real-life scenarios, helping our students understand the value and purpose of what they are learning.
INTENT
Our intent is to provide an English curriculum that is:
- Engaging, accessible and meaningful for learners who may be disengaged or have lost confidence in their English and Literacy abilities.
- Rooted in real-world, themed contexts that tap into students’ interests (e.g. war, action, horror), to create a sense of purpose in learning and re-establish positive learning experiences.
- Designed to develop fluency in reading and writing while also ensuring regular exposure to key vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar — avoiding children forgetting topics.
- Structured to allow frequent revisiting of key concepts, supporting retention, closing gaps and building a foundation for future learning.
IMPLEMENTATION
To deliver this intent, we:
- Provide 4 English lessons per week, structured so that:
- 3 lessons each week focus on reading and writing skills.
- 1 lesson each week focusses on key areas for the individual pupil in reading, spelling, grammar or vocabulary to fill previous gaps.
- Use a thematic structure each half-term (e.g. action, gothic/horror, war, sci-fi, plays) allowing for broad and deep exposure to different topics, text types and genres.
- Build in spaced retrieval to strengthen memory and reduce the risk of forgetting key concepts.
- Provide high scaffolding and structured support for both reading and writing elements of the curriculum.
- Use small-group and individualised teaching strategies to meet students at their current level of understanding and help close knowledge gaps.
IMPACT
We measure the success of this approach through:
- Increased engagement and participation in English lessons, as evidenced through behaviour for learning, student voice and attendance at lessons.
- Improvements in reading fluency and confidence, particularly in group and class situations, through regular practice and scaffolded.
- Students being able to apply literacy skills to everyday contexts, showing increased functional literacy — a key outcome for independence and life skills.
- Evidence of improved retention of key concepts as a result of regular revisiting and contextual reinforcement.
- A shift in student attitudes towards English, reading and writing — from avoidance to increased engagement and taking risks in learning.