To be a confident reader and writer is a pivotal skill in life. The foundation of our literacy strategy is phonics, which is taught through Little Wandle programme and enables learners to flourish within a culture of continuous improvement. We want all children to be able to read fluently and with good understanding before moving on to the next step of learning. We believe that fluency unlocks a love of reading that is absent when decoding is difficult.

At Sandal Magna, we have diverse school community and many dual-language learners. Oracy and vocabulary are fundamental aspects of our English curriculum as they both feed into developing reading and writing. Our curriculum ensures that pupils have access to texts from the modern era to texts from our literary heritage so they are able to access a wider range of vocabulary and linguistic conventions modelled by authors. We aim to give children a command of the spoken word and be competent in the art of speaking and listening, making formal presentations and participating debates so they will be articulate, confident and ready to compete in the modern world.

The pursuit of excellence is paramount. In addition to core literacy work with a focus on writing, handwriting and spelling, we encourage high standards of written work across all subject areas, allowing children to develop their talents and thus enabling them to flourish in all areas of life.