In Key Stage 1, we use the 'Curious Quests' approach to teaching and delivering our English Curriculum. 

'Curious Quests' is a child-friendly approach to writing and is the brainchild of Greg Bottrill. You can find out more about this approach here.

The 'Curious Quests' is a fully immersive adventure into story, poetry, make-believe and gives children a childhood that brims with endless possibilities to invent, imagine and story dream.

Children begin 'Curious Quests' in Year 1 after completion of Drawing Club in Reception. This then carries on into Year 2.
The 'Curious Quests' combines short carpet sessions, group work and independent writing. In Year 1 this then extends into the continuous provision to extend their learning further and enhance their creative ideas. 
'Curious Quests' is fully embedded and transforms our English learning. The children use quests and key characters to provide joy in the learning of SPAG content as well as applying their phonic understanding too. Children want to write for their own joy, not to meet the demands of the adults, Curious Quests enables, and encourages this. 

Word Bathing

The first part of 'Curious Quests' in both Year 1 and Year 2 is word bathing. This is the part of the lesson where we introduce children to new vocabulary that they will not typically use in their speech or writing. We introduce these words with a widgit symbol and an action. This helps the children to recall the new words throughout the week and beyond. Examples of words include, supreme, heaved, knobbly and rancid. These are related to the quality text we are reading. 

Our children thrive on the new vocabulary and are often seen trying to include the new vocabulary into their writing and imaginative play.

Handwriting (or code work) 

As part of our 'Curious Quest' adventures in Year 1, we introduce "code work". Our code work enables us to continue with our adventures. This is our handwriting practice element and is accessed daily. 

We use Supersonic Phonic Friends' handwriting scheme, which works perfectly alongside the 'Curious Quests'.

The images are similar to the phonic images so the children are aware of these, and parent newsletters allow us to support their handwriting at home. In Year 1 we start to learn pre-cursive. 

Quality Texts

As part of our Curious Quests in both Years 1 and 2, we carefully choose quality texts which will allow children to develop their vocabulary, stretch their imagination and provide them with a strong springboard for their independent writing. 

Here are some of the texts we have covered over the last year. 

In Key Stage 2  English is taught through a carefully sequenced approach that builds pupils' skills progressively towards a final extended piece of writing, referred to as a "Hot Write." Teachers plan units of work that integrate reading, writing, grammar, and spoken language objectives, ensuring that each lesson contributes meaningfully to the development of pupils' understanding and abilities. At the start of the sequence, teacher assess children's prior knowledge and then deliver a series of lessons that explore key features of the text type, vocabulary development, grammar focus, and modelled writing.

A popular resource used in KS2 is Literacy Shed Plus, which provides engaging video stimuli to inspire creative and analytical responses. These videos serve as a springboard for discussion and writing tasks. Alongside visual media, high-quality texts—both fiction and non-fiction—are used to anchor lessons, allowing pupils to explore language, structure, and themes in depth. These texts help pupils internalise the features of different genres and apply them in their own writing. The culmination of the unit is the Hot Write, where pupils independently produce a piece of writing that reflects the skills and knowledge they've acquired throughout the sequence.

Importantly, children are given dedicated time to edit and improve their work, using peer and teacher feedback to refine their writing. This editing process encourages reflection and helps pupils take ownership of their learning, ensuring that the final Hot Write showcases their best effort.

Handwriting

In KS2, children continue to develop their handwriting skills on a daily basis and are taught the following: 

Y3/4

• Use the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined. 

• Increase the legibility, consistency and quality of their handwriting. 

Y5/6

• Write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by: 

• Choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices and deciding whether to join specific letters. 

• Choosing the writing implement that is best suited for a task. 

Quality Texts

Class teachers select texts from the DDAT Reading Tree, ensuring that each book is carefully matched to the age and developmental stage of their pupils. This considered approach supports the progression of reading skills and fosters a love of literature by providing engaging, age-appropriate content that challenges and inspires young readers.