How to design a powerful primary English curriculum

Want to create a knowledge-focused English curriculum that boosts cultural capital for all your pupils? Try reconsidering the texts you’re using to broaden your 'literature spine', modelling the writing process of real authors, and encouraging pupils to reflect on and edit their own work. That's Lekha Sharma's advice for making sure your English curriculum is as inclusive and effective as it can be. Get ideas for how to improve modelling and call on prior knowledge to turbo-charge literacy teaching at your school.

Last reviewed on 5 February 2025
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 50257
Contents
  1. Watch our on-demand talk 
  2. Resources for this talk 
  3. Lekha's recommended further reading 
  4. Meet our speaker 

Watch our on-demand talk 

This video offers 'bite-sized' CPD for teachers, with accompanying handouts/resources.

It represents the speaker's role and approach (and where relevant, their school/trust's approach) at the time it was recorded, but still serves as both a source of inspiration and practical tips for you to use in practice.

Please note that any commercial providers, products or resources mentioned in this talk, and relevant links here, are on the speaker's own recommendation and should not be considered an endorsement by The Key.

 

Resources for this talk 

How to design a powerful primary English curriculum: key points PDF, 179.7 KB
Download
How to design a powerful primary English curriculum: note-taking template DOCX, 66.4 KB
Download

Lekha's recommended further reading 

Meet our speaker 

Lekha Sharma is an experienced senior leader in primary, evidence lead in education and a school improvement adviser.