English at Cribden House is holistic, inclusive and ambitious. It provides every child with a personalised route to success through a curriculum that is carefully matched to individual developmental levels. Across all three pathways, English is centred around communication and spoken language, reading (including phonics) and writing. Regardless of a child’s age, progress is shaped by their stage of development rather than chronological expectations.

Being Pathway

On the Being Pathway, English is rooted in play, communication and early literacy experiences. Children learn to communicate in whichever way works best for them, including emerging speech, gestures, Makaton or AAC. Activities such as Intensive Interaction, Attention Autism and sensory stories help children develop attention, listening, turn-taking and early vocabulary.

Reading is introduced through enjoyable, sensory-rich experiences. Children share books with adults, explore rhythm and rhyme, and begin early phonics when ready. Comprehension is supported visually and practically, for example by matching objects, characters and simple events.

Writing begins through mark-making and developing the physical skills needed for early writing. Children experiment with drawing, tracing, symbols, mark-making tools and technology, with programmes such as Squiggle While You Wiggle supporting fine motor development.

Progress on this pathway is recorded using the Being Assessment Tool. Each child’s achievements are tracked through developmental ranges and captured through observations on Tapestry. Targets link closely to EHCP outcomes to ensure progress is purposeful and personalised.

Doing Pathway

The Doing Pathway offers a semi-formal English curriculum built around real-life communication and functional literacy. Spoken language is developed through practical experiences—asking and answering questions, role play, drama and social communication in everyday situations such as shopping or eating out. AAC or Makaton continues to support pupils who require alternative methods of expression.

Reading continues through a structured phonics approach using Bug Club and Active Learn. Children take part in guided reading, explore both fiction and non-fiction texts connected to curriculum topics, and develop early comprehension by predicting, questioning and describing events or characters.

Writing skills are built progressively, beginning with mark-making and letter formation before moving onto words and simple sentences. Writing is linked to meaningful life skills such as creating labels, lists, invitations, shopping lists and recounts. Technology is used to support pupils who benefit from alternative methods of recording.

Assessment on this pathway uses the Doing Curriculum Assessment Tool, enabling progress to be recognised in small, measurable steps across comprehension, word reading and writing.

Thinking Pathway

The Thinking Pathway aligns closely with National Curriculum expectations, supporting children who are ready for more formal learning. Pupils are encouraged to present ideas clearly, take part in structured discussions and debates, and develop increasingly precise vocabulary.

Reading focuses on fluency, independence and deeper comprehension. Guided reading helps children explore inference, prediction, vocabulary choices and authorial intent, and pupils are encouraged to apply their reading skills across the wider curriculum.

In writing, children work within a full range of genres including narrative, poetry and non-fiction such as reports, letters and information texts. Grammar, punctuation and spelling are taught explicitly, and pupils learn to edit and improve their work while considering audience and purpose.

Assessment is based on teacher judgement, work completed independently or through guided tasks, and outcomes from the National Curriculum.