At Ridgeway School we believe that the teaching of English has a crucial role to play so our pupils can express themselves verbally and non-verbally and communicate effectively as well as imaginatively and creatively. Teaching English equips our learners with the language skills they need for daily life both socially and emotionally and to become effective members of their own communities, the world of work, and of society in general. Developing pupils’ abilities to listen, speak, read and write enables them to learn more efficiently, and also to express ideas, views and feelings more effectively. Being competent in English is a life skill, which we develop across the curriculum. The English curriculum is designed so that learning is relevant and fun; it is tailored in different areas: Stage 1-3, Stages 4-7, Stages 8-14.  Our Reading Rationale outlines how English is taught across the different stages at Ridgeway.