How we teach
We do not start with the chapter. We start with the child.
Two things shape every session here: a clear path through language, and a cycle that checks we are still on it.
The cycle every programme runs on
Assess
We find out what your child can already do before deciding what to teach.
Plan
A starting point is chosen for that child, not for their age or class.
Teach
Small groups or one to one, in short sessions built around activity.
Track
Regular checks show what has stuck and what needs another pass.
Review
We talk to you about progress, and adjust the plan together.
We assess every child before we place them, so they start in the right place.
The language path
Eight steps, in this order, every time
Skip a step and it shows up later as a gap. This is the sequence our language programmes follow, and where your child sits on it decides what we teach next.
Vocabulary BankLexicon
We start with words a child already knows, then add new ones through pictures, objects and play — building a store to draw on later.
Sound SystemPhonology
Every sound in English, heard before it is written. Children learn to pick sounds out of spoken words and say them accurately.
Spelling SystemOrthography
Sounds are matched to letters and letter groups. Patterns come first; the exceptions English insists on are taught separately.
Word BuildingMorphology
Prefixes, suffixes and roots. Once a child can take a word apart, longer words stop being frightening and start being solvable.
Word MeaningsSemantics
The same word shifts meaning with context. Children work with synonyms, opposites and shades of meaning rather than single definitions.
Word CombinationsPhraseology
Words that travel together — phrases, idioms and natural pairings. This is what makes writing sound fluent rather than assembled.
High-Frequency WordsLexical frequency
A small set of words makes up most of what anyone reads. We make those automatic, freeing attention for the words that carry meaning.
Sentences & GrammarSyntax
Words become sentences. Structure, tense and punctuation are taught through building and repairing real sentences, not through definitions.
Where each programme sits
Maths, skills and wellbeing programmes follow their own progressions, built the same way — assess first, then teach in order.