Foundational Skills

Foundational Knowledge & Skills at Black Torrington C of E Primary School. 

At Black Torrington Primary, our aim is to create strong foundations for every child, enabling them to grow in confidence and build upon these foundations as they continue their educational journey.

Strong Foundations refers to guidance published by the Department for Education and Ofsted that highlights the importance of making sure every child in the early years and early primary stages (Reception and Key Stage 1) builds the essential knowledge and skills they need to thrive throughout their whole school life.

At its heart, this means:

🔹 Securing the Basics Early
It’s about ensuring that children have a really strong grounding in the fundamentals — such as communication, early reading and phonics, writing, maths, and social and physical development — before they are asked to do more complex tasks. Children need repeated practice and teaching of core skills so that they remember and can confidently use them later on. GOV.UK

🔹 A Clear and Coherent Curriculum
Schools should be clear about what children need to learn and when, and make sure learning is sequenced properly so that each new step builds carefully on what came before. Children benefit most when learning is structured, well-planned, and matched to their developmental stage. GOV.UK

🔹 Focus on Fluency and Mastery
Rather than rushing into more challenging work, children are supported to become fluent — that is, comfortable and confident — in key skills like reading, writing and number work before they move on. This supports confidence, later learning and enjoyment of school. GOV.UK

🔹 Helping All Children Succeed
The guidance highlights that strong foundations are especially important for children who start school with lower levels of knowledge or confidence, or who have had limited early learning opportunities. The aim is for every child to have the solid building blocks they need so they’re ready for the rest of their education.

So, when we talk about Strong Foundations at school, we mean:

• Teaching and reinforcing the basics in a way that makes sense to young learners
• Making sure children have lots of opportunities to practice and become confident
• Helping children feel successful and ready for future learning
• Planning learning carefully so each step fits with what children already know

This is not about “teaching to a test” — it’s about giving children a really solid start that helps them feel confident, curious and capable as they continue through school.

Spelling

Spelling starts in Year 1 through the Read Write Inc. phonics programme, where children learn sounds, spelling patterns and common exception words. From Year 2 onwards, children follow a structured daily spelling programme that builds on these routines and introduces new rules and patterns in a clear, systematic way.

Children revisit tricky concepts regularly and practise applying their spelling in everyday writing. We assess spelling frequently and regroup children to ensure they receive the right level of challenge and support. Our approach helps children become confident, accurate spellers who can use their knowledge independently.

Handwriting

Handwriting begins in the early years through daily Read Write Inc. sessions, where children learn correct letter formation using consistent routines, rhymes and fine‑motor activities. This gives them the strong foundations they need for future writing.

As children move into Key Stage 1, they learn to place letters correctly on the line, form capital letters and numbers accurately, and develop control over size and spacing. From Year 3 onwards, children are taught to join their handwriting progressively, aiming for fluent, legible writing across all subjects by the end of Key Stage 2.

We monitor progress closely and provide additional support where needed, such as small‑group teaching, fine‑motor strengthening activities or personalised guidance. Our aim is for every child to write comfortably, confidently and with pride.

Oracy

Oracy is the foundation of confident communication. We teach it explicitly and weave it through everyday classroom practice, so every child learns to speak clearly, listen carefully and share their ideas with confidence.

Teachers model high‑quality spoken language and use simple, structured talk routines - such as talking partners and sentence stems – to ensure all children have the opportunity to speak aloud. These skills are introduced gradually from the early years through to Year 6, helping children learn how to take turns, explain their thinking and respond to others respectfully.

Across all subjects, children use talk to explore ideas, reason, justify, debate and present. Storytelling, role‑play, discussions, problem‑solving in maths and presenting findings in science all give purposeful opportunities to develop vocabulary and communication skills.

We create a positive classroom culture where every child’s voice is valued. Through ongoing observation and gentle guidance, teachers support all children to grow into confident, articulate communicators.