What we want to achieve:

We are committed to improving writing attainment across the school so that more pupils reach the expected standard and make strong progress. We have a particular focus on:

• Improving outcomes in Year 3 and Year 5
• Supporting pupils who are eligible for free school meals
• Ensuring pupils who join our school partway through their education receive targeted support to help them catch up quickly
• Narrowing the gap between pupils with special educational needs and their peers

How we will achieve this:

Assessment and Tracking:

• All pupils will be assessed at the start of the year to identify their starting points
• Pupils who join our school will receive a comprehensive writing assessment within 2 weeks of arrival
• Progress will be carefully tracked throughout the year, with particular attention to vulnerable groups

High-Quality Teaching:

• Consistent writing teaching across all year groups
• Regular writing moderation to ensure accurate assessment
• Increased opportunities for pupils to write across the curriculum
• Effective feedback that helps pupils improve

Targeted Support:

• Small group interventions for pupils who need additional help with sentence structure and writing stamina
• 'Writing Foundations' intervention for pupils with significant gaps in basic writing skills (handwriting, punctuation, sentence structure)
• 1:1 conferencing to discuss pupils' writing and next steps

What we want to achieve:

We are committed to significantly improving reading attainment, with a particular focus on reading fluency (how smoothly and accurately children read) and comprehension (how well they understand what they read). Our aim is to:

• Increase Key Stage 2 reading from 54% to 84% at the expected standard
• Close the gap with the national average
• Significantly improve outcomes for pupils with special educational needs and those eligible for pupil premium
• Ensure all pupils, including those who join us partway through their education, develop strong reading skills

How we will achieve this:

Reading Comprehension:

• Explicit teaching of comprehension strategies (predicting, questioning, clarifying, summarising, inferring)
• Intervention for pupils who can read fluently but struggle to understand what they read
• Whole class reading sessions using high-quality texts
• Focus on teaching inference skills (reading between the lines)

Targeted Support:

• All pupils who join our school receive a reading assessment within 2 weeks of arrival
• Priority access to interventions for pupil premium pupils and those with special educational needs
• Home reading support, including provision of appropriate books
• Pre-teaching of key vocabulary before reading sessions

Assessment and Monitoring:

• Baseline reading assessments (fluency and comprehension) for all pupils at the start of the year
• Half-termly reassessment of pupils receiving interventions
• Termly progress reviews for all priority groups
• Pupil conferencing to understand reading confidence and strategy use

What we want to achieve:

We are committed to ensuring that every child at The Cambridge receives consistently high-quality teaching. This means:

• All staff understand and deliver 'The Cambridge Standard'
• Teaching is well-planned and responsive to pupils' needs
• All pupils, including those who join us partway through their education, receive effective support
• Teachers can clearly explain what each child needs to do to make progress
• Strong leadership ensures high standards across all year groups

How we will achieve this:

Supporting Our Staff:

• Performance Development reviews with clear targets linked to school priorities
• Regular team teaching opportunities to share best practice
• Support in planning time to ensure lessons are well-adapted for all pupils
• Sequenced training programme throughout the year

Monitoring and Feedback:

• Regular learning walks to observe teaching and provide supportive feedback
• Termly teaching observations focusing on the impact of training
• Regular book scrutiny to ensure consistent expectations
• Half-termly pupil progress meetings where teachers discuss individual pupils' needs and progress

Focus on Supporting All Pupils:

• All teachers will identify key groups in their class (including pupils eligible for free school meals, those with special educational needs, and those who joined us partway through their education)
• Clear information sheets for pupils who join us, showing their starting points and what support they need
• Planning will show how lessons are adapted for different groups of pupils
• Learning walks will check that all pupils are accessing learning effectively

Teacher Sprints:

• Six-week focused improvement cycles on key areas, such as:
  • Effective scaffolding for pupils who need additional support
  • Checking understanding to ensure all pupils are learning
  • Using feedback to help pupils make progress

What we want to achieve:

We are committed to maintaining a positive, nurturing environment where all pupils feel safe, valued, and ready to learn. This means:

• Continuing our relational approach to behaviour, which focuses on understanding and supporting pupils rather than just consequences
• Keeping suspensions low and continuing to reduce challenging behaviours
• Ensuring all staff are confident in using our behaviour approaches
• Growing our parent support network to help families support their children's behaviour and well-being

How we will achieve this:

Relational Approach:

• All staff trained in PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy) approach
• Focus on "catching the good" - celebrating positive behaviour
• Assembly programme covering behaviour expectations, online safety, British values, and celebrating diversity
• Consistent, positive interactions between staff and pupils

Parent Partnership:

• Parent support network sessions (building on our successful 2025/2026 programme with 21 families)
• Sharing strategies to support children's behaviour and well-being at home
• Creating a supportive community for families

Attendance:

• Daily attendance monitoring and follow-up
• Half-termly recognition for 100% attendance
• Targeted support for families with barriers to attendance
• Working with Hart & Rushmoor Attendance Hub
• Target: Improve attendance for pupils with special educational needs to 93%