Outwood English Hub

About English Hubs

English hubs offer a range of support and continuing professional development (CPD) to primary schools to improve the teaching of early reading, with a particular focus on systematic synthetic phonics, early language and reading for pleasure.

This consists of tailored support from a literacy specialist, CPD and funding to buy phonics and early language resources. As defined by the DfE, each English Hub will:

‘…promote a love of reading and support schools across the country to provide excellent phonics and early language teaching.  Literacy specialists within each hub will provide tailored support to schools. This will include running events to showcase excellent practice in teaching reading and working with local schools to develop their practice’.

Outwood Primary Academy Lofthouse Gate is one of the schools designated and will work as part of the Outwood Institute of Education.

Our Engagement

Outwood English Hub aims to spread excellent practice in teaching early reading across the following regions:

  • Wakefield

  • Hull

  • Selby

  • Harrogate

Schools will be prioritised on the below criteria:

  • Primary schools with lower than average PSC scores for disadvantaged pupils. Schools with the lowest phonics scores for disadvantaged pupils.

  • Primary schools where the bottom 20% of children are not on course to reach the expected standard (indicated through regular phonics assessment in school).

  • Primary schools with a lower than average percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in the Phonics Screening Check (80% met the expected standard in 2024).

  • Primary schools with a higher than average proportion of children eligible for pupil premium (for 2024/25 the deprivation pupil premium national average for primary
    schools was 24.8%).

  • Schools that have been identified for support by RISE teams.

  • Previous partner schools who last received intensive support two or more years ago, have experienced significant systemic change since leaving the programme and who have failed to realise and/or maintain improvement in SSP scores.

  • Primary schools with a high proportion of groups considered hard to reach such as EAL, FSM, travellers.

  • Schools referred by local partners (e.g. RISE, RSCs, LAs).

  • Primary schools where standards in phonics are identified as areas for development through Ofsted inspection findings.

  • Primary schools where there is a risk of declining standards in phonics.

Phonics Providers

The Outwood English Hub works with a range of Department of Education accredited phonics providers.

These providers offer full systematic synthetic phonics programmes that match the National Curriculum requirements for teaching children to read and spell and have cumulatively decodable reading books that match the progression of phonemes taught in the programme.

Strategic Board

The Outwood English Hub is supported by a Strategic Board. Their key role is to provide strategic advice, challenge and support to the English Hub leadership.

Please find below a list of members of the 2024/25 Strategic Board:

  • Sue Cornwall

  • Claire Davies

  • Sara El Oakley

  • Karen Hill

  • Charlotte Thornton

  • Heather Holmes

  • Tristan Kirkpatrick

  • Amanda Naylor

  • Laurel Smith

  • Catherine Wright

  • Emma Cadman

  • Nathan Fozzard

  • Heather Russell

  • Stephanie Barton

  • Katie Pitts

Our Newsletters

Outwood English Hub sends out a half-termly newsletter, which you can receive direct to your inbox.

This newsletter aims to provide you with key updates from the English Hub, as well as key information about phonics and early reading. To read our latest newsletters, please click on the links below:

2025:

January

March

May

June