English
English Lead: Mrs Williams
Early Reading and Phonics Lead: Mrs Jeffries (Mrs Cooper)
Intent
At St Paul’s, we believe that English is at the heart of learning. Through reading, writing, speaking and listening, children develop the knowledge, vocabulary and confidence they need to understand the world around them and to express their own ideas, thoughts and creativity.
Our English curriculum aims to develop confident, fluent and enthusiastic readers and writers who are able to communicate effectively for a range of purposes and audiences. We want every child to discover the pleasure and power of language and to develop a lifelong love of books, reading and writing.
Implementation
Reading
We believe that becoming a successful reader begins with strong foundations. From EYFS, children follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, providing a systematic and consistent approach to phonics and early reading. As children develop their decoding and fluency, we nurture a love of reading through a rich and diverse range of high-quality texts.
Across EYFS to Year 6, we use Literacy Tree to support our English curriculum. Carefully selected, engaging books provide the stimulus for reading, discussion, vocabulary development and writing. Through exploring high-quality literature, children encounter a wide range of authors, characters, cultures, experiences and perspectives. We aim for every child to see themselves as a reader and to develop the curiosity to explore books beyond those studied in the classroom.
Writing
We recognise that learning to write is complex and requires both transcription and composition. Our approach places strong emphasis on developing firm foundations in the skills that enable children to write fluently.
We take a mastery approach to the foundations of writing, explicitly and systematically developing children's skills in handwriting, spelling and sentence construction. Through regular teaching, modelling, practice and feedback, we want these skills to become increasingly automatic, allowing children to devote more of their working memory to generating, organising and communicating their ideas.
We recognise that quality is more important than quantity and therefore do not measure successful writing simply by how much a child produces. Instead, we develop writers step by step: building vocabulary, composing sentences orally, developing sentence control, understanding grammar and punctuation, and gradually applying these skills independently to increasingly sophisticated texts.
Our Literacy Tree curriculum provides a clear sequence through which children learn to write for different purposes and audiences. High-quality texts act as models and inspiration, enabling children to explore the choices writers make and to develop their own authorial voice. Children are taught to plan, draft, revise, edit and improve their writing, while developing increasing independence and confidence.
Language and Vocabulary
We place a strong emphasis on spoken language and vocabulary development. Children are encouraged to articulate and rehearse their ideas before committing them to paper, developing their ability to choose precise and effective vocabulary and construct increasingly sophisticated sentences.
Through discussion, reading and writing, children encounter ambitious vocabulary and learn how words, grammar and sentence structures can be used deliberately to communicate meaning and effect.
Impact
We want every child to leave our school believing that they are a reader and a writer.
By the end of Year 6, our aim is for children to have developed the secure foundations, knowledge and confidence to write clearly, accurately and creatively across the curriculum. We want them to be able to communicate their ideas with increasing sophistication, while understanding that writing is a craft that develops through practice, reflection and refinement.
Above all, we want our children to read widely, think deeply, speak confidently and write with accuracy and purpose. They must be equipped with the English skills they need to succeed at secondary school and beyond.