At St. John’s C of E Primary School, we hold our English curriculum at the forefront of everything we seek to do. Language, whether spoken, written or reading, is the foundation of our lives in the 21st century. It helps our children to understand their own learning and their own place in society – being able to communicate effectively with adults and their peers – preparing them for their future lives.
Intent
At St. John’s we believe that a quality English curriculum should develop children’s love of reading, writing and discussion. We aim to inspire an appreciation of our rich and varied literary heritage and a habit of reading widely and often. We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children take pride in their writing, can write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style for a range of contexts whilst applying the skills taught in our spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) curriculum.
It is our desire to inspire children to be confident in the art of speaking and listening and who can use discussion to communicate and further their learning. We believe that children need to develop a secure knowledge-base in English, which follows a clear pathway of progression as they advance through the primary curriculum. It is vital that a secure basis in literacy skills is crucial to a high quality education which will give our children the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society. The 2014 National Curriculum states: ‘Reading also feeds pupils’ imagination and opens up a treasure-house of wonder and joy for curious young minds.’ At St. John’s, we believe this to be true.
Implementation
These aims are embedded across our English lessons and the wider curriculum. We have a rigorous and well organised English curriculum that provides many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing, SPaG, speaking and listening. Teachers often plan curricular links with concurrent topic work which are woven into the programme of study. Our curriculum closely follows the aims of the National Curriculum for English 2014. The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:
- read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
- use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
- are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.
In addition to daily English lessons, children develop in early reading through the use of the Bug Club Phonic Programme from Reception to Year 2 and continue to develop a range of reading skills, as well as a love of reading through the Accelerated Reading online programme. We use a wide variety of quality texts and resources to motivate and inspire our children.
Impact
As a result, at St. John’s we have a community of enthusiastic readers and writers who enjoy showcasing their developing English knowledge and skills. Our children are confident to take risks in their reading and writing, and love to discuss and share their ideas.
Subject Plans
You can view or download the subject plans by clicking the link below.
Reading with EYFS Long Term Plan
Speaking & Listening Long Term Plan
Writing & SPAG + EYFS Long Term Plan