St. Paul's Catholic Primary SchoolEnglish
English at St. Paul’s develops our children’s ability to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes, using language to learn and communicate their ideas, views and feelings.
It empowers children to express themselves creatively and imaginatively so that they can deepen and enrich their learning across the curriculum.
Please find below our subject curriculum map.
Writing Curriculum Map
Phonics and Spelling Curriculum Map
Subject on a page
English is a core subject in the National Curriculum. We use the National Curriculum 2014 English Programmes of Study as the basis for implementing the statutory requirements of the new curriculum alongside our core policies on the Curriculum, Learning and Teaching and Assessment.
READING
At St Paul’s we encourage our children to read a variety of books and genres. Underpinning all teaching of reading is an emphasis on reading for pleasure, with an aim to enthuse all children with a love of books. In the early stages of reading, the children focus on letters and sounds, developing reading strategies to help them decode words and sentences. As they move through the school, they pay close attention to punctuation and expression. Once in the upper end of the school, we encourage analytical readers who read between the lines and interpret the implied, focusing on the children’s comprehension. All classrooms have a dedicated book corner for children to choose books for pleasure, as well as two well-stocked libraries.
Children have the chance to visit the libraries each week during lesson time and at lunchtime to choose books to borrow for home.
Guided reading
Guided Reading is taught in all year groups on a weekly basis. From the summer of Year 1, a whole-class approach is adopted focusing on a particular text. In EYFS and KS1, this can range from traditional tales, to picture books, before moving on to more challenging texts. Further up the school in KS2, children are exposed to a wide range of literary styles, genres and authors through deep exploration and immersion in challenging and exciting texts.
The 10-Minute Pledge
The 10-Minute Pledge is a strategy of developing reading for pleasure, whilst also exposing children to a great text, usually slightly above their reading comprehension level, that is shared with the whole class by a member of staff including the headteacher. This can range from a novel shared over a long period, such as the entire term, to a short poem enjoyed just for that day.
The theory behind introducing the 10-Minute Pledge is that over the course of a school year, it can expose children to over 700,000 words whilst sharing the joy of reading.
The Periodic Table of Must-Read Key Stage Two Books
Below you will find a suggested list of books suitable for older readers that may be of use to inspire your child to try something new! The table is broken down into genres, making finding something new to try easy to find.
WRITING
We are committed to promoting a writing culture at St. Paul’s, through our rigorous curriculum which explores a range of poetry, fiction and non-fiction texts.
Across the school, children are encouraged to practice their Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG) skills, and express their ideas generated through drama and discussion; focusing on the power of spoken language, before drafting, editing, revising and composing a piece of writing.
We write regularly, giving the children the opportunity to reach personal goals and individual targets, developing their creativity, accuracy and personal style. Our cross-curricular links offer pupils the ability to transfer these skills in their history, geography, R.E. lessons and beyond.
Writing for Pleasure is our approach to encouraging creative expression and the ability to run away with a good story, just as a child might enjoy when picking up a book to read for pleasure. These sessions run during transitions, utilising the spare moments of the school day when children can add the extra sentence they conjured up when eating their lunch, washing their hands, or playing with their friends. We believe this initiative helps nurture a community where children take pride in their writing; feeling a sense of accomplishment and confidence in their abilities.
At St. Paul's, writing is celebrated through 'Wow Writing' assemblies and through whole-school displays.
Writing Checklists and Expectations
CROSS-CURRICULAR LINKS
Wherever possible, we explore texts further with interactive video clips and software programmes, and we build writing opportunities through the use of ICT, especially using our iPads to locate e-books. Topics and text types are linked to a variety of wider subjects such as history and geography.
READING IN EARLY YEARS AND KS1
At St. Paul’s we aim for all our children to become fluent, confident readers who are passionate about reading.
Children who read regularly or are read to regularly have the opportunity to open the doors to so many different worlds! More importantly, reading will give your child the tools to become independent life-long learners.
We can achieve this together through:
- Read Write Inc, a program to help to your child read at school
- Encouraging children to develop a love of books by reading to them daily, at home and at school
- Giving children access to a wide range of books at school and at home
At St Paul’s we use Read Write Inc Phonics (RWInc) to give your child the best possible start with their literacy.
Read Write Inc (RWInc) is a phonics complete literacy programme which helps all children learn to read fluently and at speed so they can focus on developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary and spelling. The programme is designed for children aged 4-7. RWInc was developed by Ruth Miskin and more information on this can be found at:
and:
All Read Write Inc sessions are taught by staff that are fully trained in the scheme, ensuring that the five key principles underpin the teaching in all Read Write Inc. sessions:
Purpose – know the purpose of every activity and share it with the children, so they know the one thing they should be thinking about
Participation – ensure every child participates throughout the lesson. Partnership work is fundamental to learning
Praise – ensure children are praised for effort and learning, not ability
Pace – teach at an effective pace and devote every moment to teaching and learning
Passion – be passionate about teaching so children can be engaged emotionally.
Read Write Inc - reading at home booklet 1Read Write Inc - reading at home booklet 2
Phonics Parent Talk Information
Read Write Inc - Information Pack
Phonics data
Phonics Assessment Data 2017-2022
Moving into Year 1, children follow the same system, using the same vocabulary and learning process. Continuity is the key, and the vocabulary consistency, together with the learning process, ensures children’s development in Phonics - and later on in reading. Parents are informed about the Y1 Phonics Screening Check and our methods for teaching Phonics in school. We send information booklets home at the beginning of each year, and, where needed, we will send home additional booklets to further support the children’s learning.
