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English

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." - Maya Angelou

Our English subject leader is Mrs Ashton.

Intent

At St Joseph's, our English curriculum is rooted in high-quality texts, carefully selected to represent diversity, reflect children's interests and inspire a lifelong love of reading. We believe that every child deserves access to a rich, broad and balanced English curriculum that celebrates individuality, responds to diverse learning needs and enables all pupils to achieve their full potential.

Our text-based approach places reading at the heart of learning, providing meaningful opportunities for children to develop and apply their reading, writing and grammatical knowledge and skills. Through engaging, carefully chosen texts, we deliver the objectives of the National Curriculum whilst nurturing creativity, imagination and a genuine enthusiasm for literature.

Oracy is central to our teaching and learning. We recognise the importance of developing confident, articulate communicators who can express their ideas clearly, listen thoughtfully and engage in purposeful discussion. Through exposure to ambitious vocabulary, rich literary experiences and high-quality language modelling, we aim to broaden children's understanding and strengthen their ability to communicate effectively.

Ultimately, our ambition is for every child to leave St Joseph's as a confident, capable and enthusiastic reader, writer and communicator. We strive to equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and confidence to apply their learning across the wider curriculum and throughout their lives, fostering a lasting appreciation of the power of language.

Implementation

English Curriculum Implementation

At St Joseph's, our English curriculum is built around high-quality texts that inspire, engage and challenge our children. We carefully select texts that act as both windows and mirrors: mirrors that reflect children's own lives, identities and experiences, and windows that introduce them to different cultures, communities and perspectives. Through these texts, we aim to broaden children's horizons, nurture empathy and develop an appreciation of the diversity of the world around them.

We use Read Write Inc. Phonics to provide a systematic approach to early reading. Beginning in EYFS, children develop secure phonological awareness, decoding and blending skills through structured teaching, regular assessment and targeted intervention.

We recognise the vital role parents play in their child's reading journey and work closely with families, providing practical resources, guidance and opportunities to support phonics and reading at home. We also fully engage with Ruth Miskin Training, ensuring staff benefit from ongoing professional development, coaching and training to continually strengthen teaching practice and maintain a consistent, high-quality approach across the school.

Our aim is for every child to become a confident, fluent reader who develops a lifelong love of reading.

We use Pathways to Write to deliver a carefully sequenced, text-based writing curriculum that develops children's confidence, creativity and independence. Each unit uses high-quality literature to inspire purposeful writing, with explicit teaching of vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and composition in line with National Curriculum expectations.

Through teacher modelling, shared writing and independent practice, children develop the skills to plan, draft, edit and improve their work. Learning builds progressively towards extended pieces of writing, allowing children to apply their knowledge and write for a range of purposes and audiences.

We use Read Write Inc. Handwriting from EYFS to Year 6, ensuring a consistent approach to letter formation, presentation and fluency. Beginning with fine motor development and accurate letter formation, children progress towards developing a fluent, legible and efficient handwriting style.

Vocabulary and oracy are central to our English curriculum. Through rich texts, purposeful discussion and high-quality adult modelling, children develop an increasingly ambitious vocabulary and the confidence to communicate effectively.

Children are encouraged to explore new words, articulate their ideas, listen thoughtfully and use language confidently in both spoken and written contexts.

From Year 2 to Year 6, Fluency Shed supports the development of reading accuracy, automaticity and expression. Through teacher modelling, repeated reading and structured practice, children develop the fluency needed to access increasingly challenging texts and deepen their comprehension.

From Year 2 to Year 6, spelling is explicitly taught using EdShed, providing a progressive approach to spelling patterns, rules and word structures. Children are encouraged to investigate language and apply their spelling knowledge independently across the curriculum.

Our English curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure progression from EYFS to Year 6. Within our mixed-age classes, teachers plan thoughtfully to build upon prior learning, meet year-group expectations and provide appropriate support and challenge.

Ongoing assessment informs teaching, identifies gaps and ensures that all children, including those with SEND, are supported to achieve their potential.

Through our consistent whole-school approach, we aim to develop confident, enthusiastic and independent readers, writers and communicators, equipped with the skills to succeed across the curriculum and beyond.

Impact

Our children are developing a love of reading and enjoy the dedicated opportunities throughout the day to read quietly independently, with the class and by the class teacher. Our children make progress , enjoy sustained learning and  develop transferrable skills. 

Following the implementation of Pathways to Write from EYFS to Year 6, children have become much more enthusiastic and independent writers. The high-quality texts in the units provide excellent stimuli for their writing. Children have been able to develop their reading and writing skills and knowledge in tandem and in a purposeful environment through this writing scheme. Due to the logical progression within and across the units, children have regular opportunities to talk about their writing, practise key skills and engage in purposeful writing opportunities. The implementation of Pathways to Write has resulted in writers who are now more confident, able and independent with a good understanding of key grammatical terms.

As all aspects of English are an integral part of the curriculum, cross curricular writing standards have also improved and skills taught in the English lesson are transferred into other subjects; this shows consolidation of skills and a deeper understanding of how and when to use specific grammar, punctuation and grammar objectives.  We hope that as children move on from us to further their education and learning that their creativity, passion for English and high aspirations travel with them and continue to grow and develop as they do.

Progression In Reading

Reading at Home

Progression In Writing

 

English at St Joseph's

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