English at St Paul's

It is our intention when teaching the English curriculum that our pupils acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to become lifelong learners and linguists. We strive to ensure that all our pupils receive a well-rounded learning experience when reading, writing, speaking and listening, which will equip them with the fundamental tools to achieve at St Paul’s and beyond. It is our intention to immerse pupils in the wonders of quality texts, to instil a love for reading, a passion for discovery and a confidence to explore their imagination through our book-led curriculum.

Teaching Writing 

To raise standards in the teaching of writing we provide children with ample opportunities to write within the curriculum - both within writing lessons and across the curriculum. We use the Literacy Tree to guide our teaching and books are at the heart of our curriculum. 

We will always aim for our writing opportunities to be meaningful and to feel authentic. Whether these are short or long and that the audience is clear. Books offer this opportunity: our aim would be that that children have real reasons to write, whether to explain, persuade, inform or instruct and that where possible, this can be embedded within text or linked to a curriculum area. Writing in role using a range of genres is key to our approach and we would always model the tone and level of formality. This sits comfortably alongside the following statement from the English national curriculum:

‘The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.’

Through use of The Literary Curriculum we have mapped the coverage of the entire English Programme of Study for KS1 and KS2 for Writing, as well as meeting the needs of the statutory 2021 Early Years Framework. In many cases objectives are covered more than once and children have opportunities to apply these several times over the course of a year, as well as to consolidate prior knowledge from previous years. This approach supports children to think deeply and develop skills with depth. Where needed, planning sequences are  adapted, personalised and differentiated to ensure all access arrangements can be made to support children with the requirements.

The Teaching of Phonics

At the early stages of reading, the children are taught to decode texts by following a synthetics phonics programme - Little Wandle. At St. Paul’s, reading is taught alongside Little Wandle initially. This promotes a strong and systematic emphasis on the teaching of synthetic phonics to aid the teaching and learning of reading. Pupils also take home reading books to support home learning and promote the important partnership between school and home. It is important that children learn 'pure sounds' when starting on their phonic journeys (see link below for information).

Teaching Reading 

At St. Paul’s children are explicitly taught the skills of reading (outlined in the National Curriculum and the KS1 and KS2 test domains) through the use of VIPERS, which were created by Rob Smith (The Literacy Shed) The Reading Vipers can be used both in KS1 and KS2 with a little adaptation.

V ocabulary 

I nfer 

P redict

E xplain

R etrieve

S ummarise/ sequence 

Reading Pathways

At St Paul's, we are committed to immersing our pupils in a diverse range of literature that aligns with the 2014 National Curriculum in England. Our carefully selected texts are designed to not only support the development of children's reading skills but also foster a love for reading that will stay with them for life.

Our reading pathways are specifically designed to complement the English and writing curriculum. They include a curated selection of recommended reads that have been chosen to engage and inspire young minds. By exploring these texts, your child will be exposed to a variety of genres, writing styles, and themes, helping them to become well-rounded readers.

We encourage you to support your child's reading journey by engaging with the texts they are studying at school and by exploring the recommended reads together. Reading with your child not only enhances their literacy skills but also provides an opportunity for meaningful discussions and bonding experiences.