English

Meet The Team.

      Miss R. Roe                   Mrs R. Smallwood             Mrs A. Williams             English School Tribe      Reading/Phonics School Tribe  

    Subject Leader                 Subject Link TA               Subject Link Governor                                  

Intent

At St. Saviour, our English curriculum is designed with the overarching intent to ignite a lifelong passion for language, literature, and effective communication. Grounded in the belief that a robust English education is fundamental to a child's holistic development, our curriculum aims to cultivate confident, articulate, and empathetic individuals who can navigate a rapidly evolving global society. We aspire to foster a deep appreciation for language in all its forms, celebrating the richness and diversity of English. Through engaging and varied activities, we aim to instil in our students a love for reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Our curriculum is structured to provide a solid foundation in literacy skills. Beginning with the fundamentals of phonics, grammar, and vocabulary, we guide students towards becoming proficient communicators who can express themselves fluently and coherently.

We believe in exposing our students to a wide range of literary genres and authors. By exploring diverse literature, we aim to broaden their understanding of the world, enhance empathy, and nurture critical thinking skills.   Communication skills are fundamental in today's interconnected world. Our curriculum places a strong emphasis on developing effective verbal and written communication skills. Through collaborative activities, presentations, and writing projects, students learn to express their thoughts with clarity and precision.  It also incorporates opportunities for creative writing, storytelling, and drama to encourage students to express themselves creatively and think outside the box.

At St. Saviour we understand that proficiency in digital literacy is crucial. Our curriculum integrates technology  teaching students to navigate digital resources, critically evaluate online information, and harness technology to enhance their communication skills.  Our emphasis on audience and purpose means we regularly plan for opportunities in our curriculum that allow the two to come together and use technology to enhance our written work. 

We aim to develop inquisitive minds by promoting critical thinking skills. Through discussions, analysis of texts, and problem-solving activities, students learn to think critically, make informed decisions, and appreciate the importance of diverse perspectives. 

Our curriculum recognises and celebrates the unique journey of each pupil. Through ongoing assessment, feedback, and personalised learning opportunities, we strive to support individual progress, fostering a sense of achievement and pride in their linguistic and literary accomplishments.

By embracing these principles, our English curriculum at St. Saviour seeks to empower students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for a future where effective communication and a love for language are essential components of success and fulfilment.

Implementation

High-Quality Phonics Teaching

As part of our implementation, we place a strong emphasis on phonics teaching, following a systematic and synthetic approach to enable early reading success. We use a comprehensive phonics program called ELS (Essential Letters and Sounds), ensuring consistent delivery across the school. Our skilled teachers assess pupils' phonics knowledge every 5 weeks and provide targeted interventions to address any gaps, ensuring every child can decode words accurately and fluently. Our emphasis is keep up rather than catch up.

Rich and Diverse Literature

We have created a literature-rich environment, with a wide range of high-quality fiction and non-fiction books readily accessible to all pupils. Our class libraries are regularly updated with engaging titles and our English spines are updated annually to meet the needs of each class. Teachers select texts that capture pupils' interests and offer varied perspectives, promoting a love of reading and nurturing pupils' imagination and empathy.

Immersive and Purposeful English Lessons

Our English lessons are immersive and purposeful, designed to fully engage pupils in the learning process. We provide meaningful contexts for writing, with a keen emphasis on audience and purpose. We use high-quality texts as models, analysing their structures, vocabulary choices, and stylistic features, which helps pupils develop their own writer's voice. Teachers employ a range of strategies to explicitly teach grammar, punctuation, and spelling, embedding these skills within purposeful writing activities.

Speaking and Listening Activities

To develop confident and effective communicators, we actively promote speaking and listening skills across the curriculum. We provide regular opportunities for pupils to articulate their opinions, listen to others, and engage in presentations. Across all areas of the curriculum, teachers facilitate discussions that encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and respectful listening, fostering pupils' ability to express themselves confidently and consider the viewpoints of others.

We recognise that our pupils have different starting points and learning needs. To ensure progress for all, we carefully plan and adapt our English lessons. We provide additional support through targeted interventions, small group work, and tailored resources for pupils who require extra assistance.

Impact

Our approach to English at St. Saviour yields significant impact. We consistently achieve age related outcomes in reading and writing. Our pupils achieve above national average standards, demonstrating excellent progress throughout their primary school journey. They develop a deep understanding of grammar, vocabulary, and language conventions, demonstrating fluency in their writing and a strong command of spoken language.

We foster a genuine love for reading, with our pupils becoming enthusiastic and independent readers who actively seek out books and other forms of written material. They show a keen interest in exploring a range of genres and authors, and their reading experiences extend beyond the classroom into their personal lives.

Our pupils are confident communicators, eloquently expressing their ideas and thoughts both orally and in writing. They are skilled in adapting their language appropriately for different purposes and audiences, displaying confidence in public speaking and actively participating in group discussions and debates.

Importantly, our pupils develop a strong sense of self-belief and personal achievement, empowering them to apply their English skills in all areas of the curriculum and in their future lives. They leave our primary school as articulate, confident, and capable individuals who are fully prepared for the challenges of secondary education and beyond.

Overall, our outstanding primary school's intent, implementation, and impact in English ensure that our pupils receive a high-quality education, equipping them with the essential language and communication skills they need to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

Key Documents

The file list below contains links to key subject documents.

Additional Information

At St. Saviour we follow ELS (Essential Letters and Sounds) for our phonics lessons.  Here are some videos to support the pronunciation of the Phase 2 and 3 sounds.  

Subject In Action Around School

Here you will find English and Reading in action around school.  It might be creating a display for reading, an author visit, preforming poetry, online author workshops and much more!