English is the foundation of all learning. We want children to grow into confident communicators who enjoy reading, writing and sharing their ideas. By exploring stories, poems, information texts and rich language, children learn about different places, people and experiences. English helps children develop imagination, empathy and creativity, and gives them the skills they need to succeed in every subject across the curriculum. 

How we teach English 

English is woven into daily life in school. Children learn through high-quality books, lively discussions and purposeful writing activities. 

•     Phonics helps younger children learn how letters and sounds work together so they can read unfamiliar words. 

•     Reading lessons help children understand stories deeply, talk about characters and events, and build strong comprehension skills. 

•     Writing is taught step by step, with teachers modelling how to plan, edit and improve. 
•     Vocabulary is taught explicitly because knowing more words helps children understand more of what they read and express themselves clearly. 
  Drama, storytelling and group talk activities help children build speaking and listening skills in an enjoyable, confidence boosting way. 

What we want children to learn 

We want every child to become a fluent reader, a confident speaker and an enthusiastic writer. Children learn to express their thoughts clearly, choose interesting vocabulary and write for different purposes and audiences. Most importantly, we hope they finish primary school with a love of reading that stays with them for life. 

Intent

At St James, English lies at the heart of our curriculum, with reading as the foundation upon which all other learning is built. We believe that when children become confident, fluent readers, they unlock the knowledge, language and imagination needed to thrive across every subject.

Our intent is to:

• Foster a love of reading from the earliest stages and build confident, fluent readers who read widely for pleasure and purpose.
• Ensure every child has strong spoken language, comprehension and oracy skills to express themselves clearly and creatively.
• Enable children to become articulate writers who can communicate effectively for a range of audiences and purposes.
• Provide a rich, language‑driven curriculum that supports vocabulary development, metacognition and critical thinking.
• Ensure all children, regardless of starting point, receive the support they need to keep up - not catch up.

Implementation

Writing

Early Writing (Reception)

• Writing begins with Drawing Club, encouraging imagination, storytelling and early composition.
• This is complemented by Ruth Miskin Get Writing, which provides structure, practice and progression in early sentence building.
• Targeted English lessons also support foundational skills such as letter formation, oral rehearsal and early transcription.

Writing Progression Through School

• As children move through the school, teachers plan sequential writing units that build on prior knowledge and ensure core skills are revisited and embedded.
• Grammar, punctuation and spelling (SPAG) is taught explicitly and then applied meaningfully within writing.
• In KS2, spelling is supported by Ruth Miskin Spelling, ensuring children are taught “stage not age,” allowing for personalised progression.
• Handwriting is taught consistently across the school through the Ruth Miskin handwriting programme.