At Saint Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that a high-quality English education enables pupils to speak, write, listen and read fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions with confidence. Through reading, pupils develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually, gaining knowledge and understanding that builds upon what they already know. We recognise that strong literacy skills are essential for pupils to participate fully as active and responsible members of society.

We are committed to ensuring that all pupils become confident readers, writers and speakers. We hold high expectations for every child’s English development and strive to equip them with the skills needed to communicate clearly and express themselves effectively in an ever-changing world.

Communication is at the heart of our curriculum. Opportunities for speaking and listening are embedded across all subjects, particularly within English, where high-quality texts and meaningful writing opportunities form the foundation of learning. Early reading, led through a structured phonics approach, alongside a strong emphasis on reading for pleasure, underpins high standards across the school.

Rooted in our Catholic values, our English curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to reflect on their place in the world and develop a strong moral compass. Through carefully chosen texts and discussion, pupils explore themes linked to Gospel values, social justice and respect for others. We promote the importance of resilience, respect and teamwork, encouraging pupils to communicate with clarity, empathy and purpose.

In English, pupils are given opportunities to write for a wide range of purposes and audiences. We celebrate writing through publishing work and sharing with others. Our aim is to foster a genuine love of writing, supported by staff who act as enthusiastic reading role models and actively promote reading for pleasure.

Through exposure to a wide range of high-quality texts, pupils learn about equality, diversity and social responsibility, developing an understanding of how positive change can be achieved. At Saint Mary’s, we are dedicated to nurturing respectful, thoughtful and effective communicators who are prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond school.

With these aims in mind, Saint Mary’s ensures a clear and consistent approach to the teaching of English across the school.

Early reading is prioritised through a structured phonics programme. To secure consistency and improve outcomes, we follow the Read Write Inc. approach in EYFS and KS1, and for pupils in KS2 who require additional phonics support. Alongside this, we have strengthened our reading culture by developing high-quality class libraries that promote reading for pleasure. These include a carefully curated range of modern and traditional texts. Teachers select engaging class novels, and pupils are read to daily for at least 15 minutes, ensuring regular exposure to rich language and storytelling. In Years 3–6, whole-class guided reading sessions take place, where teachers use highly effective questioning to challenge, probe and deepen pupils’ understanding of texts.

Our writing curriculum is shaped by a structured writing framework, designed to ensure progression in knowledge, skills and vocabulary across all year groups. High-quality texts are central to this approach, exposing pupils to a wide range of genres, ambitious vocabulary, varied punctuation and strong models of writing, including inference and characterisation. Texts are purposefully selected to engage pupils and inspire high-quality outcomes.

In line with the writing framework, there is a strong emphasis on explicit sentence-level instruction. Within each unit, pupils are taught the building blocks of writing through carefully sequenced lessons focusing on sentence construction, grammar and cohesion before moving into extended pieces. This ensures that pupils develop accuracy, control and confidence in their writing.

Across the school, pupils follow a consistent writing process of plan, draft, edit and revise, enabling them to refine and improve their work over time. Opportunities for editing, self-assessment and peer review are embedded throughout, alongside clear and purposeful teacher feedback. Each classroom has an English working wall, which is used daily to model expectations, support learning and provide scaffolds to aid pupil independence.

To support transcription skills, there is a strong focus on handwriting and spelling. Handwriting is taught explicitly through discrete lessons three times per week, using the Letter-join scheme to ensure a consistent, fluent and legible style across the school. Spelling is taught through the Spelling Shed scheme, providing a structured and progressive approach that supports pupils in applying spelling patterns accurately within their writing.

Oracy is a key feature of our curriculum. Pupils are provided with regular opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills across all subjects. By the time pupils leave Saint Mary’s, we aim for them to be confident, articulate speakers who use ambitious vocabulary appropriately and effectively. Pupils are taught to engage in meaningful discussion, present ideas clearly, justify their thinking and respond thoughtfully to others. Regular choral speaking assemblies further support pupils’ pronunciation, rhythm and intonation, while also enriching their vocabulary.