Subject Leadership 

Mrs Gemma Scholes and Mrs Adele Bass (Phonics and Early Reading Lead)

English Intent

The overarching aim for English in the National Curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. 

The National Curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate

(National curriculum in England: English programmes of study - key stages 1 and 2)

In addition to fostering a love of reading in our pupils, we strive to ensure that by the end of Key Stage 1 our pupils are able to accurately and fluently read age-appropriate books and demonstrate an understanding of what they have read. They can answer questions, make some inferences and explain what has happened so far in what they have read. By the end of Year 2, the majority of our pupils are able to write well-structured narrative or factual texts, demonstrating the range of skills that they have learnt throughout Key Stage 1.

At the end of Key Stage 2, we aim to ensure that our pupils leave St Paul’s with a broad range of reading skills that allow them to demonstrate active reading strategies when reading a variety of texts. By the end of Year 6, the majority of our pupils are able to write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences (both fiction and non-fiction texts), demonstrating the range of skills that they have learnt throughout their school journey.