English
At St Gerard’s Catholic Primary School, English is at the heart of our ambitious curriculum. Through reading, writing, speaking and listening, we empower our children to become confident communicators, thoughtful readers and creative writers who are equipped to flourish in the wider world. Rooted in our mission statement, “With Christ at our side and St Gerard as our guide we live love learn and pray together,” we strive to nurture a love of language and literature while developing children spiritually, morally, socially and academically.
Intent
At St Gerard’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that every child can succeed in English regardless of their background, needs or starting points. We are determined to ensure that all pupils become fluent readers, confident writers and articulate speakers through an ambitious, inclusive and engaging English curriculum.
Our intent is to foster a lifelong love of reading by exposing children to a rich and diverse range of high-quality texts, genres, authors and poets. We aim to create enthusiastic readers who read widely and often, both for pleasure and for information, and who can confidently discuss, analyse and recommend texts.
We want our pupils to write with confidence, accuracy and creativity for a range of purposes and audiences. Through carefully planned opportunities, children learn to develop their imagination, authorial voice and technical accuracy in grammar, punctuation and spelling. We aim for all pupils to take pride in their writing and understand the power of language as a tool for communication, self-expression and change.
Vocabulary development is central to our curriculum. We believe that language opens doors and enables children to flourish both academically and socially. Through ambitious texts and rich discussion, children are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary which they are encouraged to apply confidently in their spoken and written language.
Our English curriculum is closely aligned to the National Curriculum and is designed to ensure that all pupils:
- read fluently and with understanding;
- develop the habit of reading widely and often;
- acquire a broad and ambitious vocabulary;
- appreciate a rich literary heritage;
- write clearly, accurately and coherently;
- adapt their language for different contexts and audiences;
- speak and listen confidently in a range of situations.
Through English, we aim to develop children who embody our school mission by learning together, communicating with kindness, showing empathy through literature and developing respect for the experiences and perspectives of others.
Implementation
At St Gerard’s, English is delivered through a carefully sequenced, ambitious and vocabulary-rich curriculum where high-quality literature sits at the centre of learning. We recognise the transformative power of books and believe that literature provides children with opportunities to develop intellectually, emotionally, culturally, socially and spiritually.
At the beginning of each academic year, children revisit and secure key grammar and punctuation knowledge through Grammarsaurus’ Place Value of Punctuation and Grammar approach. This enables teachers to identify and address any gaps in learning before progressing into the wider writing curriculum, ensuring that all children have strong foundations and the opportunity to succeed.
To support our writing curriculum, we use The Literacy Tree — a book-based approach to teaching English which immerses children in rich literary experiences. Through carefully selected, high-quality texts, children are exposed to a diverse range of authors, genres and themes. The curriculum enables pupils to write with purpose and authenticity by drawing inspiration directly from the texts they study.
Children are taught through:
- daily English lessons;
- daily whole-class reading sessions;
- structured phonics teaching in EYFS and Key Stage 1;
- explicit vocabulary instruction;
- spelling, grammar and punctuation taught within meaningful contexts;
- opportunities for discussion, drama and oral rehearsal.
Spelling is taught progressively through Morphology by Grammarsaurus from Years 2–6. This approach develops children’s understanding of spelling patterns, word structure and etymology, enabling them to apply spelling knowledge confidently within their writing.
The curriculum follows a spiral approach, enabling pupils to revisit and build upon key skills and knowledge throughout each year and across year groups. This ensures progression, depth and secure understanding of the National Curriculum objectives.
Throughout their time at St Gerard’s, children are exposed to a diverse range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry by significant authors and illustrators. Carefully chosen texts promote diversity, challenge stereotypes and broaden children’s understanding of the world around them.
Reading for pleasure is actively promoted across the school. Every classroom has an inviting reading area filled with high-quality texts, and pupils regularly access the school library. Our library monitors help foster a love of reading through lunchtime reading clubs, story-sharing opportunities and quiet reading spaces.
We enrich our English curriculum further through author visits, storytelling opportunities, themed writing weeks, performances and cross-curricular links. These experiences inspire children to see themselves as readers, writers and storytellers.
Impact
The impact of our English curriculum is that children leave St Gerard’s as confident, enthusiastic and capable readers and writers who are fully prepared for the next stage of their education and for life beyond primary school.
Our pupils develop into fluent readers who can:
- read with confidence, accuracy and understanding;
- discuss and analyse a wide range of texts;
- recommend books and authors;
- appreciate different genres, themes and viewpoints;
- use reading to deepen their understanding across the wider curriculum.
Children become resilient and ambitious writers who can:
- write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences;
- apply grammar, punctuation and spelling accurately;
- use ambitious vocabulary appropriately;
- write with creativity, stamina and independence;
- take pride in presenting their work to a high standard.
Through exposure to rich literature and meaningful discussion, our pupils develop empathy, curiosity and confidence. They learn to communicate thoughtfully, express themselves clearly and contribute positively to the world around them.
Most importantly, children leave St Gerard’s with a genuine love of reading and writing, living out our mission each day as they learn, grow and flourish together.
