English Lead
Mrs K Edwards
Curriculum Intent
It is our intention at St. John's to provide pupils with high-quality education in reading so that they leave primary school as motivated and competent readers who can recommend books to their peers, have a thirst for reading a range of genres including poetry and participate in discussions about books, including evaluating an author's use of language and the impact this can have on the reader. It is our intention to ensure that pupils are able to read fluently and with confidence in any subject in their forthcoming, secondary education. Reading is an essential skill and we ensure there are lots of reading opportunities available across the curriculum each day. Phonics will be emphasised in the early teaching of reading to beginners when they start school. We intend to encourage all pupils to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live, whilst establishing an appreciation and love of reading (within a culture of reading) to gain knowledge across the curriculum and develop their comprehension skills. We want to create an environment where children have a love of literature and believe that reading for pleasure is vital and so we create a love and an enthusiasm for reading in each classroom.
Curriculum Implementation
At St. John's, reading is taught through a structured, systematic approach beginning with high-quality phonics instruction in the early years using Sounds-Write. As pupils progress, they are exposed to a diverse range of genres, texts and authors to deepen comprehension and engagement. We use guided reading, whole-class reading and individual reading to meet the needs of all pupils. Teachers model reading strategies explicitly and vocabulary development is embedded across all subjects. Regular assessment informs planning and targeted interventions support those who need additional help. Reading for pleasure is promoted through the use of our class and school libraries, author visits, celebrating World Book Day and daily story time.
Curriculum Impact
We hope the impact of our reading curriculum is to create confident and fluent readers with strong comprehension skills. Our pupils are able to engage with a wide range of texts for both learning and enjoyment. Assessment data and pupil voice demonstrate consistent progress and a positive attitude toward reading. By the end of their primary education, pupils are well-prepared for the next stage of their learning, having developed the skills and habits needed to read independently, critically and for pleasure.
Phonics (Sounds-Write) & Early Reading
High-quality phonics teaching lies at the heart of our early education, securing the crucial skills of word recognition that, once mastered, enable children to read fluently and automatically. Once children are fluent readers, they are able to concentrate on the meaning of the text and make the shift between learning to read and reading to learn. Reading is seen as a skill so essential to access the world around them.
We begin teaching an awareness of sound and sound identification in Nursery and as children show readiness, they begin to access the initial code of Sounds-Write phonics. All pupils in Reception begin the initial code in the September of their Reception year. They continue on their phonics journey throughout Year One and into Year Two, with the aim of leaving KS1 as fluent readers, secure in word building and recognition. They consolidate this knowledge with a focus on spelling during the rest of KS2.
At St John’s, we implement the Sounds-Write phonics programme to equip pupils with the essential skills of reading, spelling and writing. Sounds-Write is highly effective because it builds on what all children acquire from an early age—the sounds of their spoken language. From this foundation, pupils are guided through carefully sequenced, incremental steps that teach how each of the approximately 44 sounds in English can be represented in writing.
We aim to ensure that all children are fluent readers by the time they leave KS1. Our reading scheme in Reception and Year One is entirely decodable, using Sounds-Write texts and Phonics Dandelion Readers.
The programme introduces words and concepts in a systematic order, moving from simple to complex in line with established principles of psychological learning theory.
- Initial stage: Pupils begin with simple CVC (consonant–vowel–consonant) words, where one sound corresponds to one spelling. Examples include mum, dog, jam, and sit.
- Developing complexity: Once single-letter sound–spelling correspondences are secure, pupils are introduced to two-letter spellings (e.g., sh, ch, th) and gradually progress to more complex word structures such as VCC (elf), CVCC (hand), CCVC (swim), CCVCC (trust), and CCCVC (scrub).
- Advanced stage: Pupils extend their understanding of “two letters – one sound” through consonant digraphs and later explore vowel spellings of two, three, and four letters. This culminates in the ability to decode and spell polysyllabic words, beginning with simpler forms (postman) and advancing to more complex vocabulary (catastrophic).
Sounds-Write provides pupils with the conceptual knowledge required to become proficient readers:
- Letters are spellings of sounds; written language represents spoken language.
- Spellings may consist of one, two, three, or four letters (e.g., sat, fish, night, weight).
- Most sounds can be spelled in multiple ways (e.g., the sound ae in name, table, rain, eight, play).
- Many spellings can represent more than one sound (e.g., ea in head, break, seat).
Within this framework, pupils are taught the factual knowledge necessary for literacy: approximately 176 spellings that represent the 44 sounds of English, beginning with the simplest one-to-one correspondences.
To apply the alphabetic code effectively, pupils must master three key skills:
- Segmenting: separating sounds within words
- Blending: combining sounds to form words
- Manipulation: adding, removing or substituting sounds within words
Sounds-Write ensures daily practice of these skills until pupils achieve the automaticity required for fluent reading and spelling.
All adults in school use the same consistent, concise language about sounds and spelling when teaching. We say that the letters spell sounds they do not say sounds. We use phrases such as:
In this word…
If this was…this would be…
This can spell…what else can it spell?
Say the sounds and read the word.
Consistency of time and resources are applied effectively to support the teaching of daily phonics. The discrete teaching of phonics and reading has become a natural and everyday part of every aspect of the curriculum.
Progress in phonics is monitored half termly, including lesson visits and pupil progress discussions.
Pupils in EYFS and KS1 are given additional support as required to master their phonics. Pupils in KS2, who have gaps in the phonics, continue to be supported through timely and effective intervention and decodable readers for older pupils.
Parent Links (free course)
Parents and carers are encouraged to undertake the free course for parents and carers so they can support their children more effectively. There is also a Sounds-Write podcast with episodes specifically for parents and carers as well as an app available from the App store (for iPad only). The free version of the app provides a sample of activities, with the full version available as an in-app purchase.
Writing at St. John the Evangelist
Curriculum Intent
Our intent is that all pupils will be able to write fluently, develop and use a vivid imagination which makes readers engage with, and enjoy their writing. To achieve this, we aim to develop a deep understanding and use of a range of vocabulary appropriate to the genre and form of writing. We want the children to have an excellent knowledge of writing techniques to extend details or description. We aim for our children to be able to organise and structure their writing, ensuring it is well-presented and with the correct use of punctuation and spelling. Overall, we aim for our children to develop a love of writing, to understand and use it as a way to communicate and an appreciation of its educational, cultural and entertainment values.
To develop these characteristics, they will explore the following key concepts:
- Write with purpose, understanding the purpose or purposes of a piece of writing.
- Use imaginative description, developing an appreciation of how best to convey ideas through description.
- Organise writing appropriately, developing an appreciation of how best to convey ideas through description.
- Use paragraphs, understanding how to group ideas to guide the reader.
- Use sentences appropriately, using different types of sentences appropriately for both clarity and for effect.
- Present neatly, understanding of handwriting and clear presentation.
- Spell correctly, understanding the need for accuracy.
- Punctuate accurately, understanding that punctuation adds clarity to writing.
- Analyse writing, understanding how grammatical choices give effect and meaning to writing.
- Present writing, learning to reflect upon writing and reading it aloud to others.
Curriculum Implementation
Within each unit of work, carefully sequenced lessons ensure that prior learning of grammar, punctuation and spelling is revisited and developed. We have a yearly overview of writing across a range of genres, ensuring that children are able to write for a range of purposes and audiences.
We ensure that children are aware of their strengths and areas for development in writing so that learners can take ownership of their progress. Teachers share next steps using verbal feedback and through their marking to ensure that children know exactly what they need to do to make progress. We also ensure that appropriate scaffolds and adaptive teaching techniques are put in place for children who need it.
We follow the EEF’s ‘Five a Day Approach’, particularly for children who are identified as working below age-related outcomes, those on the SEN register or those with English as an additional language. These children are provided with interventions or support to help them develop their writing, at a level that is matched to their individual needs. The nature of the intervention will be decided by the teacher, with support from the SENDco. Provision in class may include working in a small group with an adult, using scaffolds or using technology to assist with completion of work.
Curriculum Impact
Children leave St. John the Evangelist School as happy, confident writers, who have the key skills and knowledge necessary for the next stage of their learning.
The impact of our writing curriculum will be measured through:
- The subject lead ensures that the National Curriculum requirements are met
- Pupil outcomes are monitored through deep dives, where evidence is gathered in the following ways: pupil voice interviews, book scrutinies, drop- ins, discussions with staff etc.
- Assessing children’s knowledge of key component learning as set out within schemes of work
- Assessing children’s understanding of grammatical vocabulary and rules
- Summative assessment of grammatical knowledge and spelling using GPS tests NFER (3 x per year)
- Moderation and scrutiny of pupils' books and professional dialogue between teachers to assess the quality of children’s learning
- Sharing good practice among staff
- Marking of written work in books against the school’s marking policy
- The writing lead identifies clear next steps, which are determined by a cycle of monitoring, evaluating and reviewing
- Teacher assessment of writing using independently-written pieces to provide evidence of national curriculum skills and understanding using St John’s Continuous Writing Assessment Tool based on the TAFs.
- Monitoring of progress from year to year ensuring pupils remain ‘on track’ from their starting point
Mixed Year Groups
In mixed year groups, staff will consider both year group objectives for writing and identify the progression between them to plan effectively for all learners in their class. Staff must teach flexibly to ensure each year group is supported and challenged successfully. School leaders, whilst completing monitoring, must be able to see parity between the year groups in separate classes.