Intention Statement
Writing
At St. Mary’s, our intent is to provide all pupils with the best quality education in English so that all pupils will speak, read and write fluently in order to communicate their ideas and feelings effectively.
From Foundation Stage to Year 6, children at St. Mary’s are provided with many different opportunities to develop and apply their writing skills across the curriculum (as outlined in our Writing Policy). We want our pupils to be engaged and take pride in their writing. In order for all children to ensure they can achieve their best in writing, we teach them how to plan, revise and evaluate their work. In doing so, pupils will develop an awareness of their audience, the purpose and context of their writing and most importantly, improving their acquisition of vocabulary and grammar of the English language.
Reading
In reading, phonics is emphasised in the teaching of Early Reading, with discreet phonics lessons being taught from Foundation Stage to embed a concrete foundation for reading. We encourage pupils to read widely, across all genres, to develop their knowledge, to establish an appreciation and love of reading and to develop their comprehension skills – across the curriculum. It is our intention that all pupils will be able to read fluently and with confidence and are ready to continue positively with their secondary education.
At St. Mary’s Primary School, reading is fundamental to all children’s learning and progress. From Foundation Stage, children read on levelled books, matching their phonics level. Our main reading scheme is Collins Big Cat Phonics for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised.
Phonics lessons are carried out daily in Foundation Stage and Year 1. In Year 2 and Key Stage 2 keep up interventions are carried out where certain children have struggled to embed the fundamentals of phonics. The school follows the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Phonics Scheme, which has been embedded throughout the key stages. Children in Foundation and Stage and Year 1 read books at their phonetic level several times a week as part of reading practise sessions. It is our intention that every child who attends St. Mary’s learns how to read fluently and confidently throughout their time at our school.
Each year, Year 1 pupils take part in the National Phonics Screening Test, where they are expected to reach a benchmark level. All Year 1 parents are provided with a preparation pack and there are meetings with the Year 1 class teacher in order to support children in getting ready for this assessment.
St. Mary’s have also subscribed to Accelerated Reader where all children in the school have access to levelled books in school and online books and reading material at home. This intends to give all children the opportunity to read a wide variety of books using a structured, challenging and progressive approach. All books in school are colour banded and this ensures that appropriate challenge is provided for all children. Children are also encouraged to borrow a book from the school and class libraries. All children are encouraged to read daily both at school and at home and class teachers monitor home reading journals to ensure that reading practice is carried out.
Reading with Your Child Booklet
Implementation
At St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, the English curriculum is carefully designed and delivered to ensure that all pupils become confident, fluent communicators, readers and writers. We follow the National Curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, with a strong emphasis on systematic phonics through the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme from Reception onwards.
Reading is taught through daily, structured phonics lessons, matched reading books and opportunities to read widely across genres to build comprehension, knowledge and pleasure in reading. Writing lessons are planned progressively to support pupils in planning, drafting, revising and evaluating their work, with a focus on vocabulary development, grammatical accuracy and awareness of audience and purpose.
Oral language and listening skills are embedded across lessons, reinforcing that speaking and listening underpin success in reading and writing. Teaching is supported by clear policy documents, long-term planning and consistent practice, with interventions in place where necessary to ensure learners develop the secure foundations needed for future education.
Impact
As a result of this structured and coherent English curriculum, pupils at St Mary’s make strong progress in the key strands of reading, phonics, writing, spelling, grammar and oracy. Pupils become confident readers who can decode, comprehend and discuss a wide range of texts with independence and enjoyment.
By the time children leave St Mary’s, they are able to communicate their ideas effectively in spoken and written forms, demonstrating clarity of expression, enriched vocabulary and a solid grasp of English conventions. Pupils are prepared for the demands of secondary education and life beyond school with a love of literature, purposeful writing skills and the confidence to engage with language across subjects.
Engagement with families through reading support at home further enhances pupil outcomes and fosters a strong community culture around literacy. The impact of this comprehensive English offer contributes significantly to pupils’ overall academic achievement and personal development.
Documentation
St Marys English Whole School Long Term Plan
Reading Policy: November 25 Reading Policy
English and Writing Policy: November 25 English Policy
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End of Year Expectations
Please find a list of National Curriculum expectations for children in each year group.
English at St Mary’s
The subject of English at St. Mary’s takes in reading, phonics, writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation, speaking and listening. Alongside following the National Curriculum and the EYFS Profile, St. Mary’s values the input of parents and carers into helping the children to develop a love of reading and writing. Below you will find our policy documents for the different areas of the subject, our intent for the subject of English, along with some resources to use with your child at home.
English leads: Miss Hargrove & Miss Fonseca
Last term, we held a book fair in November to encourage pleasure for reading. Thank you to everyone who bought books at our Book Fair. We raised £734.65 which means we have earned £294.76 Rewards worth of free books for our school!
