Please click on the images below to view our Reading & Writing sections!

Curriculum Statement and Implementation

At St Mary’s, we are committed to fostering a lifelong love of reading and writing. Through inspirational and diverse texts, combined with the use of engaging videos, we create opportunities to enrich vocabulary, deepen knowledge of core concepts, and develop oracy. These skills culminate in extended pieces of writing, where children showcase their learning and creativity.

Our reading curriculum immerses children in texts through modelled reading sessions, encouraging a love of reading and building strong mental models to enhance comprehension. Following this, two targeted reading lessons focus on mastering specific content domains, enabling children to refine essential reading skills. Teachers use assessment points to identify and address gaps in understanding during a final, focused reading lesson, ensuring children develop as confident, skilled readers.

Our English learning journey ensures children develop a wide range of skills tailored to the specific writing genre. We are passionate about expanding vocabulary, and every lesson across the curriculum incorporates opportunities for language acquisition, supported by our “active vocabulary” displays. At the end of each learning journey, we assess independent writing against year group targets. This enables us to identify next steps and provide tailored support, helping children become outstanding writers.

We place a strong emphasis on developing children’s confidence in speaking and listening. Through oracy activities, we encourage them to share their ideas and feel valued as members of the class. Our classrooms feature vibrant displays showcasing pupils’ work, outlining their learning journeys, and providing resources to support progress.

Building on the foundation of our Read Write Inc. phonics programme, we support children’s journey toward becoming mastery readers. Our structured approach, including three key assessment points and comprehension lessons, as well as our whole class reading sessions focusing on key authors, nurtures both pleasure for reading and proficiency.

When children leave St Mary’s, our aim is for them to have reached their potential and gained a lifelong love of reading and writing, underpinned by our thoughtfully mapped English curriculum.

Example Knowledge Organiser