Our approach to teaching English develops children’s ability to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes. We nurture our pupils’ progress to help them communicate their ideas, feelings and views effectively to others. Children are encouraged to express their creativity and develop their imaginations, drawing on high quality texts.
Teachers plan according to the National Curriculum objectives using a range of resources from The Power of Reading; Talk for Writing and Hamilton Trust. Planning also makes creative and relevant links to class topics as a vehicle for writing. Where possible, teachers also provide the opportunity to write for real audiences, providing purpose and motivation for pupils, whilst making links with the world around them. We carefully structure the teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar to ensure all pupils are able to communicate effectively.
At St John’s, we place reading at the heart of the curriculum. Our pupils are encouraged to become critical readers of stories, poetry and drama; develop their own preferences and have a life-long love of reading.
