Intent

At St Robert Southwell, English and the teaching of English is the foundation of our curriculum. We want to raise the achievements of every child so that they leave Primary school confident in their reading, writing and speaking skills. English is planned so each child is supported in developing from their starting points and challenged to reach their potential. We aim for every child to access quality experiences within English through high-quality texts, immersing children in a vocabulary rich environment and personalised learning. Our English is planned so that all of our children have made considerable progress from their starting points in the EYFS.

The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding

• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information

• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language

• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage

• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences

• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas

• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate

To encourage and foster a love of reading and writing, St Robert Southwell hosts events during the school year. These include: World Book Day, Book Week, Author/Poet visits, Book Fayre and a Librarian visit.