Subject Leader: Miss Robertson
“When I read great literature, great drama, speeches, or sermons, I feel that the human mind has not achieved anything greater than the ability to share feelings and thoughts through language.”
James Earl Jones
Intent
At Saint Andrew’s we believe that a quality English curriculum should develop our children’s love of reading and ensure that they are coherent and proficient communicators. 
English skills are integral to our whole school curriculum, from EYFS to Year 6. Our cross-curricular approach enables our children to make meaningful links with their learning and ensures that every member of our Saint Andrew’s family is supported in, and encouraged to build strong relationships, celebrate diversity, encourage respect and build a sense of community. Children are encouraged to apply their writing skills to a range of audiences and purpose – making links to the reasons why we write. This is closely linked to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction as well as stories and poetry from a range of cultures and backgrounds.
Children leave Saint Andrew’s secure in their abilities, having made rapid progress from their starting points. They are prepared well for their next stage of education.
Implementation
These aims are embedded across our English lessons and the wider curriculum. We have a curriculum that provides many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. We use a wide variety of quality texts and resources to motivate and inspire our children. Teachers also ensure that cross curricular links with concurrent topic work are woven into the programme of study.
Reading is of vital importance to our curriculum and the children’s future success. At St Andrew’s we are implementing an exciting new reading programme, ‘Daily Supported Reading’ (DSR) in KS1 to ensure that our early readers make rapid and sustained progress. This, combined with our systematic phonics teaching, enables our children to master the literacy skills needed to meet the demands of the curriculum as they progress through their schooling. In KS2, this is developed further with regular opportunities for silent, sustained reading (SSR), whole class guided reading and reading for pleasure.
In addition, throughout the school year our curriculum is enhanced through whole-school events such as World Book Day, cross-curricular approaches and a range of trips and visits which enrich and complement the children’s learning.

We have had visits from David Walliams and Michael Rosen who digitally zoomed into our classrooms and we welcomed the author James Campbell in person too!
We have also taken part in live events with Tom Palmer and Jacqueline Wilson!
Impact
The impact on our children is clear: progress, sustained learning and transferrable skills. With the implementation of writing for a purpose being well established and taught thoroughly in both key stages, children will be more confident writers and by the time they are in upper Key Stage 2, most genres of writing are familiar to them and the teaching can focus on creativity, writer’s craft, sustained writing and manipulation of grammar and punctuation skills.
All children will leave KS1 with the ability to read to an age-appropriate level (at least) and will have passed the phonics screening. Half-termly assessment will show that children are achieving their personal targets, and the majority will reach age-related expectation, if not greater depth. All children will make secure, sustained progress from their starting points.
As all aspects of English are an integral part of the curriculum, cross curricular writing standards will also improve and skills taught in the English lesson will be transferred into other subjects; this will show consolidation of skills and a deeper understanding of how and when to use specific grammar, punctuation and grammar objectives.
We intend that as children move on from St Andrew’s to further their education and learning, that their creativity, passion for English and high aspirations travel with them and continue to grow and develop as they do.
Reading Scheme
Oxford Reading Tree and Daily Supported Reading:
Daily Supported Reading is a programme that ensures children in KS1 develop reading fluency by reading authentic natural language stories every day. It is implemented in addition to our school’s synthetic phonics programme following Floppy’s Phonics. Children read daily in small groups led by a trained adult (reading mentor). Each session lasts for 25 minutes and is non-negotiable every day.
Adults use a lesson guide to structure the session, and to support independent engagement with, and independent enjoyment of, a range of story books. The stories that children read in DSR are matched to their independent reading levels and children are promoted to higher level texts weekly.
- Through texts, children learn to respond to, and engage with new ideas and information (cultural capital).
- They are taught how to access information with increasing autonomy and to read aloud with increasing fluency.
- They learn to problem solve independently, while keeping a story or message in mind (global comprehension).
- They begin to trust, value, and deepen their own opinions and responses while reading with increasing fluency and understanding.
BOOM Reader:
We now use the paperless reading record: Boom Reader (formally known as Go Read!). By downloading the app or logging in, you will be able to see what your child has been reading in class as well as any vocabulary that they might be struggling with, enabling parents and teachers to work together to support the children. Children also have their own logins so that they can record their own reading at home too.
Both parents and children: click here to log in and record your reading. If you have forgotten your pin, see your class teacher!
Recommended Reads EYFS- Year 6
Reading Policy Sept 22
Early Reading PPT (1)
Reading meeting for parents