Welcome to the English area of our website

Our subject leaders for English at St James' are:

Reading & Writing: Miss Tindall & Mrs. Bibby

Early Reading & Phonics: Miss Bryan

Our Christian Vision for English:

At St. James’, we aim to foster and promote a love of reading for all our children. We believe that reading opens up another world to children beyond their own experiences and can spark their imagination. Reading is something that involves the wider school community; it can be done at home with families, with an adult in school, with another child or simply for pleasure. Reading is a lifelong skill that we equip the children with so that they can leave our school ready for the next stage in their life. Beyond education, the foundations that we put into place for reading will develop vocabulary and communication skills for a wide range of paths the children may take in the future.

At St James' we believe that literacy - speaking, listening, reading and writing - is a key life skill which contributes to all aspects of academic, social and emotional development. This is why we have put literacy at the heart of our curriculum through which children not only learn the skills but have regular opportunities to apply them for a purpose through real experiences. It is our aim that our children become enthusiastic readers and writers and are able to communicate effectively and confidently across the curriculum.

Subject Overview

At St. James', we believe that literacy—speaking, listening, reading, and writing—is a fundamental life skill that underpins all academic, social, and emotional development. We place literacy at the heart of our curriculum, ensuring that children not only acquire technical mastery but have regular, purposeful opportunities to apply these skills through real-world experiences.
Our approach is designed to cultivate enthusiastic readers and writers who are empowered to communicate effectively, confidently, and with purpose across the entire curriculum.

English is the primary vehicle through which our pupils understand the world and share their own unique perspectives. We teach English to nurture articulate, empathetic, and imaginative individuals. By mastering the written and spoken word, pupils are equipped to navigate complex information, advocate for their ideas, and find lifelong joy in literature.

At St. James', we follow the Ready Steady Write scheme across the school. Our writing curriculum is designed to provide a broad and balanced education that meets the needs of all children. We follow the award-winning Ready Steady Write from LiteracyCounts to develop confident, independent and successful writers with high aspirations. Our writing curriculum is research-informed and impact-proven, carefully designed to support all children to master the foundational skills and write for a clear audience and purpose. Through the use of high-quality, vocabulary-rich texts, we provide exciting and meaningful reasons to write. Children are immersed in literature and taught to craft their writing with precision, using a range of pedagogical approaches, including sentence accuracy, modelled writing and shared writing, as well as regular opportunities for editing. We value spoken language as a foundation for writing. Through structured talk, drama and vocabulary exploration, children learn how to organise and express their ideas clearly before writing them down. Our aim is for every child – regardless of need – to write fluently and take pride in their work. We want our pupils to leave primary school as enthusiastic writers, ready for the next stage of their education.

Spelling

Our spelling curriculum is designed to provide a broad and balanced education that meets the needs of all children. We follow the award-recognised Ready Steady Spell by Literacy Counts to ensure that all pupils become fluent, accurate spellers. Our spelling curriculum is research-informed and impact-proven, helping children secure the essential skills and strategies they need to spell confidently across the curriculum. Through engaging activities, consistent teaching routines and regular opportunities to revisit prior learning, we help children move spelling knowledge into their long-term memory. Our aim is to build confident writers who are equipped with the tools they need to communicate clearly and effectively. Spelling is taught in a clear and systematic way, with regular reviews and assessments. Additional support is provided through Ready Steady Spell: Go sessions, which offer targeted intervention for pupils who need further consolidation.

Where does English begin at St. James'?

In our Early Years, we immerse children in a language-rich environment where talk is the starting point for all learning. We prioritise storytelling, rhyme, and high-quality dialogue to build vocabulary and confidence. Through a rigorous approach to systematic synthetic phonics and shared reading, we ensure that every child begins their journey as a confident reader. 

We introduce our writing approach through Ready Steady Write from EYFS, where children begin by exploring high-quality texts through talk, role play, and oral storytelling. They learn to retell stories, build sentences verbally, and develop an understanding of narrative structure before moving into mark-making and early writing. This strong emphasis on oracy and language development ensures children are well-prepared to become confident, independent writers as they move into Key Stage 1.