English at CJS

At CJS, children enjoy daily English lessons lasting around 50–60 minutes. Our classes are mixed-ability, giving every child the chance to learn together, feel challenged, and know that we believe all pupils can achieve great things. We never put a ceiling on any child’s learning.

English Across the Curriculum

English is woven through all areas of learning.

• Children develop their reading skills in subjects like history, geography, and science through research, film, and information-gathering activities.

• Writing links closely to what they’re learning in other subjects, encouraging children to write in different styles and for different purposes.

• Every class also has a regular spelling session each week.

How We Teach English

Our English lessons follow the CJS Writing Sequence. Lessons include warm-ups, short focused tasks, and time for reflection so children can think about why they’ve made certain choices and how to make their writing even better.

We teach children to review and edit their work using ARMS and CUPS strategies, which help them check meaning, structure, punctuation, and spelling.

Talking About Writing

We encourage plenty of discussion in English lessons. Children talk about writing styles, grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, and how to write for different audiences and purposes.

Spelling

Spelling is taught regularly throughout the week — not just in English lessons — helping children use their spelling knowledge in all areas of their learning.