Our English curriculum encourages children’s creativity and develops their ability to communicate, in both written and spoken forms, with the world around them.

We strive to increase our pupils’ enjoyment, fluency, confidence and understanding by immersing them in a rich variety of quality texts.

Authentic audiences and real purposes for writing provide our children with the desire to ask themselves ‘why’ and ‘how’ their writing can best meet the needs of the reader.

We use a wide range of teaching and learning tools including film and imagery, modelled, shared, and guided writing, and peer editing and discussion to support our children in the writing process.  Encouraging our pupils to take pride in their writing, we expect them to employ spelling conventions and standard English that clearly progress as they move through the school.

The teaching of English at CJS includes reading, writing, handwriting, the study of our language and literature, spelling, punctuation, grammar and speaking and listening. The overarching aim for English at CJS is to promote high standards of language and English by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. Pupils are taught to:

• 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.

All children have a weekly (fortnightly or three-weekly) opportunity for extended writing. There is a build up to this final piece as described in the English Writing Policy.

Speaking, listening and performing opportunities are provided for all pupils throughout the curriculum, in school performances and in assemblies. The School Council and Ambassadors schemes also help pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills.

All classes are taught the explicit skills of reading comprehension at least 3 times per week. There are also opportunities for small groups of readers to share a book and for adults to work with individual pupils.

At CJS, we have made the decision to take alternative approaches to ‘Daily Phonics’ lessons for children who did not pass the phonics screen in KS1. It has been suggested to us by the Educational Psychologist that there is nothing to be gained by continuing to approach the teaching of phonics in the same way which has not worked for a small group or pupils for a number of years. For these pupils, individual support is provided through programmes such as Lexia and FFT's Lightening Squad with a Teaching Assistant.