At St Ann’s Heath, we are committed to providing an inspiring, rich and broad English curriculum that allows all of our children, including those who are disadvantaged or with SEND, to develop into confident and creative writers, readers and communicators. We understand that developing strong English skills in these formative junior years plays a key role in the ability of children to successfully navigate the later years of their school life, and indeed the years beyond education. We provide an environment that is rich in vocabulary and develops a love of reading in order to ensure that our children develop the cultural capital needed to excel. We believe the most effective way to develop these skills is by linking our English skills to our Creative Curriculum as we know our children learn best when they are given learning experiences that are both meaningful and motivating which is provided by our immersive curriculum that provides purposeful links between subject areas.

Although English is embedded within our Creative Curriculum, it is planned in line with the National Curriculum which aims to promote high standards of language and literacy 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.

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.