English

At St. John’s Meads, our vision is for all children to become skilled, fluent and enthusiastic readers. We teach a broad, spiral reading curriculum that allows them to comprehend increasing challenging texts. Reading for pleasure is also valued highly and the cornerstone of daily classroom practice. 

At St. John’s Meads, our vision is for all children to write fluently and well. Our engaging and ambitious curriculum gives pupils opportunities to develop their proficiency in transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing). We also explicitly teach monthly vocabulary in the form of 10 ‘tier 2’ words (high frequency words for advanced language speaking)  regularly celebrating the children’s acquisition and usage.  

Fluency in speaking, reading and writing is an essential foundation for success and enjoyment in all subjects.

Reading: At St. John’s Meads, reading is at the heart of everything we do. Rooted in our Christian vision of “Light in Darkness”, we believe that reading opens doors — to learning, imagination and lifelong success. We aim to nurture confident, fluent and enthusiastic readers who find joy, inspiration and meaning through books.
Our Whole-School Approach
Reading is celebrated, promoted and prioritised through a strategic, consistent approach that runs across the whole school.
Under the guidance of our English and Reading Lead, all staff receive regular professional development to ensure that teaching is of the highest quality and consistent from Early Years through to Year 6. We are proud that our commitment to reading has been recognised by Ofsted:
“The school prioritises reading. Older pupils follow a structured reading programme and enjoy an ambitious range of books to read.” (Ofsted, March 2024)
Early Reading and Phonics
The foundations for reading begin in our Early Years and Key Stage 1 classes through daily, structured phonics teaching. We use a Systematic Synthetic Phonics programme called Little Wandle taught with fidelity and precision, ensuring every child can decode confidently and develop secure early reading skills. Children who need additional support receive targeted interventions to help them keep up and build confidence. The parent area of the Little Wandle website contains videos and resources to support children at home, and can be found here: https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

Developing Fluent, Skilled Readers
As pupils progress through the school, they develop fluency, comprehension and vocabulary through a carefully sequenced curriculum. Each year group explores high-quality texts — fiction, non-fiction and poetry — chosen to inspire and challenge, and to reflect a diverse range of authors, cultures and themes. Older pupils follow a structured reading programme and enjoy ambitious reading material suited to their level.
Home Reading and Library Access
Every pupil takes home reading books from our well-resourced school library, selected within their Accelerated Reader ZPD range. These are regularly updated following in-school comprehension quizzes to ensure children continue to make progress. Alongside these, children are encouraged to select books for pleasure — helping to develop independence and a lifelong love of reading.
Our library is a vibrant, inviting space, continually refreshed with new titles. It includes fiction, non-fiction, poetry and Christian literature that support our curriculum and school values.
Reading for Pleasure
We believe reading should be a joy. Reading for pleasure is woven through the life of our school — from daily class story time and author visits, to book fairs, reading challenges, and parent reading events. Our pupils love to share book recommendations, write reviews, and celebrate reading success together.
Impact and Ambition
Through consistent teaching, careful assessment and a shared belief that every child can achieve, St John’s Meads ensures that reading truly shines as a light for learning and for life.

Handwriting: We use the ‘Penpals’ scheme to support the teaching of handwriting, which includes exercises to develop both fine and gross motor movements. Our aim is to give every child the necessary handwriting skills for their future. Pupils have regular opportunities to learn, develop and practise their handwriting and by the end of Key Stage 2 we aim for the majority of children to be able to write using their own style of legible joined handwriting.

Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling is embedded within English lessons. From Year 2, children have weekly spellings to learn from our Spellzoo scheme, which matches the national curriculum expectations for spelling, and are explicitly taught spelling rules and patterns weekly to match these.

Speaking, Listening and Language Development: We use Speech Link and Language Link to identify children who may need additional support with speech, language or communication and work closely with a Speech and Language Therapist who can advise on and create tailored intervention programmes. Through class assemblies, Open the Book and other performances, children have opportunities to develop the confidence to speak and act in front of an audience. This could be from a written script, or sharing their own writing. Children can also access our after school Drama club—Zylo.