English at St. Sebastian’s

At St. Sebastian’s Church of England Primary School and Nursery, we believe English is the foundation for learning across the curriculum. Our vision is to inspire children to become confident speakers, fluent readers, and creative writers.

Our Approach

• Early Years (EYFS): Language development is a priority. Children enjoy daily stories and conversations to build vocabulary and a love of reading.
• Reading:
  • Phonics: We use Read Write Inc in EYFS and KS1 to develop strong decoding and spelling skills.
  • Accelerated Reader: In KS2, pupils read independently at their own level, supported by quizzes and teacher monitoring.
  • VIPERS: From Year 2, reading lessons focus on comprehension skills like vocabulary, inference, and prediction.
• Writing:
  We follow The Write Stuff by Jane Considine, a creative and structured approach that teaches grammar, vocabulary, and writing techniques through “Sentence Stacking” and immersive experience days.
• Speaking & Listening:
  Opportunities for discussion, drama, role-play, and presentations are embedded across the curriculum to build confidence and clear communication.

Impact

Our aim is for every child to:

• Develop a lifelong love of reading.
• Write effectively for different purposes using rich vocabulary and accurate grammar.
• Speak clearly and listen attentively in a range of contexts.