St Margaret's English Intent

What is the intent of our English curriculum?

At St Margaret’s CE Junior School we intend 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 pleasure. We believe that language is the major connecting element across the curriculum, therefore, our focus is not only on language for its own sake, but also on its application across all subjects. It also facilitates connections with the wider community. Pupils will be exposed to high quality texts and engaging, purposeful writing opportunities to develop their language for school and making connections within their learning. The development of communication and language skills is essential for the success of all of our pupils.

We will ensure that all pupils can read easily, fluently and with good understanding and develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. We want all children to acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language in addition to appreciating our rich and varied literary heritage.

Through good quality teaching of English, children will be able to write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. Children will become competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate and using these discussions in order to learn new ideas and to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding. We aim to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding in English through units of work that build children’s skills.