English

Placing a Literature-led
Approach at the Core of English Teaching

The English national curriculum (2014) states that:

‘The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and
literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop
their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.’

• We believe the exposure of children’s literature within the primary school setting is vital as a rich context
for learning; not only within English as a subject but to support building a reading culture throughout the
school.
• We aim to use high quality books that offer opportunities for empathy and can aid philosophical enquiry,
where children see their cultures, families and relationships reflected, as a means of developing the
spoken language requirements through debate, drama and discussion using the issues raised through,
and within, the text.

Through use of The Literary Curriculum, we have mapped the coverage of the entire English Programme of
Study for KS1 and KS2 for Writing and Reading Comprehension, as well as meeting the needs of the
statutory 2021 Early Years Framework. In many cases objectives are covered more than once and children have
opportunities to apply these several times over the course of a year, as well as to consolidate prior knowledge from previous years. This approach supports children to think deeply and develop skills with depth. Where needed, planning sequences are adapted, personalised and differentiated.