At Highfield St. Matthew’s Church of England Primary School, our English curriculum is designed to provide a consistent, sequenced approach that immerses pupils in rich language and high-quality literature. Through carefully selected texts and a curriculum informed by the Ready Steady Write, and Spell schemes, children are given meaningful opportunities to read and write across a range of genres and for real audiences. Our focus on a text-led curriculum nurtures creativity, purpose, and confidence, enabling pupils to become fluent writers who write to inform, persuade, and entertain. From early phonics through Read Write Inc., to discrete reading and spelling instruction in KS2, our provision ensures progression, enjoyment, and a deep understanding of the written word – with a clear consideration to all pupils securing strong foundational knowledge.

We place high value on foundational knowledge (incorporating the areas of oracy, handwriting, vocabulary development, and reading for pleasure) knowing these are essential foundations for successful writing. Our ‘inclusive by design’ approach supports all learners, regardless of background or ability, to become independent, articulate communicators. We foster a love of language and take pride in the high standards of presentation, creativity, and clarity shown in pupils’ work. English is embedded across the curriculum, helping children to connect their learning and express their ideas confidently in all subjects. At Highfield, English is a celebrated strength, equipping pupils with the literacy skills needed to thrive in school and beyond.

Reading is at the very heart of our SHINE Curriculum. Children’s reading skills are developed through a range of progressive texts, whilst prioritising reading for pleasure at the heart of all we do. Our text-led curriculum allows us to carefully select a range of high-quality texts in order to immerse our children in rich language to teach our reading and writing curriculum. The selection of recommended books are used as a high-quality stimuli for writing and enables children to be fully immersed in the text, allowing children to carefully craft their writing through a range of experiences in the immerse, analyse and write process.

Children read a high-quality text assigned from their year group Reading Long-Term Plan. The assigned high-quality text is a ‘driver’ for Reading form our whole school Reading Spine. Texts have been carefully chosen to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and to provide a high-quality stimulus for the teaching of Reading as well as being an exciting, rich and boy friendly text for the class.

Our exciting library areas celebrate books from around the world with different settings and cultures. We have a varied, rich selection of texts to interest all readers within all age groups. Our new KS1 library hosts all of our phonics books for KS1 children to choose a fiction, non-fiction and corresponding book bag book to take home and read. 

Home / School Reading

At Highfield St Matthew’s C.E. Primary School, we are truly passionate that all children at Highfield learn to read, as reading is the gateway to all learning. Therefore, we strive for every child to learn to read and for them to develop a love and passion for reading by reading together and sharing stories.

Home Reading Expectations

For children in Reception, Year 1 – 2 we ask that reading is supported a minimum of 3 times per week at home.

For children in Year 3 -6 we ask that reading is supported a minimum of 4 times per week at home.

Your child’s reading diary is a link between home and school. Your child’s teacher will check and sign your child’s reading diary twice a week.

Home Reading Incentives

The children will be rewarded for reading at home every half term.

If your child reads:

• 1-3 times per week at home, they will receive a Bronze reward.
• 4-5 times per week at home, they will receive a Silver reward.
• 6-7 times per week at home, they will receive a Gold reward.
• All reading counts, including reading from a variety of sources and sharing stories as a family.

Lots of reading takes place in school and there is excitement about improvements being made to the library areas. We have spent time creating a multi-media room which includes a KS2 library area. In here, children can select books from the Accelerated Reader Scheme and also books for pleasure. We have created a reading an exciting reading chair and a reading corner with cushions and bean bags for quiet reading. Several new books have been bought so there are a variety of Accelerated Reader and reading for pleasure books for the children to choose from.

At Highfield St. Matthew's C.E. Primary School we use the following schemes:

Read Write Inc

Accelerated Reader