At St. Marys, our English curriculum is designed to foster a lifelong love for reading and writing while equipping pupils with the communication skills they need to succeed. To achieve this, we follow the award-winning Power of Reading approach developed by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE). By placing high-quality, diverse children’s literature at the very heart of our teaching, we create immersive learning experiences that ignite imagination, deepen comprehension, and spark meaningful discussion across every year group.

Through the CLPE framework, reading and writing are seamlessly interconnected. Children explore rich texts, poetry, and picture books that build empathy and expand their understanding of the world. Creative teaching strategies—such as drama, role-play, visual arts, and teacher-in-role—allow pupils to step into the shoes of characters and engage critically with complex themes. Phonics, spelling, vocabulary, and grammar are taught naturally within the context of these inspiring books, helping pupils see the power and purpose of language while developing into confident, fluent readers and expressive writers.