Give me a man or woman who has read a thousand books and you give me an interesting companion. Give me a man or woman who has read perhaps three and you give me a dangerous enemy indeed.
- Anne Rice, The Witching Hour

At the heart of the English curriculum at St Olave’s is reading.

Throughout their five years here all pupils have a dedicated weekly library session purely for encouraging reading for pleasure; they learn to appreciate a range of literature and gradually develop personal taste. They discuss novels, recommend titles to one another and are encouraged to branch out and try new and exciting literature as it hits our library shelves on a weekly basis. In addition to this, class readers are encouraged in Years 4 and 5 exposing children to new authors and supporting them in comprehension, inference and prediction when reading.

Books form the basis of most of our English teaching and written tasks are designed to complement the chosen literature, whilst ensuring a wide range of appropriate writing genre are taught and revisited during the five years at St Olave’s. Emphasis is on teaching pupils how to write effectively, using presentational features and language appropriate to the audience. A fundamental aspect of writing is the editing process and, throughout St Olave’s, pupils learn that their ‘best’ work is unlikely to be their first draft. From Year 4 onwards pupils evaluate their own work and comment on the work of others; they do this with increasing skill during their time here.

Spelling, handwriting and grammar are also valued as key elements of the English curriculum and, in KS2 one lesson per week is devoted to spelling and grammar. These skills are then embedded in real writing tasks within the scheme of work.

At Key Stage 3 we look ahead into the requirements for iGCSE. Before our pupils embark upon that course, we aim to give them breadth of study with a constantly updated curriculum that supports tradition coupled with modern literature. Years 7 and 8 pupils study a Shakespearian text, with a trip to The Globe forming part of this early Shakespeare experience. In addition to this Y7 and 8 explore a range of poetry and novels, adapting to embrace opportunities presented. Theatre opportunities are taken whenever relevant so that pupils can see work on stage, enhancing understanding. In addition to this the school works in partnership with The Theatre Royal in York and each class takes part in a bespoke workshop, linked to their English studies. 

English is a compulsory subject. Our overriding aim is that pupils grow to enjoy English and leave St Olave’s with the knowledge that they can form personal responses to literature, grounded in clear understanding and to appreciate that good English is intrinsically linked to the life experience.

The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.
- Dr Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

Curriculum

	Christmas	Easter	Summer
J1	Family poetry writing Persuasive letters Story openings Class novel – link to history ‘Invasion’ Free writing Theatre day workshop	Winter poetry Class novel – ‘Spiderwick Chronicles’ Descriptive monster writing Travel/ holiday brochure International buffet	Christophe’s story (novel) Oral storytelling – drama  J1 play Letter writing to new pupils. Instructional writing
J2	Diary extracts Story writing – Mr Men stories Play scripts Class novel	Non-chronological reports: explanation Newspaper report writing Adverts Class novel Theatre day workshop	Study of a poet. Kate Greenaway shadowing scheme – comparative writing Descriptive writing Class novel
J3	Biography/autobiography written and spoken Study of class novel – ghost themed Story writing – ghost theme (theatre day workshop)	Formal and informal letters Debating an issue arising as part of prose study Argument writing Writing up a discussion Class novel – Al Capone does my shirts	Creation of a pirate character- descriptive Class play script: Treasure Island Play script writing and performing
J4	Grammar and descriptive writing unit Class novel – I am Malala Survivor themed analysis Review writing – focus on audience and tone Use of PEE in comprehension	Shakespeare: Mid Night’s Dream Analysis of character (PEE) Report writing on Globe theatre/ modern theatre Time travel story London visit – Globe and West End show.	Research, writing  and delivery of formal speech Class novel study: Cloudbusting (poetry) Analysis of theme from novel Poetry project/ writing
J5	Grammar in poetry unit Study of gothic novel Gothic writing (300 words) Analytical writing on novel Poetry and prose comprehension skills	Shakespeare study: The Tempest Writing sonnets Character analysis and writing in role. Comparative writing – study of film versions Poetry comprehension	Dystopian literature study – ideally linked to theatre day. Class novella Enterprise project – linked with DT

In addition

• Comprehension in all terms, in all year groups.
• Handwriting focus in J1 and J2.
• Spelling formally taught in differentiated groups in J1 and 2, with additional staff.
• Intervention programmes for J1-3
• Guided reading taught in mixed ability classes.