English and Phonics

Our English Curriculum is continually adapting to meet the needs of our pupils. However, the core of our curriculum has been designed to reflect the values of our school.

S.M.I.T.H

Safe, Motivational, Inclusive, a Team and Happy

How Our English Curriculum Reflects the SMITH Values

At St. Michael in the Hamlet, our English curriculum is carefully designed to give every child a rich, engaging, and meaningful experience of literature. From Nursery to Year 6, children encounter a broad, diverse, modern and classic range of texts, chosen not only to develop reading and writing skills but also to nurture the whole child. Below is how our chosen texts reflect our SMITH values.

S – Safe

Our text choices create an environment where children feel emotionally safe, supported and able to explore big ideas within a secure framework.
Across the curriculum:

  • Many texts promote emotional literacy and self-regulation, such as An Emotional Menagerie, After the Fall, Wonder, Star of Fear, Star of Hope, and The Arrival.

  • Stories dealing with challenge or fear do so gently and sensitively, helping children develop resilience in a safe and age-appropriate way.

  • Early-years books like Peace at Last, Silly Doggy and Supertato offer humour and predictability, helping young learners feel secure and confident.

Children are encouraged to talk about feelings, characters’ motivations, and safe responses to difficult situations, helping them understand themselves and others.

M – Motivated

Our curriculum uses high-quality, varied and exciting texts that spark curiosity and a love of reading.
Throughout each year group:

  • Children read adventure stories (Arthur and the Golden Rope, Brightstorm, Seal Surfer, The Hunter) that inspire imagination and ambition.

  • Real-world non-fiction (such as texts about penguins, owls, the Windrush Generation, and Amelia Earhart) that motivates children by connecting learning to life beyond school.

  • Poetry features in every year, encouraging children to play with language, appreciate rhythm, and express their creativity.

  • Regular opportunities to write in different genres—diaries, letters, reports, myths, biographies—keep learners engaged and motivated.

The variety of text types ensures every child finds something they love.

I – Inclusive

Our book choices deliberately reflect a diversity of cultures, backgrounds, family structures, identities and global experiences.
Examples include:

  • Young, Gifted and Black, Race to the Frozen North, Malala’s Magic Pencil, Windrush Generation, My Name Is Not Refugee, Star of Fear, Star of Hope, and The Last Wolf allow children to explore global stories and under-represented voices.

  • Themes of belonging, migration and identity appear throughout the curriculum, ensuring pupils see both themselves and others reflected in their reading.

  • Texts highlight gender equality (e.g. Counting on Katherine, The Girl Who Stole an Elephant), environmental responsibility (The Journey Home, The Extraordinary Gardener, The Last Wolf, Where the Forest Meets the Sea), and disability awareness (Wonder).

From Nursery to Year 6, our children meet a world of voices, ensuring everyone feels represented and valued.

T – Team

Many of our texts promote teamwork, collaboration and community—both within stories and through classroom activities.
Across the curriculum:

  • Books such as The Lion Inside, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Toys in Space highlight relationships, cooperation and shared problem-solving.

  • Shared reading sessions promote peer learning, discussion and joint meaning-making.

  • Writing outcomes often include group research projects, shared fact files, class books (e.g. recipe books) and collaborative poetry.

  • Texts with moral dilemmas encourage rich team discussions, helping children practise listening, empathy and respectful debate.

Our approach strengthens children’s ability to work together, valuing every voice.

H – Happy

Perhaps most importantly, our English curriculum celebrates the joy of reading.
Across the school:

  • Humorous, playful and imaginative texts (Nibbles, Giganotosaurus, The Pirates Are Coming!, There’s No Such Thing as Monsters, The Lost Happy Endings) ensure children associate reading with fun.

  • Daily story time in Early Years builds warm, positive routines that help children develop a lifelong love of books.

  • Poetry from a wide range of authors—including Joseph Coelho, Levi Tafari, Christina Rossetti and Walter de la Mare—adds beauty, rhythm and delight to the curriculum.

  • Class novels such as Holes, Varjak Paw, and Inside the Villains build shared enjoyment and enthusiasm across the school.

We want every child to feel the happiness and excitement that great stories bring.

Summary

Our English curriculum ensures that every child receives a rich and meaningful experience of literature that reflects the SMITH values at every stage.

  • Safe: emotionally supportive, age-appropriate texts.

  • Motivated: engaging, varied, high-quality literature that inspires.

  • Inclusive: diverse voices, cultures and experiences represented.

  • Team: texts and tasks that promote collaboration and community.

  • Happy: joyful, imaginative reading experiences that build a love of literacy for life.

Here’s our English overview for this year here – 

SMITH Subject Overview English 2025 2026

 

 
Phonics Reading  Writing