English Overview

At St. Dominic’s Catholic Primary School, we want every child to be happy and enthusiastic learners of English, and to be eager to achieve their very best in order to fulfil their God-given talents. Our ‘literacy-rich’ curriculum aims to motivate and inspire children, through a series of lessons that engage and challenge all learners and provides them with a high standard of language and literacy skills. 

Texts from Nursery to Year 6 are carefully selected for their quality and literary merit, and are informed by established reading frameworks such as Doug Lemov’s Reading Spine, Pie Corbett’s Scholastic Reading Spine, and in EYFS, Ruth Miskin’s Talk Through Stories. This ensures that all children are exposed to a rich range of high-quality literature that builds a strong foundation for reading, vocabulary development and comprehension, while nurturing language, storytelling skills and a love of books from the very earliest stage.

Where possible, texts are linked to the wider curriculum or each class’s vehicle topic, allowing children to deepen their knowledge and make meaningful connections across subjects. When a direct link is not available, carefully chosen stand-alone texts are used to broaden children’s experiences and enhance their enjoyment and understanding of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. This balanced approach ensures that reading remains purposeful, engaging and inspiring throughout the school.

EYFS Talk Through Stories Texts

Below are just a few of some of our wonderful Talk Through Stories that children become immersed in during Reception. 

KS1 Texts

Below are some of the texts we use to drive our writing units in Key Stage 1. Some are chosen because they link to the wider curriculum, whilst others are chosen to give more meaning to the teaching and learning of English. 

KS2 Texts

Below are a range of carefully selected texts to engage children, enrich vocabulary, and provide meaningful contexts for reading, writing, and discussion.