INTENT
IMPLEMENTATION
IMPACT
At St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that a broad, well-balanced and progressive English curriculum acts as the foundation for all subjects and is fundamental to educational success. From children’s very first day at our school we foster in them a passion for reading, writing and discussion. Literature opens us up to human experience and the beauty and power of language can be explored. English also has a strong creative and expressive dimension. Our planning, topics, resources and reading areas are representative of our school community, as we believe our children have the right to see themselves reflected in the books they read and the authors they know and love.
The ‘mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors’ term pioneered by Dr. Rubine Sims Bishop, that describes how children need books that are ‘mirrors’ to allow them to see themselves and their own experiences, books that are ‘windows’ that they can look through to see other worlds that they can then compare to their own, and books that are ‘sliding glass doors’ that allow them to enter other worlds, is key to our thinking.
Our school values of love, compassion, forgiveness, curiosity, aspiration and resilience are embodied in the literature that we explore and in opportunities for speaking and listening. Our faith shows us the importance of speaking, listening and telling and interpreting stories. We know that Jesus would tell stories (parables) to teach and inspire others, to capture imaginations and challenge their hearts. Jesus' stories spoke to the profound and timeless needs of humanity and stories were used so that people would remember and retell His message. Throughout history, the best storytellers and their stories endure. The powerful impact of storytelling, of choosing the finest vocabulary, of sharing a message that resonates, is enabled through the study of English and is a gift that we aim to share with our children.
‘Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”’
Matthew 13:34-35
Pope Francis in his letter, ‘The role of literature in formation’, highlights the power of literature in shaping Christians. The Pope states that literature expresses the human condition, illustrating its joys and sufferings. Pope Francis says that reading novels and poems is valuable in ‘one’s path to personal maturity’. Another benefit of literature is that it lets us see life from the perspective of others, allowing readers to develop an ‘imaginative empathy’.
Please use the link below to read a copy of Pope Francis’ letter ‘The role of literature in formation’.
Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis on The Role of Literature in Formation
Primary English National Curriculum