In the Infant grades, phonemic awareness skills and phonics are explicitly taught using a synthetics phonics programme known as Get Reading Right. Children are taught that spoken and written words are composed of phonemes; how to pronounce all 44 phonemes and how each may be represented; how to blend phonemes together to read a word; how to segment words into phonemes to spell; and how to use their phonics knowledge as the primary approach to reading and spelling unknown words.

Once children are in primary, students engage with daily Spelling Mastery lessons.  This programme is a research-proven programme that uses the evidence-based Direct Instruction method to enable teachers to deliver highly interactive, structured lessons that help students learn dependable spelling skills. Spelling Mastery approaches spelling through strategies, patterns and rules. The straightforward lessons in Spelling Mastery combine phonemic, morphemic, and whole-word instruction to make spelling easier to learn, leading the way to more effective writing.

As a school with shared practices and understandings, each class, every day, engages in an English Block for the first two hours.  During this time, children discuss a shared text and use it as the vehicle for understanding how language works.  In addition, writing is explicitly taught through persuasive, explanatory and narrative texts and modelled before the children write independently.  Talking and Listening is a vital component of the English block and supports both reading and, in  particular, writing.  

Programming for English across the school is focused on providing a differentiated approach to teaching so that all students can learn and achieve goals. Learning activities include reading and writing activities, novel studies, technological aspects such as interactive Smart TV activities, OneNote skill development, talking and listening opportunities with peers and teachers with added learning occurring throughout all other subject areas as well. Children are tracked through the Infants and Primary years, aligned with the English progressions, so that skills are developed sequentially and at individual student’s rate of development.

All students are involved in the Acadience Reading Program from Kindergarten to Year 6.

In the Primary grades, English skills are explicitly taught and related to fiction or nonfiction texts. Grammar, writing structure and vocabulary are aligned to the type of text beign studied. Literacy skills are integrated and applied to Science, Human Society, Religion, PDH&PE and Creative Arts tasks.