Literacy

At St Paul’s, we place a strong emphasis on developing confident, capable and enthusiastic readers and writers. Literacy is taught for at least 10 hours each week, ensuring every student has the time and support they need to build essential skills.

In the junior years, students from Prep to Year 2 take part in a daily, systematic and synthetic phonics program, Little Learners Love Literacy. For 20 minutes each day, they focus on building the foundations of reading through explicit instruction in phonics and phonemic awareness.

Our reading program is built on the key components of reading:

• Phonemic awareness – hearing and manipulating sounds in spoken words
• Phonics – recognising the relationship between sounds and letters
• Fluency – developing accuracy, pace and expression in reading
• Vocabulary – growing word knowledge and understanding
• Comprehension – making meaning from texts

These skills are explicitly taught and practised daily, ensuring students can apply them with confidence across a wide range of texts.

Spelling is also taught systematically across the school, with daily practice that builds strong connections between reading and writing.

Writing is a whole-school priority, with students engaged in structured writing each day. All year levels follow a clearly defined scope and sequence, ensuring consistency in language, structures and expectations across the school. Grammar and punctuation are embedded within writing lessons, taught explicitly in context so students understand how these skills strengthen clarity and precision. Teachers maintain high standards and use explicit instruction to extend and challenge students, ensuring steady growth in writing proficiency.

Through this comprehensive approach, St Paul’s ensures that every child develops the literacy skills needed to thrive in their learning and beyond.