Writing

Intent of our English curriculum, provision and enrichment

The intent of our English curriculum is to develop essential communication skills to navigate life. We will provide knowledge and understanding of reading, writing and oracy, through a variety of text genre and a diverse range of writers. Within discrete and cross curricular contexts, pupils will have opportunities to explore, experiment and refine the skills of an effective reader and writer. It will allow children to express themselves and communicate confidently in a variety of different ways. They will flourish as creative and curious readers and writers showing a keen sense of wonder and enrich their understanding of the world.

Implementation of our Writing Curriculum

Following a clear progression of skills within a range of genres (within fiction, non-fiction and poetry) and access to a wide range of high-quality, diverse children’s literature by significant authors. We use the Literacy Tree Pedagogy and resource as our whole school approach which is a complete book-based approach that places audience and purpose at the core. Pupils are engaged through a range of activities to heighten engagement and create curiosity. Starting with an exciting hook, drama, discussion and debate allow pupils to see themselves represented and explore the lives and experiences of others.

The units include carefully sequenced lessons building in the GPS elements linked directly to what they are experiencing within the text. Each unit provides the opportunity to write different genres for a range of purposes. Skills and outcomes are revisited to practise and consolidate learning through our two-year cycle. Teachers have the autonomy to select texts based on their knowledge of their cohort, provided the range is covered.

TRANSCRIPTION:

Handwriting

Handwriting is taught explicitly across the school. We use the Twinkl Scheme to teach letter formation for pre-cursive to cursive, so children develop a controlled and legible style.

In the Early Years activities that promote early writing skills and effective fine motor skills are embedded through explicit teaching and ongoing provision, this continues further if children require additional support
Pupils in Key Stage 2 begin to use a handwriting pen, initially for handwriting and in English lessons progressing to using it for all writing, across all areas of the curriculum

Spelling

In the Early Years and Year 1 spelling is taught through a daily phonics session, which follows the Twinkl DfE approved systematic synthetic phonics programme and focusing on teaching spelling patterns for phonetically decodable words and strategies to spell the non-decodable common exception words
In Yr 2 – 6, a one-year cycle of weekly spelling teaching and learning is planned for our mixed-age classes, based on the Twinkl spelling scheme.
Year group words are sent home at the start of the academic year to enable families to support their children in their learning and practice.
Dictation is used to practise focus words each week
Spelling has a specific code in our marking and feedback
Spelling is often a focus of early morning work and continuous provision
We hold an annual ‘Spelling Bee’ to raise the profile of spelling in school
Year group spellings are assessed at the end of each big term to allow progress to be monitored

ORACY AND WRITING

Children will engage in meaningful discussions
Adults will model appropriate listening and responding using sentence stems to encourage full sentences
Questioning is used to extend children’s understanding and knowledge
All children will be expected to participate within both small and larger group discussions, presentations, role play and debates
Adults will model and expect good use of standard English when communicating ideas
Opportunities to rehearse and perform to develop the ability to speak audibly and fluently are given regularly, showing understanding through intonation, tone and volume so that the meaning is clear to the audience.

ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING

Progress in writing is continually assessed and monitored through:

Lesson observations
Writing moderation – internally and externally
Pupil voice
Book scrutiny
Planning scrutiny
Learning walks
Staff CPD – courses and in-house training

Independent writing tasks each big term which are assessed using the West Berkshire year group writing grids
Rising Stars is used to assess punctuation and grammar (Yr2 – Yr6)
Spelling is assessed at the end of each big term
Assessment for learning – within sessions
Pupil progress meetings
GAPS/SAPS interventions
Support from outside agencies