Writing
Our aim is to develop children’s ability to produce well-structured writing with appropriate detail, in which the meaning is clear and the interest of the reader is engaged. The Curriculum divides writing skills into two dimensions:
- Transcription (spelling and handwriting)
- Composition (articulating ideas in speech and writing)
We recognise that both these elements are essential to success and we support the acquisition of both sets of skills through various methods.
Reading into Writing
Reading is treated as an integral part of writing lessons. Teachers base their writing plans on high quality texts which are closely read, discussed and drawn on in the children’s own writing.
Writing skills are taught in sequential steps, building to end points, as set down in detail within our writing curriculum documents below.
Early Years underpin their English work by using Talk for Writing. Talk for Writing uses high quality model texts to introduce the children to different story/text types which they then learn off by heart through memorable, meaningful repetition. The Talk for Writing approach enables children to internalise the language of story so that they can imitate it, innovate on it and create their own effective stories independently.
Spelling
Although we live in an electronic age, children do need to be able to express themselves on paper and we therefore believe that the ability to spell accurately is an essential life skill.
In Reception and Year 1, children are taught spelling through the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme.
From Year 2, children are taught spelling regularly through the No Nonsense Spelling programme. They are given activities appropriate to their abilities, investigating rules and patterns that will help them to develop strategies for spelling. They are then encouraged to apply these in the spelling of unfamiliar words.
Handwriting will be taught as a specific skill, little and often, with a structured handwriting lesson every week and regular practise throughout the week, using the Morrells Handwriting workbooks. Each handwriting lesson will include warm up activities to help gross and fine motor skills. In EYFS children will begin learning letter formation following the Little Wandle Letter and Sounds Revised letter formation phrases but following the progression outlined within the Morrells scheme. This will be continued at the start of Year 1 and children will progress through each of the 6 workbooks as they move towards the end of Year 6.
By the end of Year 6, the aim is for all children to have developed a clear, consistent joined handwriting style, enabling them to write neatly and legibly.
All classrooms display visual aids as part of their working wall, to support and enhance the learning.
Dictionaries, thesauri and word banks, both digitally and non-digitally, are easily accessible for all children, and children are expected to use them within and beyond the English curriculum.
