Writing

BORROW WOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement for Writing

Intent

An important part of our School Vision is that children develop the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in life. Writing is one of these key skills that children will need in their everyday lives and is a vital part of effective communication. They will use writing to:

• Entertain others
• Help them express thoughts and feelings
• Help them to share information with others

Therefore, writing forms a crucial part of our curriculum and we want our children to understand not only how important the skill of writing is but we want them also to develop a love of writing and a sense of pride in their writing.

Our aim is that by the end of Year 6, children will have developed an ability to express their thoughts and ideas clearly, creatively and purposefully through the written word, in line with the National Curriculum programmes of study.  

We intend to develop writers who can adapt their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. As part of this, we aim for children to have the ability to use a wide range of grammar and punctuation for impact in their writing.

We want all children to acquire a wide vocabulary and to be able to spell new words by effectively applying their knowledge of phonics and the spelling patterns and rules they learn throughout their time in primary school.

Finally, we aim for all children to develop a fluid, cursive handwriting style.

Implementation

In the EYFS, children are given opportunities to write during child-initiated play by having access to a range of writing materials, both in the indoor and outdoor classroom. Reception children are also explicitly taught in small groups through focussed teaching sessions. Children are taught to have the correct posture for writing, hold a pencil in the correct position and are taught correct letter formation. Throughout the year, they are exposed to many different genres and write labels, captions, lists, messages, facts, simple instructions, simple recounts and poems.

In Key Stage One and Key Stage Two, writing is taught daily. To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in writing, we plan lessons using the National Curriculum document, a progression document produced by Wiltshire and detailed English plans produced by Herts for Learning Education.  

We also refer to additional documents produced by Herts for Learning Education, including progression papers in genres for writing and Models for Writing. This helps to achieve consistency and progression as children move through the school.

Writing units and genres are linked to a high quality book or books. These have been mapped out for years 1 to 6 to ensure correct coverage of the key genres and to build on previous skills and learning. Grammar and punctuation skills are linked to the text type being taught so that skills can be embedded and applied through whole class teaching and in the children’s writing. In addition to this, where necessary, grammar and punctuation is taught through discrete lessons to address a particular gap or misconception.

Opportunities for drama and for developing speaking and listening skills will be used in the initial stages of the writing sequence to build ideas, planning, vocabulary and confidence in the text type.

The outcome of each unit is an extended piece of writing which will be used to assess the child’s skills against the agreed success criteria.

Children learn to review, revise and redraft their work. They begin by learning to proofread and make simple changes to spelling and punctuation. As they progress they learn to revise writing by making changes to improve vocabulary, structure and content.

Other extended pieces of writing are generated from learning in other subjects such as Science, History, Geography or R.E. such as recounts, reports or writing in role, or from trips.

Spelling

We use the Herts for Learning ESSENTIAL spelling scheme to teach spelling from Years 2-6. Discrete spelling sessions are taught three times a week. Children are taught how to apply patterns, strategies and knowledge to all words. Links are made to prior knowledge and lessons track back to related objectives so that teachers can build in targeted support for children who may have gaps in their spelling knowledge.

We use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised to teach daily phonics lessons in Reception and Year One. Children in Reception are taught to spell words using Phase 2 and 3 GPCs, and words with adjacent consonants (Phase 4). Children in Year 1 review Phase 3 and 4 and are taught to spell words using Phase 5 GPCs.

Children are also required to learn their age groups’ national curriculum words. These are practised regularly, used in model texts and are available as word banks.  

Handwriting

Handwriting is directly taught a minimum of three times a week in Key Stage 1 and once a week in Years 3 and 4 and then practised and applied throughout the week in daily writing. The order of the letters taught will be in letter families. From the beginning of Year 2 onwards children move onto learning joins. The aim is that by the end of Year 4, all children are using neat joined handwriting with fluency.  

Handwriting lessons are recorded in English books from Year 2 onwards so that children see it as an integral feature of their own writing. Children are encouraged to maintain high standards of presentation in all curriculum areas.

Supporting all children

The large majority of children progress through the content of the writing curriculum at the same pace. Adaptation is achieved through guided teaching, targeted support and scaffolding, e.g. providing word banks, a greater level of modelling, use of writing frames or additional use of mentor texts or overwriting.

Impact

Teachers use the Wiltshire writing grids alongside a range of the child’s writing to monitor progress and assess them at key points throughout the school year.

Children will leave Borrow Wood:

• Having a good knowledge of how to adapt their writing based on context, audience and purpose,  manipulating language, grammar and punctuation to create effect. 
• Able to effectively apply spelling rules and patterns that they have been taught.
• Able to evaluate and revise and edit their work.
• Able to demonstrate a fluent, legible handwriting script.
• Able to demonstrate a love of writing and be proud of their accomplishments.