Curriculum - English (Writing)

We aim to enhance children’s ability to produce well-structured, detailed writing across the curriculum. From Early Years to Year 6, children write for a range of purposes across different genres and are encouraged appeal to the intended reader. Particular attention is paid throughout the school to the formal structures of English; grammatical detail, punctuation, spelling and presentation.

Writing opportunities are sourced and developed based on the needs of each year group, writing can be based off our high-quality texts or through cross curricular topics such as history, science and geography. Class texts, along with guided reading, aims to enhance the vocabulary of our pupils, allowing them to apply this when writing. Within English lessons, children are taught the skills of spelling, handwriting, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation in line with national end of year expectations. As with all subjects, children who are working above the end of year expectations receive extension tasks, and children who require more support will receive this through classroom adaptations or interventions.

English writing splodge

Curriculum Rationale

At Bridgtown, our aim is for all children to develop the necessary skills to enable them to become literate, contributing, participating adults. English is embedded throughout the curriculum at Bridgtown and is at the core of every subject. We recognise that vocabulary is an effective tool for young learners and we aim to instil this skill from an early age. Vocabulary is acquired through reading high quality class texts, whole class guided reading and through explicit teaching of writing. Through this, pupils at Bridgtown will be able to confidently write in detail, articulate thoughts and feelings effectively and develop their understanding about the world around them.

Writing

We believe that all pupils should be able to confidently, communicate their knowledge, ideas and emotions through their writing. We want pupils to acquire a wide vocabulary, a solid understanding of grammar and be able to spell new words by effectively applying the spelling patterns and rules they learn throughout their time in primary school.

We want them to write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. We believe that all good writers refine and edit their writing over time, so we want children to develop independence in being able to identify their own areas for improvement in all pieces of writing, editing their work effectively during and after the writing process. We do not put ceilings on what pupils can achieve in writing and we do not hold any pre-conceptions about pupils’ ability to make progress. We understand the importance of parents and carers in supporting their children to develop grammar, spelling and composition skills, and so we encourage a home-school partnership which enables parents and carers to understand how to enhance the skills being taught in school.

All pupils will be given the opportunity to write a variety of forms and for a range of audiences, including themselves, their peers, staff, parents and other members of the community. These forms of writing will include fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Cross Curricular opportunities are utilised throughout the school as this allows for real purposes when developing writing skills.

Grammar and Punctuation

The teaching of grammar improves pupils’ written work, and enables them to discuss their own reading and writing. Good grammatical awareness helps pupils structure their own writing appropriately, and extends their ability to communicate more complex ideas. Good punctuation not only improves the clarity and quality of writing, it also enables pupils to become more fluent and expressive readers of text. In teaching grammar and punctuation, we follow the objectives set out in the National Curriculum for each year group, and build on pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

Effective Teaching of Grammar:

Gives pupils opportunities to develop their understanding of the grammar of complex sentences, including clauses and phrases.
Teaches pupils about different word classes and their function, and effect in phrases, clauses and sentences.
Provides opportunities to learn about word formation and patterns of vocabulary.
Encourages an understanding of the function of phrases and clauses, and develop pupils’ abilities to change phrases and clauses to vary effect.
Provides opportunities to learn about formal and informal English, dialects and the differences between the spoken and written language.
Provides opportunities to learn how language changes over time.
Develops pupils’ technical vocabulary, so they can discuss the structure of texts and sentences.
Uses grammar sentence models to show pupils the principles of sentence construction whilst teaching the technical vocabulary.

Spoken Language

Spoken Language consists of speaking, listening, group discussion and drama. These four strands are interwoven within all areas of the curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to develop these skills in order for them to become effective communicators. Our aim is for all pupils to listen attentively, speak clearly and fluently and be able to contribute to discussions effectively. At Bridgtown this is achieved by:

Ensuring pupils are effective communicators and are able to select their appropriate audience within a range of formal and informal situations.
Giving pupils the opportunities to develop their expressive and receptive vocabulary through adult modelling, books and interactions with others.
Providing them with a variety of experiences to listen attentively, develop understanding in all areas of the curriculum and give them the confidence to ask questions to clarify their thinking.
Giving them the opportunity to perform to a range of audiences such as small group, whole class, assemblies and performances to all stakeholders such as productions and concerts.
Ensuring the curriculum provides a range of experiences and opportunities for the pupils to work collaboratively, explore both real and imagined situations through role play, drama, discussions and debate.

Phonics

From an early age, pupils learn to form each letter and spell words correctly including common exception (red) words. Phonetical awareness is developed by reading class texts and identifying spellings within this. The phonic and reading skills learned in reception are built upon in Key Stage One. Pupils are grouped according to their ability regardless of age. The reading and spelling aspects of the phonic programme are taught in daily sessions or through explicit spellings which are set each week.

Spellings

For spelling, we follow the National Curriculum, teaching the progression of spelling rules across the whole school, along with Read Write Inc phonics at KS1 level. For the full list of spelling objectives, please click here.

Handwriting

We believe that all pupils should be encouraged to take pride in the presentation of their writing, in part by developing a good, joined, handwriting style. Handwriting is a skill that is not necessarily dependent on academic ability; therefore, the majority of pupils should be able to achieve a legible style of handwriting. The assessment of the content of a child’s writing can often be influenced by the standard of presentation and legibility. It is the aim of this school to place an emphasis on the teaching of an appropriate handwriting style so that pupils will not be at a disadvantage when their writing is assessed. Using Read Write Inc rhyme’s, Nelson Handwriting programme and bubble writing intervention, work related specifically to handwriting will be undertaken by the pupils each week. Cross Curricular opportunities will be used whenever possible for providing real purposes for developing handwriting skills. The motor skills necessary may also be developed in artwork.

It is the responsibilities of staff and pupils to:

Ensure that all work and books are presented well through the use of modelling and scaffolding.

Follow the whole school policy:

Each piece should begin with the date, in Mathematics use the short numerical date, which needs to be underlined.
The following line should be left clear.
The learning objective then needs to be added and underlined.
A line should be left clear before starting the piece of work.

Curriculum Overview - Writing

Writing in EYFS

The acquisition of writing skills begins in Nursery. Pupils are shown how to hold a pencil correctly and begin emergent writing skills, these range from marks on a page to attempts at correct formation of familiar letters. The pupils will be encouraged to develop their writing skills further starting with their name. Wherever possible opportunities for emergent writing skills will be incorporated into structured play activities. As the pupils progress they will take part in a short, structured daily phonics session.

In Reception pupils will enhance their skills by participating in a daily Read, Write Inc lesson. The pupils rapidly learn sounds and the letter or groups of letters they need to represent them. Simple mnemonic devices such as flashcards and rhymes help them to grasp this quickly. The phonic and reading skills learned in reception are built upon in Key Stage One. Embedding this early on means that pupils quickly learn to write simple words and sentences. Structured play activities will be specifically planned for pupils to develop their emergent writing skills. All pupils will be encouraged to make plausible attempts at writing and all attempts will be valued and developed upon. Handwriting begins in EYFS with the development of physical skills including shoulder, elbow and wrist and finger development. Pupils will be shown how to hold a pencil correctly and will be encouraged to adopt a correct posture when writing. The pupils will be taught correct formation in either discreet handwriting sessions or as part of Read Write Inc. A non-cursive style of letter formation will be used.

Pupils will be encouraged to look closely at words and will be helped to develop strategies for writing. We encourage them to compose each sentence aloud until they are confident to write independently. The quality of the vocabulary they use in their writing reflects the language they have heard in the books the teacher has read to them; they have also discussed what the words mean.

Our Early Years Writing curriculum is designed:

To give equal access to the curriculum irrespective of race, gender, social background or disability and Special Educational Needs including specific learning difficulties.
To provide an open and creative curriculum that develops well rounded individuals who are well prepared for their future role in society and the changing world.
To develop an enthusiasm for writing for a range of purposes.
Communicate effectively with their peers and listen to others ideas.
So that children have access to new vocabulary.

The intended impact of implementing Writing in Early Years should allow pupils to:

Meet the relevant Early Learning Goals and Development Matters Statements.
Become creative, independent pupils who are ambitious and take risks to achieve their desired outcome.
Work together independently and cooperatively with others, listening to different opinions and using this to influence decisions.
Use new and adventurous vocabulary from class books.
Have a passion for writing, and begin to understand the purpose of writing in preparation for Key Stage 1.
Continue to use their phonics knowledge and develop this further for Key Stage 1.

What does Writing look like in EYFS?

Writing in KS1 & KS2

Progression of Skills by Genre - Year 1 to Year 6

Writing and Grammar in KS1 and KS2

In Key Stage 1 there will be opportunities for whole class, guided and independent writing in the daily English lesson as well as cross curricular sessions. As pupils mature, cross-curricular opportunities will be used wherever possible for providing real purpose for writing. Some writing will be taught in a specific manner, for example formal letter writing.

In Key Stage 2, where appropriate, using the National Curriculum as a guide, pupils will be taught a variety of skills including planning, editing and drafting. These skills will be specific to the needs of each child. The skills introduced in Key Stage 1 will be maintained, fostered and developed, according to the needs of the pupils. The teaching of writing is closely linked with that of spelling and handwriting. They will be given the opportunities for presenting their work for display purposes so that they will understand the need for writing for a specific audience.

Pupils will have access to suitable dictionaries, vocabulary books or a bank of words at appropriate stages in their development to assist them in their writing. Wherever possible pupils will be encouraged to use ICT to enhance their writing skills.

Throughout KS1 and KS2, staff choose a certain genre of writing for each unit. Each unit lasts 2-3 weeks and within this, children are taught the appropriate grammar, language and features for the chosen genre. At the end of the unit, children complete an assessed write, focussing on the specific genre text and are encouraged to use features which allow them to meet the end of year expectations for their age group. This ensures children’s skills are embedded and can be used as a bridge for new learning. Cross curricular writing is implemented throughout the curriculum, staff are encouraged to complete cross curricular assessed writes wherever possible to give pupils the opportunity to experience a wide range of purposes and genres. If a child is confident within their year groups’ curriculum, they will not move onto the next year but will apply their skills in greater depth to a variety of texts, including cross curricular writing.

Spelling

In Key Stage One the emphasis is placed on The National Curriculum; the pupils will be taught spelling in their class groups using a variety of strategies, alongside a systematic approach in phonics. As children learn to read the phonetical sound, they will also learn how to apply the sound to their writing.

At Key Stage Two the pupils will be discouraged from becoming dependent on the teacher for the correct spelling of words. They will be taught how to use dictionaries and will continue to use word banks to gain access to the correct spelling of words. In addition to this, pupils will be taught word families and general spelling rules. This includes age related spelling patterns and common exception words as outlined in the National Curriculum.

Handwriting

In Key Stage One the emphasis is placed on handwriting using Nelson handwriting scheme and RWI, this includes the reinforcement of correct letter formation and as the pupil’s progress through the Key Stage, they will be taught to extend their non-cursive style. Pupils will take part in regular, structured handwriting sessions, where they will be shown correct formation and how to join letters using a cursive style.

In Key Stage Two the Nelson Scheme will be used as a basis, to promote and reinforce correct joining of letters leading to a good cursive style where appropriate. Handwriting may be linked to spelling so that the teaching of common letter strings can be taught in context with handwriting lessons. Pupils will be helped to understand that there is a balance between speed and legibility, which is dependent on the purpose of their writing. Where necessary, to improve handwriting, ‘bubble handwriting’ is used as an intervention.

Cross Curricular opportunities will be used whenever possible for providing real purposes for developing handwriting skills. The motor skills necessary may also be developed in artwork. All teachers and pupils will be responsible for ensuring that all work and books are presented well. All adults are responsible for the correct modelling of handwriting in pupils’ books. When the pupils are independently able to, they should follow the whole school presentation policy:

Clearly write the appropriate date and underline this.
Leave a line clear
Write the learning objective and underline this.
Leave a line clear
Begin the written task.

Spoken Language

Ensuring pupils are effective communicators and are able to select their appropriate audience within a range of formal and informal situations.
Given pupils the opportunities to develop their expressive and receptive vocabulary through adult modelling, books and interactions with others.
Providing them with a variety of experiences to listen attentively, develop understanding in all areas of the curriculum and give them the confidence to ask questions to clarify their thinking.
Giving them the opportunity to perform to a range of audiences such as small group, whole class, assemblies and performances to all stakeholders such as productions and concerts.

Ensuring the curriculum provides a range of experiences and opportunities for the pupils to work collaboratively, explore both real and imagined situations through role play, drama, discussions and debate.