During our children’s first encounters of school life, they learn to write by being exposed to a range of stories to develop their vocabulary. Daily Literacy sessions are taught discreetly and are always based on a quality core text. Writing materials are available in all areas within the reception setting and there are opportunities for children to develop mark making through the carefully selected provocations and provisions, which are changed regularly. This continues throughout EYFS to promote a love of writing.
In EYFS, children are fully immersed in daily phonics sessions (using RWI) where they begin to write letters, CVC words and then simple sentences. In addition to this, shared writing takes place daily, with the teacher modelling the basics of writing, exposing children to the key elements of simple sentence structures.
From the Spring Term, all children in Reception take part in Guided Writing sessions in small groups and record in books weekly. This ensures that children are Year One ready by the time they leave Reception in the Summer Term.
Writing in Years 1 - 6
As a school, we follow the United Learning Writing Curriculum which ensures the highest expectations for the attainment and progress of all pupils. This curriculum is based on 4 key principles:
Pupils are exposed to a variety of fiction and non-fiction outcomes based on a high-quality core text. This enables them to delve deeper and be hooked on the language and techniques intentionally selected by the author. Writing lessons are delivered daily in National Curriculum Year Groups 1-6 with EYFS also accessing Literacy on a daily basis.
In Years 1-6, the structure of our writing units is as follows-
- Immersion
We begin each unit delving into the core text: enabling our pupils to become fully engaged with what we are writing. At this stage, pupils will explore vocabulary, structures and conventions of the core text and the intended outcome for the genre in which the children will be expected to write in. To ensure children have an awareness of the purpose and audience for their written outcome, it is planned and shared at this point in the journey.
- Adding detail
During this stage of our writing journey, pupils will develop their word and sentence-level skills. At this point, teachers will explicitly revise and teach core skills and GPS appropriate to that year group and the intended outcome. The purpose of this phase is to generate ideas, practise writing and linking sentences. This phase will integrate multiple GPS skills where teachers will authentically model manipulating techniques to ensure the writing is having the desired impact on the audience.
- Planning
Pupils will be taught to discuss and plan for writing using a range of structures dependent on the genre. This will enable them to understand and select appropriate vocabulary, grammar skills and content in preparation for extended, purposeful writing. Pupils are taught to record using age-appropriate methods, including visuals and note form.
- Drafting & Revising
At this point in the journey, pupils review the learning from the unit so far, creating a shared success criteria. Pupils then draft and revise their written outcome, supported by their plans, the success criteria, and any words, phrases and ideas collated on the working wall over the course of the unit.
As pupils write, teachers provide feedback and personalised support through 1:1, group and whole class conferencing, as appropriate to the needs of the class. Pupils will be reminded to regularly pause to proof-read for misspelt words, omissions and punctuation errors. They will also consider the impact and atmosphere they have created for the reader, revising their choices as they write.
- Proof-reading, Evaluating & Editing
Upon completion of their first draft, teachers model the skills of proof-reading for errors in spelling and punctuation, focusing on the accurate use of intended GPS skills for the unit delivered. The whole class will evaluate and edit their writing, highlighting examples within the text of where they, as a writer, have met each element of the shared success criteria and suggesting any improvements or changes to grammar and vocabulary.
Pupils share their own completed stories with a collaborative partner, proof-reading for errors and evaluating and editing the writing.
- Publishing, Presenting & Performing
To finish, pupils create a final and polished published piece to share with their intended audience. Additionally, pupils will seek feedback from their intended audience to feedforward into their next piece of writing.
As our writing journey is recursive not linear, elements of the learning journey may be repeated at different times throughout the unit.
An evidence informed and knowledge-rich curriculum:
Throughout school, we have a rigorous and well-structured English curriculum and framework in Key Stages One and Two, which provides many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. Writing outcomes in each year group are planned to provide opportunities for interleaving across the curriculum, which incorporate the key writing skills specified in the National Curriculum. Writing genres and skills are revisited throughout the year and across year groups to enable children to make schematic connections.
We use a range of expert written texts and core texts from our Reading Spine to motivate and inspire our pupils to write a range of outcomes through fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The core purpose is to expose pupils to a range of high-quality literature that gives every child a mirror in which to see themselves and offers a window to children to see a world beyond their own.
Cultural capital is important to us and ensures that pupils have the knowledge required to prepare them for future success. We therefore ensure that in each year group, pupils have the opportunity to explore texts based around a range of times, cultures, traditions and subject matter to provide opportunities for making connections.
Pupils with SEND:
We are an inclusive school, so when a class teacher or the SENCO identifies a child with SEND, the class teacher provides interventions that are additional to and different from those provided as part of the school’s usual mastery curriculum offer and strategies. This is mainly through the teacher accurately identifying the pupil's barrier and then providing reasonable adaptations and adjustments to the curriculum; this may be done through use of scaffolds, additional support and adaptive teaching. Children with SEND may also receive targets which have been taken from their Writing Continuum, rather than the expectations from the National Curriculum for their age. This ensures that the learning is bespoke to their needs.
Assessment of Writing:
- Daily, through Wave 1 teaching (strategies may include questioning, independent opportunities to practise skills, low stake testing etc).
- Weekly, through pupils’ oral and written responses (in English books and across the curriculum).
- Pupil target cards support children to identify success and next steps for their learning.
- Termly, through writing assessment tasks completed by all pupils throughout each academic term. This data is used to inform future planning.
Moderation:
Moderation takes place in all year groups. This is completed with:
- the local authority at different points across the year with statutory assessment year groups;
- each term with schools within the West Midlands UL cluster;
- throughout the academic year with schools from the United Learning Trust.
Moderation supports teachers and helps them to make accurate judgements about their pupils’ writing at the end of the year.