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Writing

“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you.” Beatrix Potter.

 

Intention (Why do we teach what we teach?)

Writing is a crucial part of our curriculum at Croscombe CE Primary School. We intend that our children should develop a love of writing and be able to express their thoughts and ideas clearly and creatively through the written word. Our aim is to ensure that every child, regardless of background and potential difficulty, leaves our school as a competent writer with an understanding of the conventions of Standard English and when to use it effectively. This ability to write with confidence for a range of purposes and audiences ensures that children leave Croscombe fully prepared for their secondary education, and ready to achieve their aspirations for adult life.

The writing curriculum at Croscombe, encourages children to immerse themselves in different text types and understand the features and impact of these. We support children in developing a curiosity surrounding vocabulary and language so they can develop a sophisticated bank of vocabulary that they are able to draw upon both within writing and conversation. In addition, a secure knowledge of spelling and grammar, and an understanding of how to edit writing is taught throughout the school in a systematic and progressive way. At Croscombe CE Primary School, we set high expectations for all our children, encourage them to take pride in their work, allow their imaginations to flourish and have a neat and fluent handwriting style using the cursive approach.

Implementation (How do we teach it?)

In order to achieve our intentions, at Croscombe CE Primary School:

  • English is planned in units following the school overview to ensure coverage and progression. The overview document includes what written outcomes should be produced by the children and the purpose of the writing. Fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts are all included.
  • A variety of ‘real’ texts are used to give children experience of a wide range of authors, writing styles and genre.
  • Speaking and listening activities are incorporated into all units.
  • Key vocabulary is taught and revisited to ensure it becomes embedded.
  • Children are given time to plan, draft and rewrite.
  • Children have the opportunity to share ideas with their peers, during shared composition sections of modelled writing and through their independent written outcomes.
  • High quality presentation is strived for through following a cursive handwriting scheme. Adults model correct letter formation, both in discrete handwriting sessions and when writing in workbooks or on the whiteboard/flipchart.
  • Teachers deliver the relevant grammar and punctuation for their year group as set out by the National Curriculum. This is taught both explicitly in stand-alone lessons and applied within the context of writing for a purpose.
  • Specific spelling rules and strategies for spelling are delivered discretely using the Twinkl Spelling scheme in KS2.
  • In writing lessons, differentiation through success criteria and through teacher-led guided groups, ensures that all pupils can access the writing curriculum.
  • Assessment is informed by observations during daily English lessons, verbal feedback, and, when relevant, through written improvement marking of writing, identifying strengths and next steps.

Impact (What has been the impact and how do we know?)

The impact of our teaching at Croscombe CE Primary School will be regularly assessed, using both formal and informal methods, to ensure that our pupils are meeting their potential. We will regularly gather feedback from our pupils to assess their enjoyment and engagement with writing and to identify any areas for improvement.

Pupils should:

  • Enjoy writing and view it as relevant and purposeful, and as a vehicle to communicate their ideas across a range of subjects.
  • Enjoy talking about their writing and show enthusiasm in wanting to improve the effect of their writing on their reading audience.
  • Be proud of their writing and have the opportunity to see it on display and shared with others in the school and with their families.

Assessment tools used:

  • Weekly spelling assessments: Spelling tests linked to the weekly spelling rule or strategy take place each week.
  • TestBase: Formal assessments for Spelling, and Punctuation and Grammar take place each term for Years 2-6.
  • End of unit independent ‘hotwrites’: This is a piece of writing that takes place at the end of each unit of writing. It is completed in the children’s English books and is teacher assessed against age-related criteria.
  • Moderation: Teachers use detailed writing assessment grids for their year groups at termly writing moderation meetings to record accurate summative judgements (Working Towards/Working At/Working Above age-related Expectations) each term. These are discussed at pupil progress meetings and shared in end of year reports for all KS1 and KS2 pupils.
  • Preparation: In order to prepare pupils for SATs in 6, there are opportunities to practise papers throughout the year.