English Writing

At Bulford St Leonard’s our aim is to provide high quality writing instruction to ensure every child develops a strong command of the spoken and written word.

Intent: We aim to…

Use high quality texts and models to enable pupils to accurately choose grammar, vocabulary and punctuation which is effective for both audience and purpose.

Make the planning, drafting, writing and editing stages of writing explicit so that children experience ‘live’ the choices a writer makes.

Provide children with the Ideas, tools and techniques for writing so that they can communicate their own ideas.

Make connections where relevant between writing units and non- core subjects to enrich and layer learning.

Develop a consistent approach to teaching writing to close gaps and ensure that all children leave in year 6 being able to write effectively.

Implementation: How do we achieve our aims?

Transcription: Handwriting and Spelling

Handwriting: From EYFS pupils are taught how to hold a pencil and to use the Little Wandle letter formation to be able to print words.  The Little Wandle Handwriting scheme is used in EYFS and is also used as an intervention for KS1 pupils who need more support with letter formation. KS1 and 2 classes use the LetterJoin scheme, with explicit teaching, modelling, and feedback given to improve transcription skills.Spelling: Once the Little Wandle programme has been completed, Year 2 pupils then transition onto the Little Wandle spelling programme, developing application of phonics and exploring spelling rules.

Spelling: Once the Little Wandle programme has been completed, Year 2 pupils then transition onto the Little Wandle spelling programme, developing application of phonics and exploring spelling rules. 

In KS2, the Oak Academy resources are used as an effective and fully comprehensive approach that targets reading patterns of spelling, the etymology and morphology of words and develops pupils’ spelling knowledge progressively.

Pupils in KS1 and KS2 practice writing dictated sentences every day to be able to practise retrieval of spellings they have learnt and handwriting.

Punctuation and Grammar

Pupils are taught punctuation and grammar explicitly in discrete lessons, in line with progression documents. This knowledge is then consolidated and revised during application in writing lessons, where the purpose and effect can be seen and explored in context of a piece of writing.

Learning to Write

In EYFS and KS1, we use engage pupils with stories, giving them the motivation to write.

EYFS

Pupils experience a range of engaging texts which are used as stimulus for oral composition, and link to continuous provision activities and diverse opportunities for mark-making which enhance pupils’ fine motor skills for writing. During the course of the year, pupils will practice segmenting words to spell, and will develop the ability to write letters, words, phrases, and sentences readable by others, preparing them for KS1.

KS1

Pupils engage with stimulus texts to inspire writing, while grammar and punctuation are taught separately and reinforced in practice. Discussions, teacher modelling, and scaffolds support sentence construction. In Year 1, pupils sequence sentences and apply phonics to spelling. By the end of year 2, they will have develop their ability to transcribe with increasing fluency as they start to write narrative, recounts, non-fiction and poetry. By the end of KS1, they have developed vocabulary, sentence structures, and punctuation, preparing them for KS2 writing.

KS2

Writing for purpose and audience

During KS2, pupils consolidate fluency of transcription and sentence construction, have the opportunity to write for a variety of purposes and audiences. Pupils use engaging stimulus materials and books to inspire ideas for writing and then explore how to best communicate ideas through grammatical structures and language choice. We ensure children are immersed in a rich language environment that values speaking and listening as a vital part of the writing process.

The writing sequence includes immersion, looking at models and idea gathering, modelling, collecting vocabulary, practising sentence constructions and planning, writing and editing texts.  This ensures that pupils are ready to compose and craft their own pieces of writing during and at the end of a unit.  Where appropriate, pupils receive additional scaffolding to ensure full access to the curriculum.

Editing:  

Pupils are encouraged to re-read and edit their work in response to feedback and during the writing process.

Choice of text:

The fiction books used as stimulus for writing is sometimes the guided reading book. For non-fiction pieces, a range of appropriate models are used.

Cross curricular opportunities:

By the end of KS2, most genres of writing are familiar to pupils and teaching can focus on creativity, writer’s craft, sustained writing and manipulation of grammar and punctuation skills when writing in other areas of the curriculum.

Impact: how will we know we have achieved our intent?

• Pupils can write effectively to engage with the reader and apply their learning from exposure to a range of high-quality models.
• Pupils are accurate and creative writers who have increasing stamina for writing.
• Children can draw on a range of Ideas, tools and techniques for writing so that they are able to communicate their own ideas AND apply these in reading.
• Pupils are encouraged to articulate their knowledge in other subject areas through the accurate application of writing skills.
• Pupils can confidently write using the features, vocabulary and structure of each genre.
• Pupils achieve the age-related expectations for writing, and those that find writing challenging are given focused support to help them catch up.

Click here to see our Writing Subject Overview