Intent
We want the children of Plymtree C of E Primary school to be independent, confident, articulate writers. We want them to write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
Our curriculum drivers aim to:
* Use quality texts as a stimulus.
* Use IT for research and the presentation of work.
* Promote writing as a tool for self-expression and to use writing as a tool to navigate the world.
Implementation
We teach English as whole class lessons to enable all children to access to the age-related skills and knowledge contained in the National Curriculum. Within lessons, teachers target support for slower graspers to enable them to achieve at an age-related level wherever possible. This may involve a greater level of scaffolding and access to additional support materials such as Word Banks or a greater level of modelling. Rapid graspers are given opportunities to extend their writing in a variety of ways, including through showing greater control in their writing, a deeper understanding of the impact that their writing has on the reader and by using a higher level of vocabulary and grammar features.
Spellings are taught according to the rules and words contained in Appendix 1 of the English National Curriculum. When marking work, teachers identify words that children have spelt incorrectly from within that child’s known ability. Children are then encouraged to correctly practice these spellings within the piece of writing.
Where possible, grammar is taught through our writing lessons to enable the required skills for that genre to be taught. If stand-alone lessons are need to fill gaps or to consolidate prior learning, teachers have the confidence and flexibility to do so.
‘Talk for Writing’ strategies are used throughout the school to support the teaching of writing, both fiction and non-fiction. Pupils are given a language rich curriculum and are encouraged and shown how to effectively use interesting and adventurous language in their writing.
Writing is marked, where possible, in the lesson. This allows the children to discuss their progress with their teacher and to make adjustment as they go along.
Elicitation and class writes are deep marked providing the children with areas they have worked well and target they can improve on. These target are then used to aid assessment in their final write. Progress is tracked in the back of the English books to allow teachers to individualise targets and for children to know what their next steps are.
We expect and encourage our children to present their work neatly. Handwriting and fine motor skills are taught throughout the school. Pupils are expected to use joined handwriting from Year Three.
Impact
- Pupils are confident writers in a range of genres.
- Work is appropriately scaffold to enable all children to achieve.
- Pupils have access to a wide range of vocabulary which they can use in their writing.
- Pupils develop a love for writing.
- Parents and carers have as clear understanding of how they can support at home through the contribution of home learning.
- Effective assessment allows teachers to provide individualised learning to support and challenge all pupils.
- Pupils have exposure to a wide collection of quality texts.
Rolling programme for Writing
