Writing

Alongside reading, we promote the love of writing. We provide many opportunities for mark making within our Early Years setting and throughout our whole writing approach encourage the voice of the child as an author. The rich and engaging texts are used within the writing sequences as well as in the reading lessons to encourage children to develop a deep understanding of the core text. 

As a result, pupils are able to explore a variety of authors and texts, understand and acquire the skills needed to be a storyteller and author as well as develop a lifelong love of literature.

We provide children with a sequence of lessons that include fiction and non- fiction outcomes based on the English Spine.

The teachers use the Talk for Writing approach to plan a range of fun and engaging activities that allow them to relate to the story, the character or the situation that they will be using to complete their final written outcome. Because we know that children cannot write it until they can say it, there are a number of activities that allow children to orally rehearse what they will be writing through the process of imitation to innovation to independent application. We celebrate the progress of writing in our children’s Anthology of Writing books that they build on across the school year. 

Spellings are taught within the units across the school year and in conjunction with our spelling programme and this builds from the RWI programme to the Talk for Writing programme. Children are taught to form their letters correctly using the Letter Join programme and they will use joined handwriting when it is deemed appropriate for the children. Children in Early Years to Year 2 use pencils to write with and Year 3 - 6 use handwriting pens. As children progress across the school, they will take part in hand strengthening exercises to ensure that handwriting is developed alongside hand and arm strengthening. This starts with Mighty Muscles in Early Years.  

We encourage children to read and write the National Curriculum High Frequency Words at home regularly. Click here for these words and we look forward to celebrating the success of their home learning with them in school.