At our school our writing curriculum is designed using a text-based approach to help pupils acquire the necessary knowledge of grammatical structures and text types in an engaging and accessible way. This also helps to provide pupils with the desire to write and apply their knowledge and skills. The texts are carefully selected on the basis of their literary merit and to ensure an appropriate level of challenge. They also relate to our school values and the wider curriculum for each year group.  

We aim to develop pupils into confident, positive and enthusiastic writers, with the intention that they will be able to write independently with resilience. It is our ambition that pupils will be able to edit and evaluate their own writing to make it the best work it can be, applying a wide range of sophisticated vocabulary, spelling and grammar skills to do this effectively. It is important that our pupils develop an awareness of the audience, purpose and context, which will prepare them for their future. 

Writing is initially taught alongside phonics, with pupils applying their phonics skills as they learn them in each session. Children are encouraged to use their developing skills independently in play, and then during adult-initiated and directed activities. Writing is an integral part of our curriculum and all children from EYFS to Year 2 are provided with many opportunities to develop and apply their writing skills across the curriculum.

In EYFS children have access to a range of writing materials and opportunities and we aim to give the children as many real life writing opportunities as possible, for example writing shopping lists when in a shop role play set up or writing letters to Santa.

This then continues into KS1 in a more structured way, where we begin to look more closely at different texts types and identify their key features. As part of writing lessons, all pupils are supported to develop transcription and composition skills through high quality, engaging teaching opportunities and use of cross-curricular approaches. We place high value on oral rehearsal and children have many opportunities to speak words, sentences and series of sentences, before we expect them to write them.

Children in EYFS are given frequent opportunities to write, both through adult-led activities and through carefully planned provision in the Early Years areas which allows opportunities for pupils to develop from initial mark-making right through to writing full & coherent sentences.

In Key Stage 1 teachers teach writing through text-based units of work, supported by discrete sessions for grammar, punctuation and spelling. Teachers give pupils writing tasks which develop their skills carefully. 

Spelling is taught through a systematic approach using the Monster Phonics scheme. All children practise spelling during phonics sessions. Children have Monster Phonics sound and word mats available to support writing across the curriculum. 

Handwriting is practised on a daily basis, with children learning a cursive style when correct letter formation is secure.