Writing

Intent

At Reculver, we believe that ability to write is fundamental to our children succeeding; enabling them to access the next stage of their education and beyond. Our curriculum has been designed to ensure that pupils enjoy writing and have passion and enthusiasm for it. Our aim is to ensure that pupils write clearly, accurately and coherently; write in different styles and for different purposes and audiences; develop a wide vocabulary and a solid understanding of the grammar rules and terminology appropriate for their age group. Our curriculum has also been designed to ensure that pupils are able to express themselves creatively and to communicate effectively with others. Skills are built on progressively.  

Implementation:

Writing skills are a key priority within our school where children use writing to model their development and understanding. We have a cross curricular approach to the teaching of writing following the National Curriculum which is linked to our wider curriculum units of work giving children a purpose for writing. At Reculver we use ‘Sentence Menus’ to teach the progression of different sentence types. This approach allows children to build on their knowledge of sentence types and add variety to their writing. The children write in a variety of styles which fit into the following categories: Informal fiction, Formal fiction, Informal non-fiction and Formal non-fiction.

Within all units of writing we stress the importance of spelling, punctuation, grammar and presentation. We use elements of the ‘No Nonsense Spelling Programme’ at Reculver, beginning in Year 2 and continuing through to Year 6. This programme teaches particular spelling rules linked to the National Curriculum expectations for each year group. We also use games to develop an interest in words and vocabulary, looking at the etymology of words in our spelling lessons. 

The correct formation of letters and the development of a cursive style of writing begins in Early Years and is taught progressively throughout the school, with the aim to have the children writing in a joined cursive style by the end of Key Stage 1. Children can earn their pen licence in Key Stage 2 once they have demonstrated consistently accurate, neat handwriting using the cursive script.

Early Years End of Year targets:

• Finger spaces between words
• Capital letters and full stops
• Correct spelling of basic tricky words
• A sequential order to writing
• Clearly formed letters

Year 1- Expected Standard

• Correct simple sentence structures
• Use simple joining words to extend sentences
• Awareness of different forms of punctuation
• Spell most common exception words correctly
• Write sentences in order to create meaning

Year 2- Expected Standard

• Spell all KS1 common exception words correctly
• Writing coherent narratives
• Use common punctuation correctly
• Use past and present tenses correctly
• Use a wider range of joining words to extend sentence
• Use spaces between words that reflect the size of the letters written

Year 3- Expected Standard

• Spell Y3/4 common exception words
• Writing shows understanding of audience and purpose
• Use of a range of sentence starters and structures
• Use of ambitious word choices
• Use a full range of punctuation accurately
• Begin to use paragraphs to sequence work

Year 4- Expected Standard

• Writing is well structured and well-paced
• Proof read their own work consistently
• Maintain accurate tense and standard English
• Use of ambitious phrases and sentence structures
• Spell all Y3/4 common exception words
• Accurate use of paragraphs to sequence work

Year 5- Expected Standard

• Confidently write for a range of purposes and audiences
• Select and use organisational devices
• Use a wider range of linking words and phrases
• Confidently use a wide range of punctuation for their purposes
• Spell all Y5 common exception words and complex homophones
• Write legibly with increasing speed

Year 6- Expected Standard

• Write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences
• Integrate accurately punctuated dialogue
• Proof read own work and assess its effectiveness
• Use a range of devices to build cohesion across the text
• Spell all Y5/6 common exception words
• Maintain joined legible handwriting across the text

Impact:

In writing, pupils are encouraged to showcase their skills at every opportunity. Pupils will also participate in discussions with staff members to know what they have learnt, identify how they have progressed and know their next steps. We will identify moderation pieces, complete book scrutinies and participate in professional discussions to identify the impact of teaching and learning.