In This Section
Writing
Writing is a magical process. When we write, we transfer thoughts, knowledge and experience into marks on the page which can then be understood by others through reading. Reading and Writing are inextricably linked. At The Radstone Primary School, we want children to love to write, and to be skilled at writing, so that they too can transfer their thoughts, knowledge and experience to the page to share with others. We want them to understand the rules of grammar, punctuation and spelling in order to communicate as effectively as possible, and to enjoy composing texts and sharing them with others.
“You can make anything through writing.” – C.S. Lewis
Curriculum Intent
At The Radstone Primary School, we aim to ensure that all children leave us with the ability to confidently write at length across a range of genres, with a solid understanding of the grammatical skills required, to be clear and coherent in what they want to say. Our writing curriculum is strategically structured through a coherent long term plan. This plan outlines curriculum objectives introduced, developed, and embedded each term, providing opportunities for students to revisit and build on prior learning in a clear, sequential manner. Our goal is for all pupils to acquire the key skills and techniques needed to communicate effectively in writing, inspired by the works of accomplished writers. Writing is evident in every aspect of our curriculum and varying text types are taught throughout the school. We use the following plan to support our creation of texts in Writing: immerse – analyse – teach, model, practise and apply – plan – write – edit and improve. For more information on each of these stages, see the “Writing Planning Structure” document.
It is our intention that by the end of their primary education, all of our pupils will be able to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas effectively and with a developed awareness for purpose and audience. This ability to write with confidence for a range of purposes and audiences ensures that children leave The Radstone fully prepared for their secondary education, ready to achieve their aspirations and thrive in their adult life.
Implementation
- Through exploration, practice and innovation of high- quality texts, the children develop an understanding of the text features and can confidently apply them within their own writing.
- In all year groups, writing is taught in units. Some of these are taught independently of other subjects, and some units are carefully planned to provide strong links to other subject areas. We use the following plan to support our creation of texts in Writing: immerse – analyse – teach, model, practise and apply – plan – write – edit and improve. For more information on each of these stages, see the “Writing Planning Structure” document.
- To support children to develop automaticity in their writing process, we have introduced the “Fantastic Fundamentals,” a short retrieval session daily where children focus on one spelling word and a key element of grammar, vocabulary or punctuation. These follow a weekly pattern and have characters linked to them, to support children’s understanding and enjoyment. Combined, the Fantastic Fundamentals consolidate prior learning based on National Curriculum skills and ensure our children are continually developing and improving their knowledge of the English curriculum. As children develop more automaticity in these skills, they will be able to also develop their creativity and independence in writing, which is celebrated throughout the school.
- We use the RWI Phonics scheme to teach handwriting. This scheme enables children to develop their automaticity in formation, orientation and placement of letters, which frees up space in their working memory. Children who are able to write legibly, with fluency and at pace, can focus on the content of what is written and are more likely to develop into creative, imaginative writers.
Our children write across a wide range of genres throughout their time at The Radstone Primary School. High quality stimuli are integral to engage and inspire children to write for a variety of purposes and audiences. Extracts from modern and classic novels, poems and non-fiction texts along with video clips constitute a large part of these, alongside drama and first-hand experiences from trips and visitors to give writing a clear purpose for our children. As part of our curriculum offer, we ensure that our children are exposed to a diverse range of writing from many different cultures that broaden their understanding of the world that is both around them, and that lies ahead.
Key grammar skills are embedded throughout our writing curriculum and where necessary explicitly taught at an age-appropriate level. In Key Stage 1, children are taught the basic skills to construct clear and accurate sentences to ensure they enter Key Stage 2 being able to access the rich curriculum before them. Throughout Key Stage 2, grammar skills are systematically taught and subsequently revisited to enable children to become confident in their use and manipulation.
Spelling:
We use the Read, Write, Inc. Spelling scheme following on from RWI Phonics for Reading. This is introduced in Year 2 once the children have the required knowledge in order for them to understand the alphabetic code. For those children who are not yet ready, then continued focus on phonics is essential to give them the skills needed to progress in their learning. RWI spelling is designed for all children to access throughout Key Stage 2 and systematically builds upon good phonic knowledge in order to spell words and patterns of growing complexity.
Within our daily Fantastic Fundamentals sessions, children practise common exception words, high frequency words and words from the National Curriculum lists.
In addition, children in KS2 have their own personal spelling lists. This is formed from words that children have used in their own writing but have not yet spelt correctly. Teachers choose these according to children’s own attainment levels and current skills, with the aim that all children make individual progress from their own starting points.
Impact
Our curriculum at The Radstone Primary School ensures that children develop a love of creative writing and writing for purpose across different topics. In fiction, they enjoy discovering new characters and worlds, engaging with stories, characters and themes; in non-fiction writing, they enjoy exploring and presenting information in different ways. Through our engaging, creative, and vocabulary-rich curriculum, underpinned by high-quality texts, our students become confident and enjoy the process and experiences of writing.
Regular reviews and monitoring through pupil voice, learning walks, book scrutiny, and data collection from formative and summative assessments ensure the effectiveness of our curriculum. Our pupils are well-prepared for the next stages of their education and future success.
Key Information
Writing Curriculum and Skills Progression
Key grammatical terms for children and parents
Enrichment
Each year the English curriculum enrichment includes visiting authors, attendance at the film festival, theatre visits, topic specific trips, Young Shakespeare Company visits, house writing and poetry competitions, children’s participation in drama and choir productions – all of which present creative opportunities to build the character and confidence within our pupils.