Writing

Writing Intent Statement:

We strive to create a love of writing that allows all pupils to write effectively for a range of purposes. Staff use a range of stimuli to engage and enthuse pupils. These stimuli are often linked to local and community issues. An age appropriate curriculum is taught ensuring that children receive excellent teaching of the essential skills needed to produce a high quality piece of writing. At Smawthorne Henry Moore Primary School we achieve this by following a hot and cold writing structure. Each individual element of the genre is taught in discreet lessons in order for children to fully understand the skill of each discipline. The children apply these skills independently to compose a well-structured and organised piece of writing. We encourage children to present their work to an incredibly high standard using a cursive approach, which we teach from Early Years.

Aims and Objectives:

The programmes of study for writing at key stage one and key stage two consist of transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing). As a school we pride ourselves on providing children with an enriched English curriculum. This provides children with a wide range of cross-curricular writing activities. Children are regularly given an exciting stimulus to write from, ensuring a purposeful learning experience. A wide range of genres are covered through careful planning over the year. We have a range of strategies to support children with their writing skills:

-To support children’s spellings; all year groups take part in a Spelling Bee competition, where the children learn their year group's common exception words.  

-We also have a Boggle display; where the letters are changed on a weekly basis and the children are encouraged to make words using these letters.

-Children have a spelling journal where they write in any spellings that have been corrected. Children are given opportunities to practise these.

-Each class in school has a writing area with tasks to extend and challenge the children’s learning.

-Opportunities for cross-curricular topic writing is planned for each half term.

-The school’s cursive handwriting scheme is displayed in each class. There is daily time allocated for children to be taught handwriting. They also have handwriting homework as a follow up to this.

-Each classroom has an age appropriate SPAG display/area to support key writing skills.

-Teachers ensure that when planning, children have a range of appropriate shared writing, modelled writing, guided writing, paired writing and independent writing activities.

English Long Term Plans