Writing
Intent
We aim for all our children to be able to write independently in a variety of genres and for a range of purposes with fluency, accuracy and enjoyment. We believe children should understand from an early age that their writing needs to be accurate, legible and appropriate for an audience. Our aim is that they will learn to enjoy writing and leave us as confident, accomplished writers. We acknowledge the role that discussion and oral rehearsal plays in our understanding of the written word as well as the importance of teacher modelling of the writing process. Both of these aspects form an integral part of our teaching of writing through the Talk for Writing approach which is implemented across the whole school.
“All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down.” (Friedrich Nietzsche)
Implementation
Our intention is to give every child excellent, independent writing skills so that they can be successful at every stage of their education. We use the Talk for Writing approach in our teaching of writing. Through a range of learning activities, children are able to internalise language, sentence structures and grammatical features that can then be used in their own writing. Children work with their teachers to create text maps so that they can internalise a range of models, explore text features and how they are used and choose high quality vocabulary for effect.
Writing in Nursery.
Writing in Reception.
Children are exposed to a range of different writing genres, specifically tailored for their year group. Through the cross-curricular teaching sequences, children are immersed in high quality texts so that they are continuously developing their language and the skills needed to produce their own high quality pieces of writing. English skills including spelling, punctuation and grammar are integrated into writing lessons wherever possible, as well as being taught discretely.
Drama activities. Above: Reception. Below: Theseus and the Minotaur in Year 5.
Throughout each Key Stage, every opportunity is taken to apply progressive English skills in all areas of the curriculum, build on pupils’ previous knowledge and develop these further. Emphasis is paid on children becoming proficient at editing and improving their own work and that of their peers. This is developed throughout the school from a young age. Children use purple pens to edit and improve their work. We believe this will motivate and enthuse our children and therefore allow them to become confident and skilful writers.
Independent Writing in Year 3: Persuasive Adverts
Impact
Our children engage well in lessons; they love to retell and innovate stories. They write with increased confidence year by year. We strive to ensure that our children’s attainment in writing is in line with or exceeds their potential. All children are assessed against the National Curriculum. Children are given clear next steps to enable them to make progress and ultimately, become more confident readers and writers as they make their journey through the school, mastering comprehension skills, writing at length and the manipulation of grammar and punctuation for effect.
Innovations in Year 4
Independent Writing in Year 3: Tales from Another Culture
How you can help your child at home
Partnerships with parents and carers is an important part of Drighlington Primary School. Working closely with parents enables us to ensure parents feel confident that their child is safe, well looked and is receiving a high quality education during their school hours. The links below offer a range of resources that may also be useful to families.
Talk for Writing: https://www.talk4writing.com/
Talk for Writing Home Learning Booklets: https://www.talk4writing.com/english-booklets/
Writing for Pleasure: https://writing4pleasure.com/supporting-children-writing-at-home/
Primary Writing: https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/english/primary-writing/
Children's Writing: https://www.readingrockets.org/article/7-great-ways-encourage-your-childs-writing
Places to visit
The Rainbow Factory https://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/attractions/the-rainbow-factory-20dd6a64
The Bronte Parsonage Museum https://www.bronte.org.uk/
Further support and useful weblinks