Writing

Vision for Writing
 
At All Saints we strive to get children enjoying their writing. We aim to do this through a structured and progressive approach to writing, which teaches the pupils the skills they need for particular genres of writing before applying them in context. We develop children's spelling, punctuation and grammar skills and build these skills up over a unit of work in order to produce high-quality, topic-linked pieces which showcase the progression the children have made. Children are encouraged to explore why they write in different styles and understand the audience and purpose for their pieces, to enhance coherence.
 
What's New?
 
We have introduced and implemented writing progression plans to ensure that children are covering a number of genres and writing styles throughout the year, with a different text type focus each half-term. The progression plans also ensure that children show progression in their writing each year. Writing is expected to be built up over time, within a two or three week block for each different text type. This is done in order for children to experience different examples of the specific genre of writing, learn and practice the skills needed to replicate that style and then produce a high-quality, longer piece of writing by the end of the block.
 
We ensure that reading is a part of our writing lessons, with children given genre-specific examples to understand what their end of topic work should look like. Children also complete reading comprehension questions in their English writing books, which are genre or topic related, ensuring that reading and writing are positively impacting each other. All writing is topic-based so that the children are fully immersed in the half-termly topics and so that they can use what they have learned across the wider curriculum in their writing.
 
Author Books have been introduced for the children to use to ensure that good progress is being made with their spellings. Where spellings are incorrect in children's books, these will be written correctly by a teacher. The children are then expected to correct these in their English books, before putting the word correctly into their author books. Then, whenever the children are writing longer pieces, they will have their author books out to give them autonomy over their own spellings.
 
Subject Priorities:
 
1) To continue to ensure that writing is built up over time, allowing the children to show a progression of skills before applying them in a high-quality, longer piece of writing.
 
2) To ensure that vocabulary is a key-part of English lessons, with children encouraged to use high-quality or topic-specific vocabulary in their independent writing.
 
3) To ensure that spellings are practised regularly and are corrected where necessary, using children's author books to allow for independent correction.
 

  • Mr Horton

    Assistant Headteacher

    Hi everybody, my name is Mr Horton and I have the pleasure of leading the subject of English at All Saints. I am very passionate about children enjoying writing and be able to write for a range of audiences and a number of different reasons. It's a skill which we aim to build up over time in order for children to use effectively on their journeys of discovery.
Useful Links
 
A website with lots of activities to practise and improve writing in KS1.
 
A website with lots of activities to practise and improve writing in KS2.
 
A Primary School writing guide for parents, outlining what is expected of the children in each year group and ways to help them with writing at home.
 
A selection of games aimed at improving phonics, spelling, grammar, punctuation and handwriting.