Writing

Intent

At Heather Garth Primary Academy we want all pupils to be enthusiastic readers, writers, and speakers, who enjoy sharing and showcasing their growing English knowledge, skills, and confidence in communication. We aim to develop pupils who have the stamina and ability to write at the age expected standard and who can transfer their English skills to other curriculum subjects and who are prepared for the next steps in their education.

We believe that children need to develop a secure knowledge-base in English, which follows a clear pathway of progression as they advance through the primary curriculum. We believe that a secure basis in English skills is crucial to a high-quality education and will give our children the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society.

We believe that a quality English curriculum should develop children’s love of reading, writing and discussion. We aim to inspire an appreciation of our rich and varied literary heritage and a habit of reading widely and often, “magpieing” the skills of quality authors. We provide opportunities for writing for purpose and we encourage pupils to see themselves as authors. We promote the status of written work by providing opportunities for children’s writing to be “published” as well as displayed throughout school- to celebrate achievements.

We develop oracy by providing structured opportunities for pupils to speak, listen, discuss, and present across the curriculum, building their confidence, vocabulary, and communication skills

Implementation

Handwriting

In line with our Systematic Synthetic Phonics Programme (Little Wandle), we teach letter formation using our formation phrases, which make a link between the mnemonic and the letter. As per the Department for Education guidance, we do not teach cursive handwriting whilst children are accessing the phonics proramme. Once our children have established and secured letter formation, we use the school handwriting policy/programme (Letterjoin) to teach handwriting.. This is done daily in FS2 and Y1, three times a week in Y2 and twice a week in KS2. Pupils who are struggling with their handwriting, and for those who it causes writing fluency issues, handwriting recovery is used to support them. 

Drawing Club (FS2) 

We encourage our pupils to think and write creatively, be adventurous- experimenting with their use and choice of language and to write with clear purpose and for pleasure. We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children take pride in their writing, can write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style for a range of contexts.

Early English, alongside effective teaching of systematic synthetic phonics, focuses on the key elements of: language/vocabulary acquistion, word reading, spelling, pencil grip and letter formation. Children also undertake a range of activities to develop fine and gross motor skills such as dough disco, ginger gym, Squiggle while you Wiggle, etc.

Oral comprehension and composition are also key components during this stage to help children develop language and communication skills which will later help them when they come to written composition.

To support pupils with this, in Foundation Stage, we have introduced Drawing Club. Drawing Club incorporates story sharing, speaking and listening, drawing, writing, vocabulary, mathematics, imagination and collaboration. Each week we have a focus story or animation. The children learn new vocabulary linked to the story or animation and are invited to Drawing Club, where they may draw a character, setting or event. They can innovate their drawings and add secret passwords, magic powers or spells, hidden symbols, letters or numerals. At the start of reception, the sessions may be purely drawings based but this will progress on throughout the year to labelling their drawings with initial sounds, CVC words and eventually writing sentences about their drawings.

The children love coming to Drawing Club!

Further information can be found at: http://www.canigoandplaynow.com/drawing-club.html

Curious Quests (Y1 and Autumn term of Y2)

Buillding on Drawing Club, pupils in Y1 access Curious Quests. The Curious Quests takes the magic of Drawing Club into Year 1.

Created to begin in Autumn 2, The Curious Quests is an immersive adventure into story, poetry, make-believe and giving children a childhood that brims with endless possibilities to invent, imagine and story dream.

The Curious Quests combines short carpet sessions, group work and children exploring open-ended resources such as junk modelling, construction, playdough, role play and if possible, being outside. 

You will have abundant opportunities to show children the joy of SPAG and apply their phonic understanding too, though The Curious Quests does not tell you what to teach and when - that is down to you and your knowledge of your children and the curriculum. The Curious Quests, just like Drawing Club is more like an open-ended landscape to adventure in.

The Curious Quests are not about writing text types because this is not in the Year 1 Writing National Curriculum as an expectation - children become detached from writing when adults turn it into a task.

The Curious Quests wants to build on the liberation of Drawing Club that shows children that writing is for them and that the pen is a magic wand. They write for their own joy, not to meet the demands of the adults.

Further information can be found at: https://www.canigoandplaynow.com/the-curious-quests.html

Writing after Curious Quests 

Through an enriching text-based curriculum, we aim to ensure that all our children develop a genuine love of language and literature, by immersing them in a diverse range of high-quality books. Where possible, we make strong links between our reading and writing, which we believe allows each child to flourish as an author. We support children’s clear understanding of how widely writing is used in everyday life and therefore how important and useful the skills are that they are learning.

With the National Curriculum at its core, writing is of paramount importance at our school and is supported through a well-mapped out skills and knowledge document that maximise learning for all children.

We intend for all pupils to become enthusiastic and motivated writers, who have the confidence to write in a wide variety of genres and text types. For children to become fluent spellers and see writing as an interesting and enjoyable process, as well as write with purpose for an audience and take ownership of their writing and creativity.

To meet the National Curriculum objectives, we base our literacy units on high quality, age-appropriate texts so that children have considerable exposure to the text type, as well as having opportunities to magpie words and phrases while they write. The National Curriculum states that spoken language underpins the development of reading and writing and with oracy being such a high priority for children at Heather Garth, we provide discussion opportunities into every lesson in all year groups.

Spelling

Children who can spell feel confident and are able to write with enjoyment. We want our pupils to be equipped with the knowledge and range of strategies for learning spelling and to be able to apply their strategies when spelling words in their independent writing. We use the Spelling Shed approach to spelling. This involves the relationship between sounds and written symbols as well as using morphology to help spell through meaning. The carefully selected word lists and engaging activities provide opportunities to incorporate phonics and meaning to strengthen spelling skills and build vocabulary acquisition.

Each class has taught weekly spelling session (1hr or 3x 20mins) and assessments of key spelling patterns informed by the national curriculum. As well as being taught through the wider curriculum, Spelling Shed can be accessed from home, with guidance on a range of strategies shared with parents to support home help.

Further information can be found at: https://www.spellingshed.com/en-gb/

Or see the spelling shed overview for detailed information. 

Oracy

A high-quality oracy education is vital to not only improve academic outcomes of students but also to foster their confidence and wellbeing. This is why, at Heather Garth Primary Academy, oracy is at the heart of our English curriculum from the early years right up to Y6. 

Key oracy skills are taught throughout the whole curriculum. Objectives are progressive and sequential; teaching the children the skills to confidently and effectively use the spoken language for educational progress, and for life in general.

The school uses a variety of teaching and learning approaches to teach oracy skills across the curriculum, including:

• Providing opportunities for drama and role-play.
• Providing opportunities for children to develop their listening skills through conversation.
• Promoting small group and class discussions on specific topics/areas of the curriculum.
• Providing opportunities to speak in front of a larger audience, for example during an assembly.
• Giving the children the opportunity to speak to unfamiliar people with a real purpose.
• Allowing the children to participate in ‘show and tell’ sessions.
• Playing a range of games with the children to encourage effective use of oracy skills.
• Providing opportunities for the children to become a storyteller for an authentic audience.
• Providing opportunities for the children to present to an audience, chair a discussion and hold class meetings.
• Encouraging the children to talk for a specific purpose, e.g. to persuade or to entertain.
• Encouraging children to work in groups to collaboratively solve a problem.
• Encouraging class and group debates and providing opportunities for children to make speeches in front of an audience.

Please see the oracy overview for detailed information. 

Impact

Pupils are assessed against key criteria and milepoints each year. These can be found in the progression documents fo each strand on this page. Pupils progress throughout the writing journey, as well as their final independent pieces, inform this teacher judgement. Writing moderation, both across school, through liasion with other local/linked schools, as well as attendance at LA events helps support teacher judgement and ensure accuracy and consistency.

It is our aim that, pupils will make good progress from their own personal starting points. By the end of Year Six they will be able to write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. Our pupils will acquire a wide vocabulary and have a strong command of the written word. Most importantly, they will develop a love of writing and be well equipped for the rest of their education. 

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