Tutshill C of E School

Writing

Billy was selected to read his writing at the Cheltenham Festival where he got the opportunity to meet the author M.G. Leonard.

1/8

We all enjoyed reading this on display.

2/8

Story mapping activating and applying our Talk for Writing skills and techniques.

3/8

4/8

5/8

6/8

Demonstrating stamina and cohesion in Year 2.

7/8

8/8

Progression of Skills for Writing

Intent

At Tutshill C of E Primary School, we intend to provide a stimulating, challenging English Curriculum for our children, underpinned by the objectives set out in the National Curriculum of 2014, with the intention of enabling our learners to write clearly, accurately and cohesively, adapting language and style for range of contexts, purposes and audiences.

We support learners to develop effective transcription and effective composition. Our learners are given a wide range of opportunities to use and develop their writing, grammar, punctuation, speaking and listening skills to help them apply key principles of the writing process across all areas of the curriculum.

We do this by:

Adopting a ‘Plan, Do, Review and Improve’ sequential model to structure the writing process.
Exploring the writing structure and features of different genres, identifying a clear purpose and audience.
Ensuring learners write with a proficient awareness of spelling, grammar and punctuation, reflective of age related expectations.
Planning and writing an initial piece of writing with a clear context and purpose.
Evaluating the effectiveness of writing by editing and redrafting, continuously seeking to improve underpinning our Core Christian values and Learning Behaviours.
Developing independence in being able to identify their own areas for improvement in pieces of writing, editing and redrafting their work effectively during and after the writing process to understand how they learn and how to improve. (Metacognition using our Tutshill ABCDE Model).
Emphasising the importance of ‘Talk for writing’ – with a deliberate emphasis on key vocabulary-including tier two vocabulary-as drivers to constantly strive to improve the quality of writing. (Metacognition)
Using the ‘Slow Writing’ approach to revisit, embed and consolidate skills using metacognition -allowing children to plan and monitor their own learning (ABCDE Model).
Demonstrating an age approptiate fluent and legible style of handwriting.
Ensuring there are opportunities to use and apply writing across the wider curriculum.
Providing/organising timely intervention to break writing down into smaller steps.
Providing tasks and writing opportunities to challenge all learners.
Creating real-life contexts for writing experiences, increasing the children’s understanding of the importance of writing skills within society and the wider world.
Developing an understanding of how widely writing is used in everday life, and therefore, how important and useful writing skills are to life long learners.

Using our core Christian Values and key learning behaviours to overcome writing challenges, develop stamina and creativity to become resilient, effective writers.

Implementation

Writing

Teaching sequences are based around initial immersion of a quality text, with build up and understanding of key features.

We ensure that the teaching of writing is purposeful, robust and shows clear progression for all children. In line with the new national curriculum, we ensure that each year group is teaching the explicit grammar, punctuation and spelling objectives required for each age group. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are taught as discrete sessions with opportunities to apply skills within writing sessions. As well as teaching the objectives, teachers are able to embed and extend skills throughout the year in cross-curricular writing opportunities. This ensures children are achieving the objectives at the expected level and that children can also achieve at a greater depth standard.

All year groups use the same format for assessing writing which have been produced in line with the end of Key Stage assessment frameworks as published by the Department for Education.

Children develop their vocabulary and knowledge in the subjects they learn. This reflects the SEEC model, including identifying and teaching tier two words. Bespoke writing interventions are used to reduce gaps in learning.

Spelling

In Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage One, children use their phonics skills to spell or ‘segment’ words as well as learning the High Frequency words (including tricky words). As children progress through the school, they are taught spelling rules and patterns. All children are tested on the rules and patterns they have been taught each term, with the expectation that they apply them in their independent writing. Common Exception Words are also shared with parents and children, on the school website, and are expected to be built upon throughout the year.

Writing

Learning to make the transition from spoken to written language is a key skill for children to learn as early as possible. This transition is made through exposure to a wide variety of written texts and through purposeful opportunities to practise their developing skills.

Speaking and Listening

Speaking and listening activities are purposefully woven throughout our curriculum from EYFS to Year Six.

Good oral work enhances pupils' understanding of language, in both oral and written forms, and of the way language can be used to communicate. As children develop, we foster their understanding of speech and their abilities to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas in words.

A wide-range of resources within English lessons support progression in writing including Slow Writing; No Nonsense Grammar; Literacy Shed; No Nonsense Spelling and CLPE, Power of reading resources.

Impact

Pupil Voice- children are confident, engaged and enjoy their writing experiences.
Children use key technical grammatical vocabulary with confidence and accuracy when planning and discussing independent writing.
Lesson planning and observations show a variety of resources and approaches are used to promote understanding.
‘Book Looks’ document clear evidence of editing, polishing and redrafting identified next steps.
Pupil progress meetings/ data-looks take place to follow the progress of focus children and identify support and timely intervention where needed.
Progress tracker (INSIGHT) shows attainment and progress made by individuals and key groups.
All children are expected to succeed and make progress from their starting points.
Deep dive showing evidence of writing across the school.
Children will have a love of writing and make at least good progress in writing from their last point of statutory assessment or from their starting point in EYFS (Baseline on entry or EYFSP).
Regular monitoring of subject and working alongside staff to ensure maximum impact.
Moderation of writing across all year groups including non statutory cohorts.

Children of all abilities achieve in lessons. The most disadvantaged children and children with SEND are given the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. All children are taught a broad, rich curriculum and achieve success.