Writing

Writing in Reception and KS1

Our Read, Write, Inc approach to phonics includes a huge emphasis on writing from Foundation onwards. There is a huge focus on letter formation in Foundation and then, as the programme progresses, the focus then changes to sentence level. The phonics programme teaches reading, writing and spelling. When using 'Read Write Inc' to write the children will:

- Learn to write the letters/letter groups which represent the 44 sounds (graphemes)

- Learn to write words by sounding them out and then writing the corresponding graphemes

- Learn to write simple and then increasingly complex sentences

- Compose a range of texts using discussion prompts

- Compose stories 

When children have successfully completed the Read Write Inc phonics programme, they will take part in daily one hour English lessons following the same Writing approach as years 3-6. Please see the LTP.

Approach to Writing years 3-6

Writing is celebrated in every classroom through the 'Celebrating Writing Display' which showcases a selection of children’s writing which can be from across the curriculum.  

This piece of writing is a published piece and is rotated at least half termly to ensure all children’s work is displayed throughout the year. 

Children are given opportunities to write for real purposes across the curriculum, covering a range of genres. This may include writing to inform, persuade, discuss or entertain, and often include a specific audience. These writing tasks may be tailored to children’s interests thus inspiring creativity and enjoyment. Examples of cross-curricular writing are celebrated through displays in classrooms and around the school.  

Writing units often start with a hook to inspire interest and engagement for example through the use of story sacks, scavenger hunts, props, pictures, and video clips. Keywords and ambitious vocabulary are explored and displayed promoting a vocabulary rich environment which values the spoken and written word.  

Each term begins with an English unit which is based on book-led planning using the Take One Book approach where a quality picture book is used to generate discussion. Key writing objectives are revised and practiced that lead to a range of short cross-genre outcomes inspired by the book.  

English units are driven by high quality ‘texts that teach’ and quality model texts that are deliberately chosen in order to promote a firm understanding of age-related writing, grammar, and vocabulary which can then be applied independently. Where appropriate a ‘Talk for Writing’ approach is used across the school to encourage oral rehearsal of sentence structures and provides a clear model for writing: imitate – innovate – invent. Writing is modeled through ‘thinking aloud’ strategies which encourage proofreading and editing skills throughout the process of writing.