English Writing

curriculm intent statement

Through our English curriculum, we aim to help children develop the skills and knowledge necessary for effective and creative communication, both spoken and written. Our goal is to equip them with the tools to become lifelong learners and to foster a love for literature and its diverse forms.

Literacy is fundamental to all aspects of learning. It empowers children to communicate effectively for various purposes and to reflect on their own and others’ experiences, feelings, and ideas, giving them order and meaning. Oracy the ability to express oneself fluently and effectively in spoken language is equally important, as it enhances children’s confidence and social skills, enabling them to engage in meaningful discussions. Because literacy and oracy are central to children’s intellectual, emotional, and social development, they play vital roles across the curriculum, ensuring that learning is coherent and progressive.

TEACHING WRITING IN SCHOOL

We believe that writing is a fundamental life skill and we inspire children to become creative and confident communicators, readers and writers, leading to improved opportunities.  Through our English curriculum, children at Loseley Fields experience a wide range of purposeful texts, tailored to them, which enriches and broadens their vocabulary and grammatical technique through writing. Through meaningful teaching and learning experiences and through writing for a purpose, children are encouraged to value their own work. 

"You can make anything through writing."  C.S. Lewis.

We teach children across the school using creative approaches, including the use of art, drama and roleplay. At Loseley Fields, we follow Pie Corbett's Talk 4 Writing approach in KS1 and continue to use some aspects of this in LKS2. We also use many of the strategies from the CLPE Power of Reading scheme throughout the school from EYFS up to Year 6. Through fun activities that help them rehearse the language they need, followed by shared writing to show them how to craft their writing, children are helped to write in the same style.

 The structure of our writing units is:

  1. Creative Hook – used to excite the children and engage them into the writing journey.
  2. Model Text introduced with a story/text map to support the learning.
  3. Vocabulary focus – vocabulary is discussed with children at every opportunity, exemplified and put into context. Vocabulary is displayed around the environment.
  4. Oral retelling and immersion of the text
  5. Comprehension – reading as a reader to understand the text.
  6. Identifying the underlying structure of the text to help plan their own.
  7. Sentence level skills work – short  writing tasks linked to vocabulary, grammar or text structure highlighted from targets.
  8. Innovation – pupils are able to draft their own versions of the text, developing new characters, plots or settings. They may use characteristics of a genre to create their own piece of writing on a personal topic.
  9. Editing and revising – In key stage 1 pupils may verbally suggest a simple change they could make to a sentence or correct a spelling or punctuation error. Pupils are supported to begin to edit their work as they move into key stage 2 and to further develop these skills when they are in upper key stage 2.
  10. Independent application – Pupils must have the opportunity to independently apply the skills they have learnt in English and whenever possible be given the opportunity to apply these skills across the curriculum.
  11. Sharing and celebrating: Children are encouraged to show case their work through different publishing and presenting opportunities. 

At Loseley Fields we ensure that our writing curriculum supports all children by:

  • Valuing their writing at all stages of development thus encouraging them to see themselves as writers from an early age.
  • Providing a real purpose for writing and enabling pupils to become increasingly aware of their intended audience.
  • Providing a multi-sensory approach - ensuring a range of contexts and stimuli.
  • Using a range of spoken language skills, e.g., hot seating, re-enacting, use of the theatre for making and presenting.
  • Providing outstanding role models through shared writing, where the teacher shares their own writing processes and experiences.
  • Providing opportunities for collaborative writing.
  • Providing scaffolding and appropriate support where appropriate.
  • Giving the children experience of a range of ways to plan, edit and revise their work so they can choose which is appropriate for their needs as they progress through the school.
  • Using checklists and success criteria for pupils to self-assess and/or peer assess, when appropriate, so they can evaluate effectively and identify areas for development.
  • Encouraging joined handwriting to support spelling and fluency.
  • Supporting pupils with learning and motor difficulties through specific, targeted interventions and support from the relevant outside agencies.

 

Handwriting 

Handwriting is a physical activity that involves movement and recognition skills that need to be learnt and become part of the automatic cognitive skill set of the pupil.  To achieve this, Loseley fields has a structured program across each year of the school, building on the order of the letters taught as part of the Phonics program but also as a stand alone subject. 

Handwriting is of fundamental importance to educating our pupils because pupils who do not learn to read and write fluently and confidently are, in every sense, disenfranchised.  The mastery of automaticity in handwriting is therefore one of the key priorities of the school.

The key principles of the programme are:

  • Building physical strength underpins handwriting and concentration. This knowledge informs the working positions that children use for writing and the strengthening targets they work on.
  • Pupils are not expected to do anything before they are developmentally ready for it.
  • The different components of writing are mastered individually before being used in combination.
  • Letters are learnt as movements, not as visual shapes, and movement remains central to developing automaticity in letter formation, flow and fluency.
  • Posture is important in developing the correct position for handwriting and so children are taught how to organise their working position and paper position to enable comfortable and fluent writing from the start.
  • Correct pencil hold is taught from the start (i.e., as soon as a tri-pod grip is developmentally appropriate).

Reading and writing are reciprocal processes; strengthening handwriting skills will support reading and writing development.