Writing
Writing
The overarching aim for English in the curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. We believe the exposure of children’s literature within the primary school setting is vital as a rich context for learning; not only within English as a subject but to support building a reading culture throughout the school. We aim to use high quality books that offer opportunities for empathy and can aid philosophical enquiry, as a means of developing the spoken language requirements through debate, drama and discussion using the issues raised through, and within, the text.
At St. David’s Primary School, we use the Literacy Tree Scheme of Learning to support and deliver our teaching of writing, grammar, spelling, and punctuation from foundation to year 6. Each unit of work is based around a real text and has embedded within it spelling, grammar and punctuation objectives. Children have a daily lesson to develop their writing. This is grounded in a deep understanding of the purpose and audience of writing, the mechanics such as handwriting, spelling and grammar, together with developing authorial craft and writers' flair.
Children develop their writing through the use of high-quality model texts which exemplify core writing features. These texts provide an entitlement to great books which are mapped out to the National Curriculum in a progressive sequence, ensuring all children can be challenged appropriately.
EYFS and KS1
In EYFS, driver texts are chosen that link to the main topics. Opportunities for speaking, listening and writing are drawn from these texts to provide children with a purpose for writing. In KS1 (years 1 and 2), the Literacy Tree provides structure to the progression of texts from years R-6. In year 1, text selection is also drawn from the Babcock sequences with planning structured to provide links between The Literacy Tree and our wider curriculum. This ensures that children learn the pattern of high-quality texts, practise innovating writing with a supporting scaffold and then can harness their creativity to produce their own independent writes.
KS2:
The Literacy Tree units are used as a stimulus, mapping objectives from the National Curriculum where elements identified from independent writing can also be incorporated. This allows several independent written outcomes within sequences providing plenty of opportunities for creativity and writing at length.
We use the Literary Curriculum, a book-based approach created so that there is a more consistent, cohesive pedagogy used across the school. Developed by The Literacy Tree, the Literary Curriculum immerses children in a literary world, creating strong levels of engagement to provide meaningful and authentic contexts for learning. Children become critical readers and acquire an authorial style as they encounter a wide range of significant authors and a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
Teachers use live modelling, where they act as an author to ensure that our children can think through their writing and the impact it has on an audience. Developing children's vocabulary is a key element of our teaching and teachers develop children's vocabulary for writing.
Handwriting –
It is paramount that children are rigorously taught correct letter formation from the very beginning of their time in school. At St. David’s Primary School we are following the handwriting scheme Letterjoin to support the children’s progression. Children will receive 3 short sessions of handwriting each week, at the start of English sessions.
In reception, children are taught to form letters through phonic sessions. In year 1, children are encouraged to join their letters to encourage fluency when writing. Regular feedback is provided for children in English books and ‘in the moment’ sessions.