Writing

The use of engaging, relevant and high-quality texts is central to our writing curriculum. These act as stimuli for children to develop and explore their writing skills. Throughout the school, we use the Power of Reading programme with high-quality books and creative teaching approaches (such as art and drama).

A quality text will be used as the basis for learning over several weeks. Children will explore and discuss the text through creative activities. They will also write in a range of genres as part of the unit. For example, they might write a letter in role as a character or write a newspaper recount about the events in the text. The use of intense, rich texts enables children to deepen their understanding of writing and provides a meaningful context for their own work.

In early years, children are encouraged to see writing as a means to communicate with others and to develop this skill informally as well as formally. As they progress through the school, writing activities are given meaningful contexts, and children write in different genres increasing competence.

When writing, the children are encouraged to “have a go” from the beginning, writing the sounds and words they know to communicate their developing vocabulary and ideas. Skills such as grammar, spelling, punctuation and handwriting are taught in a structured way so that these skills can be applied to writing with increasing fluency and accuracy.

Children are expected to evaluate their own or others’ work, consider ways to improve it and to edit work before publishing. At the editing stage they are encouraged to focus on spellings, their punctuation and to develop vocabulary with thesauruses or class displays. Conferencing, sharing work with the teacher or others and discussing it enables them to look at ways to improve the style and structure of their work at the editing stage.

Phonics and Spelling

Phonics (the sounds made by letters and groups of letters) are taught in regular sessions through the Letters and Sounds programme, supporting both reading and spelling. Children also develop their understanding of rhyme, blending sounds to make a word and separating a word into its component sounds. This practice is continued in later years as children explore more complex letter patterns, prefixes and suffixes. Emphasis is placed on correcting common errors, expanding vocabulary and developing spelling strategies.

From Year 2, children are expected to practise spellings and letter patterns at home. Through a variety of strategies, children are taught to spell the most commonly used words, or words that do not fit a pattern. Through examination of patterns, such as prefixes and suffixes, children also learn to recognize spelling patterns and conventions that help them spell correctly. Through these teaching approaches, teachers ensure that the National Curriculum Statutory Word List is covered.

Grammar and punctuation are taught more formally from Year 2. Children learn how to construct different forms of sentences, and to make these clear to the reader with accurate punctuation. Children learn how grammar can alter and intensify the meaning of a sentence. Through detailed examination of rich texts, children learn to use and deploy punctuation and constructions that enhances and intensifies their written language.

Handwriting

At Aldrington, children learn to develop an effective, cursive style of handwriting, which is legible and easy to produce. Handwriting is taught in discrete teaching sessions, and individually according to need. Throughout the school, children develop a cursive handwriting style using the PenPals Handwriting Scheme.

In early years, the children begin by learning to form un-joined lowercase letters. From Year 1 onwards, when the children are ready, they begin to join the letters. By the end of Year 2, most children are expected to be forming and joining all letters correctly in all written work. From Year 3, once children’s writing is fluent and joined consistently and evenly, pens are introduced.