Writing

Intent

At Ratby Primary School we aim for children to be independent writers. We teach them to use punctuation and grammar accurately, to be able to proofread their own work and make amendments and improvements. Teachers encourage children to write clearly and with confidence in any given genre. Great value is placed on the development of correct letter formation and neatly presented handwriting. We give children a wide range of opportunities in which to develop their writing skills and display work of which they are proud.

Through our English curriculum, we aim to nurture in the children a love of literature and language and the confidence to continue reading and writing throughout their lives. We focus on the teaching and learning of, transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing).

We ensure that pupils are taught how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. Writing down ideas fluently depends on effective transcription: that is, on spelling quickly and accurately through knowing the relationship between sounds and letters (phonics) and understanding the morphology (word structure) and orthography (spelling structure) of words.

Aims:

The aim of this writing curriculum is to promote the highest standards of language and literacy by equipping children with a strong command of the spoken and written word and to develop their love of literature.

We aim for children to be able to:

Effective composition involves articulating and communicating ideas, and then organising them coherently for a reader. This requires clarity, awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.
Writing also depends on fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting.
Acquire a wide vocabulary, and understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions of reading, writing and spoken language
Appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage

Implementation

Talk for Writing

At Ratby Primary School we use Talk for Writing throughout the school which is then linked to the half-termly topics.. Talk for Writing is powerful because it is based on the principles of how people learn. The movement from imitation to innovation to independent application can be adapted to suit the needs of learners of any stage.

The Talk for Writing approach enables children to read and write independently for a variety of audiences and purposes within different subjects. A key feature is that children internalise the language structures needed to write through ‘talking the text’, as well as close reading. The approach moves from dependence towards independence, with the teacher using shared and guided teaching to develop the ability in children to write creatively and powerfully.

Imaginative units of work are developed to create a whole-school plan that is refined over the years, is well-resourced and documented to release teachers from planning and preparation so that they can focus on adapting their teaching for children’s learning.

The Talk for Writing approach enables children to imitate orally the language they need for a particular topic, before reading and analysing it, and then writing their own version. Here are the key phases:

Teaching Style

EYFS and KS1

The teaching of Phonics and writing is practical, playful and inclusive with support and challenge from adults in class sessions, small groups and working with individuals. There is a combination of adult-led, teacher taught sessions as well as a wealth of stimulating continuous provision opportunities when adults scaffold learning through skilful interactions and questioning. Throughout all of these areas of learning and at the heart of our EYFS are the “Characteristics of Effective Learning”.

Children are introduced to Talk for Writing during the Autumn term in the foundation stage and both Foundation and Key Stage 1 follow The Talk for Writing phases. The children are made aware of each phase through the teaching of skills and working walls displayed in every classroom. Each year group plans to ensure the following skills are being modelled, taught and embedded.

Text Structure
Sentence Construction
Word Structure / Language
Punctuation
Terminology

Teaching Style

KS2

The Talk for Writing approach is built on through all year groups in KS2. The key difference is in children becoming more independent and moving away from the model text. For greater depth writers, more flexibility is given to these children who can use the skills and concepts taught in the imitation and innovation stages to have more freedom in their independent writing. More emphasis is given to grammar in KS2 and learning the different terminology and how to apply it. Children also learn the full range of punctuation ensuring correct usage. From year 3 children are able to use a handwriting pen if their handwriting has reached the required standard of presentation. Children are given time to ‘purple-pen’ their writing ensuring that they edit and improve their work and respond to teacher marking.

Impact

By the time children leave Ratby Primary School, they are competent, lifelong reader writers that can compose a range of genres including poetry, have been exposed to tier two vocabulary and can confidently participate in discussions about different genres.

Writing will be assessed using:

Teacher tracking and assessment both summative and formative
Regular phonics tracking and assessment
Whole school and cluster writing moderation led by teachers in school who are Local Authority moderators and an SLE.
Year 2/6 TAF (teacher framework) and exemplification documents are used as a reference during the in school moderation of each specific year group.
KS1 and KS2 SATS
Writing Trackers
Cold and Hot Writes