Writing

Intent

Pembury writers will

• be inspired by high-quality texts and classroom discussions which enable them to apply their writing skills for a range of purposes across the curriculum;
• understand the writing process and the different strategies they can use at each stage of this process;
• have sound phonic knowledge to help them apply the spelling patterns they learn in order to become fluent writers;
• acquire Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary from across the curriculum and use these words effectively in their verbal and written communication;
• have a solid understanding of grammar and punctuation with the ability to apply this effectively in their writing;
• write clearly, accurately and coherently;
• take pride in the presentation of their writing by developing a legible, cursive, individual handwriting style by the time they move to secondary school.

Implementation

Pembury writers are taught that writing can be thought of as a process made up of five components:

Throughout their time at Pembury, children will be taught to use a variety of strategies to support each component of the writing process. Teachers describe and model how, when, and why each strategy is to be used.  Children are supported with feedback initially in order for them to use these strategies independently. They are encouraged to communicate their ideas orally as we know that articulating ideas through talk is essential to the writing process.

Audience and Purpose

We understand that effective writing can be supported by giving pupils a clear reason to write (as well as someone to write for). Therefore, we teach pupils how to adapt their writing for different audiences and purposes so that they are motivated to write and their writing is meaningful to others.

Spelling

At Pembury, to support children’s writing, we teach appropriate strategies for pupils’ spelling by encouraging them to apply their phonic knowledge acquired through our systematic teaching of phonics in EYFS and Key Stage 1. Children are taught to segment words into syllables, how to spot spelling patterns and how to apply these in their writing. They have opportunities to explore the etymology of words so that they understand words can be related through their origins. Spelling is taught through carefully sequenced lessons from the Spelling Shed scheme of work. Each lesson systematically builds upon acquired knowledge, and pupils are provided with extensive opportunities to revise and practise these strategies both in school and at home.

Handwriting

We understand that handwriting skills need to be effectively taught to support writing.  Children are given opportunities to practise and develop their handwriting supported by effective feedback. We carefully monitor children’s handwriting to ensure accurate letter formation habits so that their handwriting is fluent and efficient. 

Grammar and Punctuation

The grammar and punctuation which children learn is closely linked with the purposes for their writing so that connections can be made and applied. A variety of text types and high-quality models of writing is used to drive the teaching and learning, allowing children to see how the literary skills learnt can be applied across the curriculum in their writing. Children practise sentence combining and other sentence construction techniques by examining these model texts in depth; they are then able to use these studied techniques as a springboard for their own writing.

Impact

Our high expectations for writing will enable our pupils to

• enjoy writing for a range of purposes and audiences;
• succeed in all aspects of literacy due to our carefully scaffolded approaches;
• understand fully the writing process and the different strategies they can use for each;
• have a wide and varied vocabulary gained from across the curriculum which they can apply in their writing;
• apply spelling rules and patterns they have been taught in their writing effectively;
• have a solid understanding of grammar and punctuation and understand how to apply this in their writing;
• take pride in their learning by writing legibly and coherently.

Assessment

At Pembury, we understand the value of precise and immediate feedback regarding children’s learning. Therefore, all children’s writing is assessed formatively by teaching staff as regular daily practice. Time is given to children to act upon this feedback. This enables the child and the teacher to see how well they have grasped the learning intention and to understand their next steps.

Writing across the curriculum is moderated termly across the school to assess how children have progressed; targets are set for those children to ensure that they continue to progress and build upon their previous learning.