Implementation

Our teaching of English includes phonics, reading, writing, spelling, handwriting and grammar. Children in Key Stages One and Two have a daily writing lesson. Children in EYFS have a number of shorter inputs that feed into the writing curriculum, though the structure and timing of this teaching will depend on the topic and the time of year. Each child in Reception writes with their teacher at least once a week in addition to their phonics lesson.

Our teaching of writing changes as children move through school:

In Reception, children write predominantly in their phonic range, writing dictated words, phrases and sentences to apply the phonic and spelling patterns that they learn in Read, Write Inc. Where children need spellings and vocabulary outside of their phonic range, we provide the word for them. Sometimes their writing is linked to their topic or story work. Sometimes it is not.

In Y1, when children begin to compose and write their own sentences, we explicitly teach them how to form sentences by using an approach inspired by colourful semantics. This approach carries on into the beginning of Y2.

From part way through Y2 to the end of Y6, we use a phased approach to teach a unit of writing. Our long-term plans for writing and a summary of the phased approach can be found below.

Our curriculum for writing is inspired by beautiful picture books, content in the wider curriculum, special events, novels, films and quality teacher models. Children write narrative pieces (most often stories) and transactional pieces (reports, instructions, letters, leaflets etc.) each year, returning to the conventions of different text types multiple times throughout their time with us.

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