English - Writing

School Vision

‘We seek to transform the lives of our children within a Christian environment, nurturing the wellbeing of each child, promoting the highest academic achievement and instilling a lifelong love of learning.’

I alone know the plans I have for you; plans for the future you hope for. Jeremiah 29:11

God’s plans for us are limitless. He knows us best and plans for us to reach our unique and individual potential, shaped in the palm of His hand. This potential may reveal itself when we least expect it, just like God’s love being revealed to us. We believe that we are shaping children, not just in the present, but also for the future – enabling them to be global citizens in God’s rapidly changing world, celebrating life in all its fullness.

Intent

At Christ Church, we aim for all our children to develop a love of language alongside the building blocks of grammar, punctuation and spelling. They will be able to use these tools to weave effective and engaging writing across a range of genres, for different purposes and audiences. We provide experiences and a range of stimuli (pictures, films, songs, texts, objects) to inspire imagination. Our ultimate aim is to create children as writers who understand the power of the written (and spoken) word and are able to craft compelling writing which opens up the world for them.

Implementation

The teaching of writing comprises different strands and elements.

We develop pupils’ skills of vocabulary, punctuation and grammar alongside composition which has the following elements: planning; drafting and writing; evaluating and editing; performing. Spelling is specifically addressed using the Read, Write, Inc scheme, which is taught outside of the Literacy lessons, however a focus on spelling is a continuous thread throughout writing sessions. Handwriting is expected to be joined up, cursive and this is taught with the support of the Letter Join programme.

Each class has a tailored Literacy Curriculum Coverage Plan which ensures a broad range of writing genres are explored and use a variety of stimuli to inspire and motivate pupils. We use a mixture of units from Jane Considine’s The Write Stuff and texts or films which staff have found inspiring and are enthused to share with the children. Children’s work is initially scaffolded through sessions where texts are analysed and specific objectives are taught. Final outcome written pieces are independent and children are expected to edit their work, using purple pens for spelling or punctuation corrections and writing flaps when re-writing or adding more to their work.

Guided and shared writing groups help pupils exchange and share ideas in a collaborative manner, whilst also benefiting from adult guidance and prompts to level up their work.

Drama activities such as hot seating, conscience alley or freeze frames enhance children’s understanding, helping them to see things from different points of view and talk about them either in small groups or the whole class. For persuasive writing or balanced arguments, debating skills are developed through class discussions, with a focus on listening and responding to others.

The Read, Write, Inc interventions Get Writing (Years 3 and 4) and Fresh Start (Years 5 and 6) are delivered four mornings per week for pupils who have been identified as needing more intensive support in progressing with their Literacy skills.

Impact

Pupils’ written work reflects the writing stamina they develop and their ability to write across a variety of genres with a range of purposes. They develop a broader vocabulary and deepen their understanding of how to use it for effect. Formative assessment is ongoing and independent writing pieces are measured against end of year requirements for the appropriate year group. Use of Target Tracker helps identify any gaps in learning which can then be addressed through quality first teaching or interventions as necessary.

Skills Progression

Curriculum Plans

Please see below our curriculum plans for each year group. We teach writing through the use of high quality texts.

Teaching of Spelling

Click here to see information about year group spelling expectations.