English- Writing
Intent – Why do we teach what we teach?
At Marlcliffe, English enjoys high status and has considerable teaching time in all phases; we recognise writing as a valuable tool, in all aspects of a child’s life. It is our intention to deliver units of work that inspire as well as educate. Our curriculum design provides children with the foundations that they need to be confident communicators; both now and in the future. We aim to empower children in their writing; building resilience and promoting a sense of achievement.
Our ambitious curriculum ensures children are inspired to write by using high quality texts as literary models. We also seek to create authentic writing opportunities where children understand they are writing for a range of audiences.
The National Curriculum promotes a strong command of the English Language; therefore, we place a high degree of emphasis on technical accuracy.There are two particular components:
·transcription (spelling, punctuation, grammar and handwriting)
·composition (articulating and communicating ideas, in both speech and writing)
Each phase follows a Long-Term Plan for Writing which offers children a balanced exposure to fiction and non-fiction writing.
Implementation – How do we teach it?
Progression maps ensure that there is clear progression through each phase; covering all the National Curriculum objectives (and more).Through careful sequencing of learning, children are taught the right content at the right time.Our ambitious curriculum supports children to ‘know more and remember more.’
Our approach to writing is centred on talk; having a strong command of spoken language underpins the development of both reading and writing. Therefore, children in the early stages of writing have more opportunity to rehearse orally; older children learn the conventions of discussion and debate.
Children are given the opportunity to take part in shared, modelled and independent writing. Teachers use both pre-prepared examples of writing (WAGOLLs) and ones that they co-construct with the children. Sentence structure is modelled explicitly so that children can learn, practise and experiment with language structures, in a wide range of different genres. 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. Grammar is taught both explicitly and implicitly within lessons, careful sequencing ensures that the children develop key grammatical knowledge throughout each phase. Spelling Shed is used as a structured approach to teaching spelling; teachers also ensure that English lessons reinforce spelling patterns and high frequency words.
In KS1, there is less emphasis on writing creatively or teaching specific text types. Teachers place more emphasis on developing the children’s writing skills through carefully planned and scaffolded lessons. As part of weekly lessons, children are given dictated sentences; this repeated practise of basic skills places emphasis on accuracy.
Children at Marlcliffe, are immersed in a theme before being expected to write about it. Teachers plan activities which enable children to have sufficient knowledge or experience before writing. The children are exposed to a range of literature that celebrates diversity and encourages critical thinking. Each stimulus for writing is carefully chosen for its literary value and its ability to engage/hook the children.
During independent writing, emphasis is placed on transcriptional accuracy i.e. basic foundational knowledge such as full stops and capital letters. children are given ‘steps to success’ to support writing. Teachers have high expectations for accuracy when marking; planning and editing is taught across school. In EYFS and Y1, teachers demonstrate how to edit orally i.e. they model thinking aloud as they collect ideas. From Y2, teachers model the process more explicitly; children are taught to consider/plan what they are going to write before beginning. Teachers model how to make additions, revision and corrections to writing. Children also receive effective marking and feedback from teachers; they are given time to edit their work in future lessons.
Children are taught at age-related expectations, based on the National Curriculum objectives. However, some children need support/adaptations to access the curriculum, therefore, this is done through carefully planned and scaffolded resources. Teachers also use ‘assessment for learning’ during lessons to identify children who may need to repeat certain parts of the lesson during same day interventions. Some children also participate in planned interventions which target individuals who have specific gaps in their learning; TAs are trained to deliver specific writing interventions e.g. NIP, VIP, shape coding, precision teaching etc. SEND children, who are working below age-related expectations, have a more personalised curriculum.
We promote high standards of presentation by using the ‘Achieving Excellence in Handwriting’ scheme by Debbie Watson. We support children to develop a fluent, legible handwriting style. Children who display high standards of presentation and effort, are awarded with a ‘Pride in Presentation’ sticker’ in their books. Each half term, one child from every class is chosen to go on the ‘PIP Roll of Honour’ display in the KS1 Hall.
Teachers assess writing each term using agreed assessment grids. These have been created using the National Curriculum assessment guidance and they have been moderated against those used by other schools. Throughout a term, teachers use various forms of assessments, to assess children against these age-related expectations. These vary from informal assessments (e.g. writing pieces in children’s books) to more formal assessed writes; using a range of examples enables teachers to come to a more rounded judgement.
IMPACT – What has been the impact and how do we know?
Teachers have termly Pupil Progress Meetings with a member of the Senior Leadership Team; each child’s progress is discussed. Afterwards, an Intervention Map is produced to show the plan for targeted interventions; the SENCo supports staff to address any gaps in learning. The Assessment Lead (Sarah Adams – Assistant Head) produces whole school analysis documents. This information is shared will all relevant stakeholders (including Governors).Termly parent’s evenings/reports include progress information; this all ensures that all members of the school community are kept informed and up to date about the impact of teaching within school.
Judgements and standards are regularly monitored through the school’s monitoring process. Each Subject Leader monitors their subject throughout the academic year; once per year, they complete a Subject Enquiry alongside a member of SLT. This process includes:
Planning scrutinies
Book looks
Lesson observations
Pupil voice
Afterwards, a report is created and shared with teachers; this details the positives and the next steps we can take further develop the school’s curriculum.
Last year, writing formed part of the School Improvement Plan (2023/2024).Since implementing a more consistent approach, writing is more accurate, cohesive and effective.KS2 results showed that children left Marlcliffe being able to write confidently and with a high degree of technical accuracy.
As a result, we believe the impact of our writing curriculum supports the school’s Curriculum Drivers.
It allows our children to become confident, skilled communicators who are able to express themselves powerfully and eloquently to a wide range of audiences. We also believe that we give them the confidence, knowledge and skills to succeed – now and in the future!