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Writing

Intent

To deliver the writing specific content of the English programmes of study as set out in the national curriculum

Implementation

Through embedding the grammar, punctuation and vocabulary facets of writing into model texts that are shared, explored and practised throughout the course of the week.

Impact

For our pupils to: 

  • enjoy the writing process
  • become confident writers who can express themselves with clarity across the curriculum and beyond, evidenced through high pupil outcomes
  • develop pupils' vocabulary

Progression and Sequencing:

As a school, we have aligned the writing specific objectives laid out in the national curriculum to specific year groups to create a progress model for the taught curriculum and expected outcomes for age related expectations:

Please see the attachment below for the full document. 

To ensure that cognitive load is balanced and that pupils have the necessary vocabulary and knowledge to articulate their thoughts, our writing opportunities are planned within a wider topic or theme, which often includes the whole class reading text the pupils will be exposed to. 

An example of progression for 'writing to entertain' across the Primary Phase can be seen below:

 

All of our writing opportunities are introduced to the pupils through carefully written modelled texts, which have both new focus objectives for that year group and objectives from previous year groups embedded. 

In Reception and Year One, we make use of story mapping to ensure that pupils are given the opportunity to retell texts and stories orally before writing begins:

 

Feedback, Editing and Drafting

Feedback on writing takes many forms across the week, including: live verbal and written feedback; distance written feedback; whole class feedback; and self and peer editing. 

From Year Two upwards, each class receives a whole class feedback and peer editing session each week. 

In these sessions, specific feedback is given to the class on their extended writing pieces and then edits are made to the writing, elicited from the pupils themselves. We are proud that our pupils make many more independent edits than they ever did when only using distance written feedback. 

See below for an example of an edited piece of writing:

 

Each half term, we offer pupils the opportunity to write up one of their edited pieces of writing as a final draft. 

Spelling

Spelling is taught systematically at Trinity, with links constantly made across the curriculum to reinforce learning.

In Reception and Year One, we have mapped out the Tier One, high frequency and common exceptions words we expect pupils to learn and use in their writing. This is consolidated in daily handwriting sessions in Year One. 

From Year Two and beyond, we use the No Nonsense Spelling Programme. This uses  a ‘Little-but-often’ structure which allows children to revisit and review, learn new strategies and apply them in a context. 

Using this programme, we have mapped the spelling patterns and rules, statutory words and common exception words to be taught for each year group, also giving scope for pupils to focus on personal spellings. 

Below is an example of the break down for Year Five:

Please see the attachment below to download the pdf of this document.