Writing within primary school is a vital part of the curriculum as the children will use writing in almost all of their subjects. Writing also gives pupils the opportunity to voice and share their ideas with the world.
The writing curriculum at Howard Park can be broken down in to the following constituent parts:
Handwriting
We believe that developing good handwriting is a fundamental process of writing, the more fluent we are with our handwriting the less we have to think about as we write and the more our pen helps to guide us with spelling patterns. As such we utilise the following strategies to promote effective handwriting and presentation:
- A cursive script, lead in and lead out, is taught from Nursery to Year 6
- Handwriting is taught regularly in Reception – Year 4
- Presentation is a major focus in all classes
It is paramount that children are rigorously taught correct letter formation from the very beginning of their time in school. As soon as the children are ready, they are taught to sit properly in order to have the correct posture for writing, hold a pencil in the correct tripod grip and develop a legible and joined handwriting style. The school follows the ‘Pen Pals’ handwriting programme for the content of the lessons however the font ‘Linkpen’ is model and used for the cursive formation. A mixture of whole class, small group and individual teaching is planned for and delivered across school. It is expected that all members of staff, class teachers and teaching assistants, model the school handwriting style at all times i.e. when writing on the board or in children’s books. By the end of KS2, all children should be displaying an efficient, quick, neat and legible handwriting style that is effective in recording their ideas
Spelling
Teachers provide a wide range of contexts for reinforcing spelling patterns and tricky words (Red Words) throughout the school day. All teachers use RWI strategies and CGP charts to reinforce children’s knowledge of phonics. From Year 2 to Year 6, the ‘No Nonsense Spelling’ programme is used to teach discrete spelling sessions 2-3 times a week. The programme focuses on a range of skills including techniques for learning spellings, spelling rules/patterns, strategies for spelling at the point of writing and proofreading.
Children are expected to spell high frequency words (Rec Words) correctly and the statutory word lists for their particular year group.
The ‘Howard Park Spelling Routine’ is displayed in all classrooms in Years 3-6 in order to promote independence when spelling words at the point of writing:
- Have you said it out loud?
- Have you ‘had a go’ three times?
- Have you checked the sounds on your CGP chart?
- Does it look right?
- Have you looked in a dictionary?
Grammar
Grammar is always taught in context so that it is made meaningful and can be applied in relevant speaking and writing contexts. We ensure that weekly grammar sessions take place in order to support children with the acquisition of the rules and complex structures within the English language.
Specific Strategies To Promote Good Writing
Modelled writing is a powerful strategy that can be used by teachers to demonstrate a range of skills, processes and procedures. By ‘thinking aloud’ as they write, teachers give children insights into the writing processes writers use to compose text, as well as provide them with a completed text which can serve as a model for the students’ own writing. Teachers can incorporate a range of teaching points in modelled writing sessions. Children then have the opportunity to see that all of the below are important aspects of writing:
- to plan before writing
- to develop ideas
- to edit and proofread
- to aim for standard spelling and conventional grammar
Children learn that each of these facets of writing contributes to the meaning conveyed and, therefore, the overall quality of the completed text.
Editing
Crucial to the process of developing good writers is to develop the skill of proofreading and editing of children’s work. Our recently updated marking and feedback policy has highlighted a significant focus on the teaching of these skills. More information on this can be found in our marking and feedback policy below.