Implementation

This is how we achieve this in Reception

• We teach children how to produce writing that someone else can read and enjoy.

• We regularly model to children how to communicate through writing.

• We teach children how to sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly and expect all children to be able to do this by the end of their Reception year.

• We teach children how to form their letters correctly, starting and finishing in the right place in a developmentally appropriate way.

• We teach children how to write on the line, using it to form letters with ascenders and descenders accurately.

• We teach children letter names as well as the sounds.

• We introduce children to punctuation such as full stops and question marks in reading and when modelling writing.

• We use resources such as sound mats and a working wall to scaffold and support children as they are writing.

• We encourage children to say their own and given phrases and sentences aloud before writing them

• We provide plenty of writing opportunities in the areas of provision to enable children to practise their writing skills.

This is how we achieve this in KS1 and KS2

• We consolidate on the previous year groups’ skills and knowledge as well as current year group’s learning so that all primary writing skills and knowledge are fully embedded by the time children leave primary school.

• We give children plenty of writing opportunities to support with gathering evidence to feed into assessment judgements. This is writing that has been carried out as part of normal classroom practice - end-of-unit writing that has been scaffolded by the working wall and success criteria (to match the Y2 and Y6 statutory expectations).

• We model to children how to write, how to edit and give them plenty of time to produce a piece of writing.

• We teach children in a clear progression through a writing journey, immersing them in the text/genre/text type and teaching them the skills they need in order to write their final outcome.

• We give children the opportunity to practise their handwriting at least three times a week using the Letter-join scheme (where appropriate) to include at least one session of modelling at some point in the week

• We teach children how to spell through the Spelfabet spelling programme (Y3 - Y6).

• We follow the marking policy which includes next steps following verbal or written feedback

• In Y2 - Y6 children use a green pen to edit their writing

• We mark writing so that it supports children’s editing (e.g. in books, children write on the left hand page and edit on the right hand page )

This is how we plan a unit of work in KS1 and KS2 :

1) We refer to the long-term plan for the writing outcome and identify who it is specifically for (purpose) and display on our working wall at the beginning of the learning journey.

2) We then identify the skills (ingredients) we want to teach the children, identified as part of formative or summative assessment (using AP's assessment grids from yr1).

3) We identify a hook into the unit e.g. role play, video, music to give the children an experience to launch the unit.

4) We identify the vocabulary the children will need to learn and this is introduced during the reading process and revisited throughout the unit.

5) We write our WAGOLL based on the main writing outcome. The WAGOLLS are always age related and we include examples of grammar we would like children to use, examples of some of the key vocabulary used in context and examples of words using the spelling rules and words from the spelling lists from their year group and previous year groups.

6) We display our WAGOLL on our working wall during the learning journey and annotate or highlight it – this is our success criteria and gives children the toolkit.

7) We then plan a series of lessons in three phases, based on the key features of the WAGOLL :

The Reading Phase includes hooking children into their writing,, immersion in the text, analysing key features of the genre, questions linked to the reading question stems, prediction, sequencing and drama (using strategies such as Axis of Emotion, Role on the Wall, Freeze Frame, Babble Gabble, Thought Tracking and Hot-seating).

The Toolkit Phase includes explicit teaching and practice of relevant grammar and punctuation (all linked to the core text) e.g. grammar party bags, fast writing, slow writing and improving sentences noughts and crosses. During this phase, teachers model how to be writers, talking through their thought processes, and taking ideas from children as part of shared writing.

The Writing Phase, children write across a few days, regularly reading their writing aloud to check it makes sense and editing as they write using the school editing grids from Year 2 ( Add, Remove, Replace, Read aloud and Read aloud to someone else)

8) Our working wall is a visual representation of the learning journey and shows what the children are learning to write, who they are writing for, some key vocabulary, examples of current and previous spelling learning and our annotated WAGOLL at the end of the journey.

9) We ensure that the working wall is visible to all children, everything on the working wall is large enough for children to see and that key points from the day’s learning are exemplified on it.

10) We teach from the working wall every day and model how to use it when writing.

11) We expect all children to use the working wall to enhance their learning.

12) Throughout the unit, we include lots of modelled, shared, guided and independent writing to support the children with developing the skills they need to become proficient writers.

13) Throughout the unit, we give children short burst writing opportunities which support their main writing outcome.

14) We keep focused on the purpose of the children’s writing and value it when it is finished, giving them feedback linked to their purpose if possible.

15) Opportunities to celebrate writing through sharing with others in assemblies, displays etc.

Writing assessment

• We gather evidence of what children can do through writing that has been carried out as part of normal classroom practice, e.g. end-of-unit writing (at least 2 pieces per half term), writing opportunities throughout a unit and writing in other areas of the curriculum.

• In EYFS, we gather evidence from child initiated and adult-focused learning and use the learning intentions set out in our bespoke curriculum to assess what children can do. At the end of Reception children will be assessed using Early Learning Goals.

• In KS1 and KS2, we record evidence on AP’s assessment grids at the end of each unit and use these to inform Arbor at the end of every term.

Writing moderation

Once a term -

• Teachers moderate writing within school with SLT as part of the Pupil Progress cycle.

• Teachers moderate writing with other schools in the Together Learning Trust and Honley Partnership Schools

• The English Lead moderates a cross section of pupils’ writing from each year group once a term.