Writing Curriculum

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Intent

Writing is a vital life skill; both in education and wider society. At Farnborough Primary School, we help our children to become articulate and inventive communicators, who are well-equipped with the skills to write with confidence and accuracy. Learning to write well allows pupils to share their ideas, communicate with others and learn from the wider curriculum. Our writing curriculum gives pupils opportunities to develop their proficiency in transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing).

Implementation

We recognise the strong relationship between reading and writing and ensure that this link is taught explicitly in lessons to help children make connections within their learning.
Our progressive writing curriculum is meticulously designed to instil the ability to plan, draft, and refine written work over time, fostering independence by encouraging pupils to identify areas for improvement on their own.
The explicit teaching of handwriting, spelling, and grammar forms an integral part of our approach to ensure that children grasp the conventions of effective writing.
The early stages of spelling begin with pupils learning phonics before being explicitly taught spelling patterns and rules so that they can retain correct spellings in their long-term memory.
A high standard of handwriting is modelled across the school. Handwriting is taught and practised regularly and is expected to be evidenced throughout all work produced.
Combining spelling and handwriting, fluency in transcription frees up working memory to focus on writing composition. A secure knowledge of English grammar enables our pupils to express themselves clearly and creatively when writing. Teaching at Farnborough focuses on sentence recognition, construction, meaning and accuracy.
Vocabulary development is prioritised throughout reading, writing and the wider curriculum. A broad vocabulary supports children with understanding texts in both reading sessions, across the curriculum and in their daily lives. Children will develop their vocabulary through reading and listening to others read but are also taught vocabulary explicitly, particularly words and phrases that they are likely to use across the curriculum.
To encourage and nurture a love of writing, we use engaging opportunities to give children an audience, a context and a purpose for their writing. Children focus on age-related expectations for their writing within different genres using model texts as an example of how to be successful. At the end of the unit children are encouraged to use this model text as a structure for their own writing but also innovate to make the writing their own. Teachers ensure that the standard of writing in the model text sets high expectations for their children and that there is progression across year groups.
Teachers give feedback in lessons as well as next steps in books when marking to ensure that children know exactly what they need to do next to make progress in their writing. Children are encouraged to respond to this in purple pen and to self-assess their work, using their purple pen to edit their work independently.

Impact

Children at Farnborough Primary School will leave as articulate and inventive communicators. They will have the confidence to continue their writing journey at Secondary School and beyond, acquiring the skills needed for writing throughout their lives.
They will: enjoy writing for a variety of purposes and audiences; write cohesively and in an engaging manner; demonstrate a good knowledge of vocabulary and grammar; acquire the editorial skills to evaluate and improve their work.

Downloads:

Please click on the links below for more:

• Writing Curriculum Map
• Writing Progression Grid
• English visits and experiences