Writing at St. Joseph’s
Intent
Through our English curriculum, we strive to teach the children how important their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills will be in the real world. By providing an enriched and engaging English curriculum, we develop confident and enthusiastic learners who are equipped with the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society both now and in their future. Through rich and varied writing opportunities, we nurture a culture where children take pride in their writing, can write clearly and accurately and can adapt their language and style for a range of contexts, utilising the wealth of ideas taken from the books we read. We want our children to be inspired by the rich and varied learning opportunities in English and aspire to be the Roald Dahl, Malorie Blackman or JK Rowling of their generation.
Implementing Phonics:
The systematic teaching of phonics has a high priority throughout Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Phonics is taught daily to all children in Foundation Stage and Key Stage One. Staff systematically teach learners the relationship between sounds and the written spelling patterns, or graphemes, which represent them. Phonics is delivered in a whole class format because it enables staff to ensure application across subjects embedding the process in a rich literacy environment for early readers. We use Read Write Inc as the spine for delivery of the phonics sessions. In these lessons, children are encouraged to write regularly, concentrating on letter formation, and words linked to the letters and sounds taught that day.
English Teaching Sequence:
Each year group teacher has carefully crafted a long term plan which identifies the range of genres, both fiction and non-fiction, that they will teach, along with an array of stimulus’s (ranging from fiction texts, nonfiction texts, poems, film clips, audio clips, picture books and more), with links being made across the curriculum where appropriate. Each cycle of work is based around a carefully chosen resource that acts as a stimulus for a learning journey, taking the children through a sequence from prediction to publication.Each unit focuses the whole school on a particular genre of writing across the whole school.The skills taught are based on a continuum of progression revisiting skills taught in previous years
Basic Skills.
In Key Stage 2 we use a Ready to Write basic skill session. This session runs for Key Stage 2 from September and Year 2 joins I with this form January .The children are grouped according to the need. The session are basic skill sessions focused on handwriting and grammar.
Language:
The promotion of a language rich curriculum is essential to success within writing. The use of accurate and rich cross-curricular vocabulary throughout school is planned within all subjects and is evident in all learning areas and is a key part of our planning. We do this in an attempt to help children make links across the subjects so that they know more, remember more and understand more. Pupils are given a wide range of opportunities to use and develop their speaking and listening skills within school life through techniques such as drama, debating and opportunities to speak publicly within assemblies and worships. All of these opportunities are key in helping them to become confident and articulate which in turn will assist them in becoming experts within the writing process.
Cross-Curricular Opportunities:
Throughout the academic year, children are given the opportunity to practise using their writing skills within cross-curricular contexts. Opportunities are provided within Religious Education, Geography, History, Science and many other subjects, all of which are planned for within our English long term plans. This gives the children more purpose to their writing, encourages consistency in expectations and quality across the curriculum and provides opportunities for deeper learning that will prepare the pupils for their future.
Impact
- Children will enjoy writing and use features of different genres and styles.
- Pupils can write for different purposes and audiences.
- Our children are proud of their writing.
- Pupils know that others value their writing; they see it on display as a ‘published’ piece.
- Skills progress throughout school is evident in children’s books.
- Pupils are being adventurous with vocabulary choices.
- All pupils, regardless of their background, needs or abilities will make progress.
- Pupils will have a good knowledge of how to adapt their writing based on the context and audience.
- The percentage of pupils working at ARE within each year group will be at least in line with national averages.
- There will be no significant gaps in the progress of different groups of pupils (e.g. disadvantaged vs non-disadvantaged).
- Writing across the curriculum is the same standard as in English books.
- Pupils develop the skills and are inspired to become the authors of their generation.
- Pupils are equipped with the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society both now and in their future.