Writing

Writing at Cavendish 

Intent

Cavendish Primary School believe that writing is a key skill for life both inside and out of education and that is why it features across all the subjects taught across our school. Our aim is to provide children with key transferrable writing skills to build on year on year, that can be used throughout each phase of their education and prepare them for secondary school.

Teaching children to write for a range of purposes and audiences can be very exciting, especially here at Cavendish where we provide children with a range of engaging hooks to capture their imagination! We aim to provide the children with varied reasons for writing and believe that this not only produces higher quality writing, but allows our learners to apply their skills to a range of different contexts.  Writing across all subject areas will prepare our children for high school and the more in-depth approach to analysing, planning and innovating their writing.

Discussion, questioning and learning texts with actions (age appropriate) all increase understanding and prepare our children with the tools they need in order to be successful in their writing. Our aim is for ALL learners to achieve their full potential in writing and we are committed to providing the scaffolds and challenge needed in order for our children to achieve this.

Implementation – how we teach Writing at Cavendish

At Cavendish, we feel that age appropriate, challenging and motivational learning varies as children move through the curriculum.

We ensure that at each age:

• Writing is accessible to allow ALL pupils, including those with SEND, to access the full curriculum offer
• Leaders ensure that ALL staff receive focused and highly effective professional development. They provide effective, regular training programmes for all teaching staff. Teacher’s pedagogical knowledge develops over time because of this.
• There is a rigorous sequential approach to the writing curriculum to ensure development of fluency, confidence and enjoyment
• The teaching of vocabulary, grammar and cohesion (including archaic language) are important.
• Leaders focus on improving teacher’s understanding and appropriate use of assessment and moderation.
• Writing is planned and builds on prior learning and introduces new knowledge ensuring the curriculum is covered in each year group.

From Nursery to Y6, each Writing unit uses a book as a stimulus for discussion and immersion and starts with a hook.

Then, each year groups uses the following structure (please see below for a more thorough breakdown for each of these areas):

• Reading and engagement
• Planning and structuring/toolkit
• Writing and editing

EYFS

Our EYFS curriculum is based around the Statutory Framework for the Early Years.

We follow the structure of enjoying a text/book, internalising the structure of the story and then creating our own stories. 

We work on children building their motor skills (fine and gross) and there are opportunities for children to practice mark making skills using a variety of resources both inside and outside.

Mark making resources are easily accessible and transferable to all areas, writing motivations and opportunities are part of the children’s play. In order to stimulate enthusiasm for writing and to ensure good progression, this is coupled with teacher led shared and modelled writing tasks.

KS1

In KS1, we expect all children to write every day  – this may be a small short burst of writing, a grammar/vocabulary exercise or something similar (these activities can be differentiated so that they are achievable for all children). 

Reading and Engagement

• Each unit is based around a good quality picture book
• A good quality, engaging WAGOLL is read and discussed.
• Children will look for repeated rhymes and phrases they can join in with
• Similarities and contrasts are made to other books/characters and their own life
• Vocabulary is discussed and celebrated
• Children orally retell the stories and texts and internalise the main events.
• Opportunities for drama and poetry

Planning and structuring/toolkit

• Children use a boxing up plan to structure stories and texts
• New texts are creating using the WAGOLL as a guide (substitution building to more change)
• Toolkits are created

Writing and editing

• Children plan and write their new texts
• Proofreading and editing are introduced in Y2.

KS2

In KS2, we expect all children to write every day – this may be a small short burst of writing, a grammar/vocabulary exercise or something similar (these activities can be differentiated so that they are achievable for all children).

Reading and Engagement

• Each unit will be based around a good quality book.
• Each unit will include a WAGOLL text for children to identify key features of the text and deconstruct
• Comparisons and similarities will be made to other books/texts/real life
• Grammar will be identified and applied to new contexts
• Vocabulary will be discussed and applied to new contexts
• Opportunities for short burst writing
• Opportunities for drama and poetry

Planning and structuring/toolkit

• WAGOLLs are broken down into paragraphs to see how texts are structured
• New texts are planned using the WAGOLL as a scaffold
• Modelled and shared writing
• Toolkits are created

Writing and editing

• Children plan, write, redraft, edit and publish

Presentation (in books)

KS1

Each piece of work contains the short date and the learning objective.

Children are to write in neat handwriting in pencil. For any daily editing and/or changes, children need to cross out the incorrect word(s) with a neat line and write the new word(s) nearby.

KS2

All children write the long date and the learning objective at the start of each piece of work.  This will be underlined with a ruler.

Children are to write in neat handwriting in black pen or pencil starting at the margin.

For any daily editing and/or changes, children need to cross out the incorrect word(s) with a neat line and write the new word(s) nearby. If this is not possible, they need to use an asterix and write below (similar to a footnote).

In Y5/6, when children are typing, this can just be deleted and rewritten and any visible changes to be done in purple.

During guided writing, when in books, children should use a double page spread. The children should write on the left hand side.  Any editing and/or teacher marking/feedback should be on the right page.

Displays

As the learning progresses, the English working wall exemplifies the days learning. The wall should be a journey of the learning that has taken place.

Feedback and Marking

Verbal feedback is given to the children throughout the process to help them understand their next steps.

Within units, we also have shared writing opportunities which are marked in depth by the teacher using ‘Tickled pink’ and ‘Green for Growth.’  From year 1, children are then taught to use their ‘Purple Polishing Pen’ to read/listen to feedback and make edits to their writing as appropriate.

Spelling

Cavendish Primary School follows the ‘No Nonsense’ spelling programme which enables the children to recap on the previous year’s spelling patterns and then introduces new patterns and sight words. This programme is in line with the National Curriculum for spelling. Identified children receive extra spelling and phonics support.  We also use Spelling Shed for additional learning and to consolidate spellings.

Impact:

• EYFS, KS1 and KS2 writing results are in-line with or above national average and progress is evident for each child.
• Year 1 phonics is at or above national average.
• Writing monitoring shows children are writing with fluency and appropriate to age
• Pupils enjoy writing regularly and discuss links across texts and in writing. Love for literature
• Staff are strong teachers of writing and sharing best practise beyond our school. Excellent pedagogy
• Accurate summative assessment of writing using Kent Statements shows children are making progress over time. Robust assessment
• Children’s language acquisition continues to improve and can be seen in writing.