Writing

“You have improved pupils’ progress in writing. Consequently, a higher than average proportion of pupils reach the expected standard or greater depth in writing by the end of Year 6.” Ofsted February 2019

Children are encouraged to express themselves by writing in different contexts and for a variety of purposes and audiences. We will develop children’s creativity, imagination, vocabulary, spelling and handwriting through the teaching of writing. We will do this through modelling good practice, using exemplars and setting writing targets to aid self-improvement.

Handwriting is a skill which can only be improved by constant practice. We have regular handwriting practice sessions using the Nelson handwriting scheme, and we support the development of this skill across the writing opportunities provided by the curriculum. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are taught as part of the writing process and also discretely using resources like GPS in KS 2. Each child in every class has weekly spellings to learn based on letter patterns and the tricky words that they need to know in each school year.

Writing across the school begins with a high quality stimulus e.g. text, experience or current event. This stimulus is used to develop rich vocabulary which is then applied to writing in a range of genres. We start working on shorter, quality paragraphs building up to longer pieces of writing. As the children move through the school we give them the opportunity to discuss and assess their own writing and the work of others and to make suggestions of how they can improve further. Class 2 build up to a Big Write, normally on a Friday. Staff in Lower KS 2 are looking at the Jane Considine approach to teaching writing. This will be reviewed and we plan to use it in all of KS2 from September.

Each term every child from Y1 to Y6 completes the more formal RISING STARS GAPS test which gives a standardised score. Staff use this information alongside their own teacher assessment of a range of writing pieces (and genres) to make a judgement about whether children are working towards the expected standard, working at the expected standard or at greater depth. Our KS1 and Upper Key Stage 2 English teachers are both experienced county writing moderators who help ensure consistent standards across Cumbrian schools. In school we carry out scrutiny of writing with colleagues.

See below the assessment sheets used at the end of KS 1 and KS 2 by our county trained moderators. See also assessment sheets that we are beginning to use for each year group through the school.

See below the writing objectives taught in each school year.

We like our children to write for real purposes and to share it with the local community. Here are some of our young writers who entered the Rotary competition.