Provision for writing is in line with the National Curriculum for English and the teaching of writing takes place within the English lesson as well as through other subject teaching.   We have adopted the ‘Every Child a Writer’ (ECaW) approach to the teaching of writing, focusing on quality first teaching. 

Authenticity is one of our curriculum principles, so we strive to give our children a genuine purpose for writing, as well as an audience for their work.  It involves shared writing where the teacher models as an expert writer, articulating the process and the children join in with oral and written responses and high levels of collaboration.  We want our children to become authors in their own right, who know they can convey meaning through their written words and impact upon their reader.

Big Writing:

This is a special writing experience and may be accompanied by music, candles, fairy lights, sparkly pencils to excite and make it special.  Each English unit of work builds up to a Big Write, in which the children can apply all of the skills that have been addressed.  Each Big Write is given a real audience, for example, sharing with another class, making a class book, sending to somebody, publishing on a class blog or the school newsletter.  This is viewed as a ‘pink’ assessment task to see the progress made within the unit of work.

Handwriting:

Handwriting is a discrete lesson with modelling by the teacher of correct formation and style using the Nelson handwriting scheme for letter formation.  Printed letters are taught from the Foundation Stage moving to a cursive style as the individual is ready (circa Year 2).  This is then consolidated throughout KS2.  Pens are introduced from Year 3 (see Presentation Policy) with children having an element of choice.