What will children learn?
At Thundersley Primary School we believe that it is vitally important that our pupils leave our school with the ability to communicate effectively in writing so that they are well-prepared for Senior School and life beyond education. We want our children to be able to write grammatically correct sentences in Standard English, with accurate punctuation and spelling. We encourage children to generate their own ideas and write for a range of purposes as well as present their writing in different ways, including through technology and performance. We understand how important it is for our pupils to be able to form their letters correctly and write neatly and legibly. We explore a range of model texts from different genres that guide our children as to desired outcomes in writing.
How will children learn?
Through daily English lessons we aim to develop the following:
- A fluent handwriting style that is neat and legible.
- Knowledge of age-appropriate grammar, punctuation and spelling rules to ensure that writing makes sense and communicates ideas and/or information effectively.
- Writing stamina so that children can write at length.
- Creativity and composition skills for a range of writing genres including an ambitious vocabulary.
In the early stages of learning to write, children are taught a correct pencil grip and have plenty of opportunities to practise the correct formation of letters, linked to their growing phonics and spelling knowledge. Once children can form their letters correctly, they are taught how to join their writing, following our handwriting scheme Penpals. Regular writing practice encourages fluency and stamina in writing.
Children are expected to use their knowledge of phonics and spelling rules when spelling words independently, as well as having a range of resources available in class to support spelling such as word mats, vocabulary displays, dictionaries and thesauruses.
High-quality example texts are used as stimuli to promote creativity and to inspire the children; these texts also demonstrate desired outcomes in writing. Children are given plenty of opportunities to experiment with different sentence and text structures, initially with support and scaffolding, building to increasing independence and confidence. Children are taught to check and evaluate their own work and make corrections and improvements to it. We also have a strong focus on developing children’s vocabularies and encourage them to explore and use new and ambitious words in their own writing. Regular assessment of the children’s work and timely, personalised feedback ensures that all children make progress.
What will children achieve?
Each child is issued with an Exciting Writing Book in EYFS that they take into each year group. This includes examples of the best writing that they have done throughout each year. By the end of their time at TPS, the children have a fabulous portfolio of work which demonstrates the range of skills mentioned above and clearly shows their ability to communicate effectively in writing for a range of purposes. Children leave our school prepared for the next steps on their writing journey to Senior School and beyond.