We aim to develop pupils’ abilities within an integrated programme of Speaking & Listening, Reading, Writing & Vocabulary. Pupils will be given opportunities to interrelate the requirements of English within a broad and balanced approach to the teaching of English across the curriculum, with opportunities to consolidate and reinforce taught literacy skills. 

English encompasses so many crucial elements of life in the modern world.  It forms the basis for our development, relationships and our understanding of the world around us. The study of English is key to our personal development and, through the learning and progression of effective written and spoken communication, it is the foundation for all of our learning.  

Greet Primary School firmly believes that the teaching of our English curriculum will be inclusive to all children, inspiring them through an outstanding curriculum and learning experience, which will enable them to make good progress and leave as responsible, happy citizens with a love of Reading and Writing. 

Rationale

‘You can make anything by writing.’ C. S. Lewis. Writing is an integral part of education and success in society. We strive to establish secure foundations in writing for every pupil in order to support them to move on to the next stage of their educational journey.

For this reason, we:

• prioritise the teaching of reading and oracy, alongside writing, to ensure all children can speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas effectively.
• develop children’s attitudes towards writing so they leave school with a genuine enjoyment of writing, and understand the power that writing for purpose and audience brings.
• teach children to form letters accurately in EYFS, developing automaticity as they move from print to cursive in Year 1 and beyond.
• help children to learn to structure sentences correctly, learning a range of grammatical conventions.
• become accurate spellers by developing the phonic knowledge learnt in EYFS and KS1 and learning spelling rules and conventions in KS2.

Approach

Our writing curriculum is closely linked to our class reading texts and our humanities units of work for each term. This ensures writing is purposeful, interesting and enhances opportunities to write and learn in different areas of the curriculum. We provide exciting and stimulating experiences, such as visitors and trips, to provide pupils with authentic reasons to write.

Across a term classes in Year 1 to 6 will produce a narrative piece of writing (Writing to Entertain), a non-fiction piece of writing (Writing to Inform, Persuade or Discuss) and also a piece of poetry (Writing to Entertain). Daily writing lessons are inspired by high quality picture books or novels for fiction writing, and real non-fiction model texts for non-fiction writing. Challenging texts are chosen to ensure that children have an excellent model for their own writing. Children are exposed to a range of classic and contemporary poetry. They have the opportunity to use these poems as a model for their own writing.

The skills of composition, spelling, punctuation, grammar and transcription have been mapped for each year group across the academic year to ensure progression and support mastery. 

At the end of each unit of work children publish their work. This may take a variety of forms: a blog post for our school website or a video for our You Tube channel; a beautifully written ‘best’ piece of writing; sharing narrative pieces with a younger child in school during a shared story time; a poetry performance in assembly; an opportunity to deliver speeches or act out playscripts.

Ensuring that our writing curriculum is inclusive is paramount. Lessons are planned for all and adapted according to any needs within each class. Some adaptations that may be made are using visual and vocabulary aids to support children at the planning and drafting stage, having targeted groups with a guided writing structure to support and scaffold learning and adapting outcome expectations if necessary. Children are taught in a whole class setting to support the understanding and progression of language and vocabulary.