Mrs Cooper is our Writing Lead.

At Southmead Primary School pupils are provided with many opportunities to develop their writing across the curriculum, to communicate effectively and to become confident, creative, fluent writers. Children use their skills of speaking and listening to develop their writing composition.

We use high quality reading texts to inspire children as writers and make links between the skills needed for reading and writing. Children are given an author’s voice and are encouraged to write in different genres.

Writing is developed for a purpose in English lessons and across other areas of the curriculum. We provide opportunities for children to share their writing both within our school and the wider community. Children are able to make decisions about their writing and discuss their work with others. We teach vocabulary, so that children are able to make choices and are then encouraged to explain their stylistic choices and the impact their writing has on the reader. Children are motivated to re- read, edit and improve their writing for their audience and purpose, understanding that all writers use this process.

Stamina for writing is developed as children practise their transcription skills, using phonics, spelling and punctuation and developing their handwriting and fluency. A neat and fluent joined handwriting style is taught and opportunities to redraft and present work in a variety of ways are given so that all children can take pride in their achievements in writing.

At Southmead we ensure that:

• Children are taught to write as readers of their own work.
• A four stage model is used for teaching writing: familiarisation, imitation, innovation, invention. Talk for writing techniques are used, such as stepping, mapping and remembering texts, encouraging oral rehearsal of language.
• Our writing curriculum uses a range of high quality texts to ensure that different genres, both fiction and non-fiction in various styles are taught in each year group, with all children studying in detail both fiction and non-fiction each term. Texts are planned to ensure progression of skills as well as the opportunity to revisit and build upon previous content. As children develop as writers, audience and purpose is made clear at the start of the writing process so that each piece is planned appropriately. Children are taught to make decisions about their writing to suit the audience and purpose of the piece.
• Modelled and Shared Writing is used to demonstrate new skills, to generate ideas and creativity. Guided Writing is used to support groups and individuals; independent opportunities for children to practise and develop their skills are all given for writing at different stages within the teaching sequence.
• Feedback and marking is given to share successes and enable children to edit and improve their work.
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar are explicitly taught. Decision spelling is introduced at Year 2 and is used to extend and develop phonics skills as children are taught to make their own decisions about spelling patterns and rules.
• Letter Join is used as our chosen font for handwriting. Children in EYFS and Year 1 learn accurate letter formation. In Year 2, children are introduced to the lead in line before moving onto joined handwriting. By Year 3, children are taught to join their writing.
•  Opportunities are provided for cross curricular writing in a range of other subjects where skills can be developed and applied.

Our curriculum enables children to develop and build on their learning through studying different genres and using their writing skills as a tool for communication. They are able to apply their skills in cross curricular work. Children can make decisions about their writing and discuss this with others. They can become careful proof readers and editors of their own work and that of their peers, understanding that all writers use this process to develop their writing. They are motivated to write and enjoy opportunities to present and share their writing.

Writing in EYFS

We use language, synthetic phonics letters and sounds, floor books (vocabulary clip boards) and planning based on quality texts linked to themes. Children complete guided and independent writing, indoors and outdoors, gross motor skills and fine motor skills activities, ‘Dough Disco’, ‘Fun Fit’ and ‘Write Dance’.