Writing
Vision
"Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic."
J.K. Rowling
As a federation, we recognise the fundamental role of writing in supporting each pupil’s academic achievement and future opportunities. Our curriculum is designed to develop pupils’ transcriptional proficiency alongside their understanding of writing for a range of purposes and audiences. Pupils are provided with structured and meaningful opportunities to apply and extend their literacy skills across a broad and balanced curriculum, enabling them to make coherent links between reading, writing and spoken language.
Our intent is to ensure all pupils become confident, fluent and independent writers who are motivated to write with accuracy, creativity and purpose.
My favourite bit is when we get to publish. Editing helps you re-read your work and change bits. I add new things in and change punctuation and spelling.
Our Curriculum
Foundational Knowledge in Early Writing
Look ay my first page, it was really bad. My handwriting is now much neater! I do more writing.
Curriculum Intent
At Oxford Road Community School, we have adopted the Literacy Tree scheme of work to support with the teaching and learning of writing.
The Literacy Tree is ‘a complete approach to the teaching of Primary English that can be used by teachers to deliver a book-based approach to the teaching of English’. The Literacy tree ‘provide book-based planning sequences (writing roots) which embed complete curriculum coverage and engage children to write with a clear audience and purpose. The teach through a Text pedagogy is the backbone to each sequence’.
The ‘Teach through Text’ approach from the Literacy Tree includes:
- Thematic links – Links are made through themes within significant literature
- Discovery point – Dramatic conventions support immersion and create a hook with a book
- Literary Language – Literary Language is explicitly taught and applied in writing
- Embedded Grammar – Explicit grammar skills for writing taught in context to be applied purposefully
- Vocabulary – Vocabulary is explicitly taught and linked to
- Purpose and audience – Distinct shorter and longer writing opportunities rather than genre led
At Oxford Road community school, we use Nelson handwriting scheme as a guide to teach handwriting. As a school we have adopted the Shakespeare spelling scheme as well Literacy Tree Spelling Seeds to support our teaching of spelling. For support with teaching spellings to your child, here is a document that gives some ideas on how to teach them.
Curriculum Implementation
In our Nursery class, children have a variety of opportunities to develop their communication, language and literacy skills on a daily basis in both adult led and child initiated activities.
In our Reception class, children have daily Read, Write, Inc. sessions which begin with writing sounds and develops onto blending sounds to build words. Children also have opportunities to develop their communication, language and literacy skills on a daily basis in both adult led and child-initiated activities. Opportunities for writing are well designed within the provision to encourage all children to enjoy writing and develop the necessary physical skills to be able to write efficiently later in life.
In Key stage 1, literacy lessons have an emphasis on embedding well-honed transcriptional skills (handwriting and spelling). A range of strategies are used to develop children’s understanding of structure, vocabulary and grammar.
In Key Stage 2, Literacy Lessons focus on developing children’s writing using a range of strategies. Children develop their transcriptional skills further, ensuring that they become automatic. A range of strategies are used to develop children’s understanding of structure, vocabulary and grammar.
Alternative Resource Provision
In our Alternative Resource Provision (ARP), children receive a personalised writing curriculum based on their needs. Teachers adapt planning from the Literacy Tree to ensure children can access learning and make good progress. Children have access to a wide variety of high-quality texts which are used to develop their writing skills.
Formative assessment is threaded throughout lessons and units of work; and appropriate revisions to planning are made by skilled class teachers to ensure all lessons are tailored to best meet the needs of their children.
Curriculum Impact
Children will leave our school having gained exposure to a wide variety of high-quality texts. They would have developed the transcriptional skills they require to confidently write in a range of genres for different audiences and purposes. Children will be able to apply their writing skills to become confident and resilient writers.
As a result of our Writing teaching at Oxford Road Community school you will see:
- Children who demonstrate fluency in their writing.
- High quality writing which links to audience and purpose.
- Children who can write in a variety of styles and from a variety of points of view.
- Engaged children who are all supported and challenged.
- Confident children who can talk about their learning and apply this independently.
- Children who can apply their writing to a range of situations successfully.
- Learning that is tracked and monitored to ensure all children make good or better progress.