Writing, Grammar & Punctuation

Statement of Intent

At Parklee Community Primary School, our aim is to ensure that, every child is given a wealth of opportunities, which will enable them to acquire the knowledge and skills which are a prerequisite for them to become confident speakers, fluent and analytical readers and competent writers across a range of genres. Through the careful selection of high-quality texts, we also aim to promote the development of our children’s spoken, and written language. 

These texts are used as a vehicle for learning across the whole curriculum. Teachers use texts as a ‘hook’ or ‘stimulus’ in their English lessons and we use ‘Pathways to Write - the Literacy Company’ as the basis for our English planning from Reception to Year 6.

Texts feature in many of our other curriculum subject lessons; therefore, it is imperative that we are developing our children with the skills to read and write, so that they are then able to transfer these to a range of subject disciplines. 

Grammatical Skills 

We want our children to secure the basics in spelling and grammar so that they are then well equipped to consider how to write for purpose and effect. 

Children are taught the key aspects of spelling and grammar, fundamental to their age, in discrete focused lessons as well as through our Pathway English lessons. As a school we also Spelling Shed to support the teaching of spelling.

Developing Vocabulary 

By being immersed in a wide range of high-quality texts and through direct vocabulary focuses within lessons, our children encounter a rich and varied vocabulary. We want all our children to consider, experiment with and to come to love words when speaking, reading and writing.

Purpose and Audience 

We aim to deliver carefully planned writing lessons, which encourage our children to adapt their use of language and style, as they write across a range of genres, in different contexts, and for different purposes and audiences. They are given the opportunity to apply their skills across the curriculum and they are encouraged to use language effectively to create a desired effect on the reader. 

Implementation:

Pathways to Write is designed to equip pupils with key skills to move them through the writing progress towards their final outcome. It is built around units of work that follow a mastery approach to the teaching of writing. To support this approach, clear detailed lesson plans and resources are linked to a high quality text. Pathways to Write ensures engaging and purposeful English lessons. The units can be used thematically to encourage a whole school approach to writing with the opportunity for topics to link across all year groups.

Each unit covers a range of areas in the national curriculum:

• Mastery of vocabulary, grammar and punctuation skills

• Writing a range of genres across a year

• Vocabulary development

• Using a wider range of reading comprehension strategies as a whole class

• Spoken language activities including drama and presentations

• Opportunities for practising previously taught genres

• An extended, independent piece of writing

This process follows three stages:

The Gateway

• Begin at the Gateway with a ‘hook’ session to intrigue and enthuse young writers

• Use objects, people, images or role-play to stimulate questions about the chosen text

• Give pupils the opportunity to predict the text

• Establish the purpose and audience of the writing

• Revisit previous mastery skills and ongoing skills

The Pathway

• Introduce pupils to three new writing skills from their year group curriculum

• Provide opportunities to practise and apply the skill they have learnt through short and extended writing tasks including character descriptions, poetry, dialogue between characters, fact files or diary entries in role

• Provide opportunities to re-cap and apply previously taught skills

• Challenge greater depth writers through a wider range of tasks e.g. changes to form, viewpoint and audience

The Writeaway

• Section and sequence texts independently or collaboratively

• Create extended pieces of writing over time

• Opportunity to apply mastery skills

• Time for planning, writing, checking, editing, redrafting and publishing

• A fiction or non-fiction outcome will be written (covering a wide range of genres and themes over the year)

Working Walls

These are an extremely important part of the learning process as they provide children with a form of continuous provision they can keep referring to throughout the unit of work. These should detail the skills being taught, give explanations and model examples. During the Pathway process, the working walls are referred to regularly and often as a way of modelling their use. The children see that teachers are using these as a form as of continuous provision. These remain on the walls for as long as the children need so children are reminded and encouraged to use these mastery keys and skills in other writing.

Impact:

The organisation of the English curriculum, has created a community of enthusiastic readers and writers who enjoy showcasing their developing English knowledge and skills. Children are confident to take risks in their reading and writing, and love to discuss and share their ideas.

Outcomes of work in both English and other subject areas are seen in English and curriculum books which evidences the high quality of work and the impact of varied and cross curricular writing opportunities they are given.

English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching other subjects. Becoming an independent and engaged reader and writer from the beginning is one of the most important ways to make a difference to children's life chances.