Writing
At Thanet Primary we are all writers!
At Thanet we are all writers! We start by teaching children to make marks, then form letters correctly, building these in to words and phrases in the Early Years. The intention is then that our children become competent writers as a result of a well-planned, progressive curriculum that links reading to writing and the wider curriculum. We plan for children to become engrossed in a range of genres through which speaking and listening and spelling and grammar are embedded. Our intention is that children leave us as proud writers having developed their own voice and writing style which they can use for a variety of audiences and purposes.
Writing is taught through a text-based approach. The importance of widening vocabulary is understood by all adults and this is a high priority within our English curriculum.
There are 5 elements to our English curriculum: reading, writing, spelling and grammar, speaking and listening and presentation.
At Thanet, we are dedicated to encouraging all children to be passionate about writing. We are determined that ALL children will become highly competent writers by the end of their time with us. We believe the study of English is essential as by writing and speaking fluently it allows children to communicate their emotions and ideas to others. Reading is a key life-skill and that underpins all curriculum areas and we use every opportunity to enhance this skill. By reading from a wide range of genres, we are able to broaden their experiences when writing.
We want our children to enjoy becoming writers, writing across different genres: – being a poet, writing a suspense story, structuring a persuasive letter, creating a set of instructions are just a few of the many themes they will be encountering each year. Talk for writing techniques are used regularly to enhance and support our developing writers. Using the skills taught in an English lesson, the children are then able to write across the curriculum: Writing a non- chronological report in history, writing a science investigation and constructing a diary entry linked to a history project are just some examples.
All English lessons focus on teaching a deeper understanding of a genre and our yearly overview includes narrative units, non-fiction and poetry. Teachers follow progression documents for spelling, grammar and writing to ensure skills are built on in each year group.
What do our Writing lessons look like?
- Carefully designed text-led learning journeys, with a clear starting point, end outcome and purpose.
- Lessons start with spelling (linked to genre and theme where relevant)
- Daily grammar lessons then follow where objectives have been carefully chosen to match the genre of writing being taught so children can apply their learning when completing independent pieces.
- A clear writing process of: planning, drafting, sharing, evaluating, revising, editing, and publishing.
- A range of teaching strategies are used to engage children: Group discussion, partner talk, questioning, modelled writing and shared writing.
- Differentiated tasks which are designed to support and challenge all learners.