Writing

Our leading expert, who ensures English strategies are linked across the school-age groups is Miss Turk.

Overview

At Carlton writing is based around the current topic where clear links can be made with a particular reading book or author. Where these links are not as well established, texts are chosen around children’s interests and the specific needs of the cohort.

Over the year, planning follows a long term programme which includes a wide range of genres and a balance of narrative and non- narrative opportunities for writing. Texts have been carefully selected based on data analysis which considers particular weaknesses for each phase. In addition to this, alternative stimuluses such as videos are used to further enhance children's learning. Each phase will explore at least 1 diverse text each year. This is either diverse by nature or by author.

We believe that it is important that children are able to see themselves as real authors. As such we will regularly publish children's work under their pen names. Published writing can be found here.

To find out more about how we teach writing at Carlton Primary School, click the English Intent, Implementation & Impact link below.

Intent

Carlton Primary School has, at its core, a desire to develop children who are articulate, resilient and curious learners. We believe that by embedding our five values within a broad and enriched curriculum, alongside the promotion of physical and mental well-being, we will develop rounded individuals who have the fundamental abilities to contribute positively to wider society. We want our students to have firm foundations in the core subject areas and we will teach these academic areas with rigour and challenge.

The staff at Carlton are committed to the inclusion of all pupils and believe everyone should be equally valued. We therefore value every individual and celebrate their achievements, identify and respond to individual needs, set suitable learning challenges for every pupil and identify and overcome potential barriers to learning for individuals and groups.

We will strive to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and to develop an environment where all children can flourish and feel safe.

This document describes our aims and our practice in the teaching of English: reading, writing, spelling, handwriting, grammar and oracy. It is defined by current national guidance on best practice, in-service training, staff discussion and professional judgement.

To provide a language rich environment that promotes a culture of reading and writing.
To develop in pupils a love of books and high-quality literature that will not only support their learning across the curriculum, but also extend beyond the classroom environment and enrich their lives.
To explicitly teach reading skills throughout the school that continually develop children’s understanding and enjoyment of texts.
To teach children the craft of writing in order to develop the confidence and skills to write well for a range of purposes and audiences.
To teach the basics – spelling, grammar, handwriting and punctuation – effectively, so children have all the necessary tools.
To foster in pupils the confidence, desire and ability to express their views and opinions both orally and in writing.
To value and celebrate diversity in culture and language.

Implementation

Early Years Foundation Stage

In the Early Years Foundation Stage language and literacy development are evident in all areas of learning. Opportunities are provided for children to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings. Purposeful role play is planned effectively to develop language and imagination. Each day children are given the opportunity to share and enjoy a variety of rhymes, songs, poetry and books. The Early Years Foundation Stage have a detailed rolling programme which outlines the focus for each area of learning, including literacy. A wide range of stories are taught and carefully planned for each half term.

The environment reflects the importance of language through signs, notices and books. Children have opportunities every day to mark make in all areas of provision. Writing is taught discretely through activities such as scarf dance, pen disco, dough disco, scribble club and drawing club. Children also have different experiences throughout the year to promote a love for literacy, including Leeds story bus and secret reader.

Writing

Planning – Learning and Teaching Strategies

Planning in Writing is based around the current topic where clear links can be made with a particular reading book or author. Where these links are not as well established, texts are chosen around children’s interests and the specific needs of the cohort.
Over the year, planning follows a long term programme which includes a wide range of genres and a balance of narrative and non- narrative opportunities for writing. Texts have been carefully selected based on data analysis which considers particular weaknesses for each phase.
Learning Journeys are produced by phases and these aim to generate a piece of published work at least every 3 weeks but provide opportunities for incidental writing.
Our teaching strategy for writing consists of:

Reading Phase which includes immersion of the text through drama, workshops and hook days. Children will explore vocabulary and identify the features of a genre through the use of WAGOLLs. This is also where children develop their language skills with a focus on grammar and drama activities to capture formality.

Toolkit Phase which provides children with the necessary skills needed to successfully complete the writing activity to the highest standard. This is where children are taught carefully chosen skills which lend themselves to the genre of the writing from the National Curriculum.

Writing Phase which is structured through plan, do, revise, edit and publish. This is where children can celebrate and be proud of the hard work they have put into their writing.

Objectives are taken from the National Curriculum, are appropriate to year group and are mindful of the writing frameworks for assessment which have been developed for each phase.
WAGOLLs are appropriate to each year group and include a good example of the skills already taught.
Planning the teaching of writing incorporates but is not limited to Jane Considine’s “The Write Way” technique of FANTASTICS. Pupils will develop a familiarity with these areas and use them to enhance their writing.

English Books

Pupils complete sequential tasks towards an extended piece of writing in their English books. They must proofread and edit in green pen (this skill is taught explicitly).
Part of proofreading is for children to use green pen and to put dots under words they feel may be spelt incorrectly.
Teachers do not mark draft extended writing until it is published so that published work is independent and can be assessed.
Teachers acknowledge the draft by offering whole class feedback prior to proofreading and editing.
Other English lesson activities may be marked in more detail in English books.
Proofreading and editing is explicitly taught from the beginning of the year. Key Stage One, children who are SEND or working towards use a simple format for proofreading, i.e. Check Capital letters, full stops and read it out loud to check it makes sense. Children who are capable and at age related expectation are taught the ARMS and COPS method of editing their work.
After proofreading, pupils often peer check each other’s work. A partner will read through their work alongside them and point out any missing words, punctuation or spellings. Pupils are taught how to peer check.

Publishing

Publishing is written in separate books. Most children from year 2 onwards should be encouraged to join letters unless this is detrimental to their writing and they are receiving intervention.
Published work is marked using Carlton’s marking and feedback policy (also see spelling marking). Positive elements such as ambitious vocabulary, interim framework objectives or key objectives are highlighted in green pen. This is to serve as praise as well as a quick way to support assessment. Areas for checking are highlighted in pink.
The children also proofread their final version (no peer checking at this stage).
Publishing in KS1 is done once per half term where there is a real purpose to publish. In KS2, work is published from every unit of writing.
For every unit of work completed, 1 piece is selected from each class to enable children to see themselves as published authors. This is shared on the school website.

Spelling

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar lessons: SPaG is timetabled three times a week. Grammar is also taught within the “toolkit” phase of each unit of work.

In one lesson, pupils are taught spelling spelling rules and exceptions.

One lesson is for common misspelt words. Children are screened at the beginning of the year using the NC list. Words that they can spell are highlighted off and this is used as a baseline to be redone each term. Children are grouped by ability for this lesson so that they are learning at an appropriate level for their ability. A list of year group NC spellings specific to the ability level of each child is provided for reference in all learning.

The final lesson is specifically for punctuation and grammar. Teachers explore specific weaknesses in this area for their class. They use a range of resources including teaching ideas from LetterJoin linked to handwriting.

Spellings are tested once weekly and are linked to the spelling rules they learn in class. All children receive the same spelling rule linked to their year groups National Curriculum specifications. Scores are conveyed home for every spelling test. Ideas on how to support spelling at home can be found on the spelling information page on the website.

Spelling books: Pupils have an alphabetised spelling book with folded pages. When they would like to check a word, they write their attempt on the correct lettered page and hold up their book for an adult to check. If correct they can tick next to the word, if incorrect, the mistake is pointed out and the correct word written alongside. This gradually builds up a word bank for them to use independently. Spelling books can be used in any lesson.

Marking work with spelling mistakes: Spelling marking is on a continuum depending on individual ability. Pupils can put dots in green under a word they are unsure of and use spelling books, word banks and dictionaries to check.

Specific dictionary lessons form part of basic skills lessons and guided reading activities.

Staff either draw a line under a misspelt word and write SP, dot and SP in the margin parallel to the word or inform the pupil at the bottom of the text with an SP depending on the ability of that pupil to independently find the mistake. Error words that the individual pupil should know (i.e. if they are targeted to be secure then they need to know the common words for their year group etc.…) should be picked up by the adult marking.

Reading

Reading areas: Each class has an area dedicated to reading. Within these a range of books are available for children to enjoy including picture books, graphic novels and a range of books from either diverse authors or books which are diverse by nature.

Phonics: Pupils begin their immersion into language learning from Nursery. Our Read Write Inc. synthetic phonics scheme is used to rapidly develop reading skills. Please refer to our phonics policy for further detail in this area.

Reading books: Pupils who have completed the Read Write Inc. programme have reading books which are banded by colour. Pupils are allocated a band depending on a variety of teacher assessments of their reading. (NFER, Sandwell Miscue Analysis, One to one reading etc.) Pupils still accessing the Read Write Inc. programme receive books linked directly to their phonics sessions.

Reading books are taken home daily with the pupil’s reading journal. Parents sign the reading journal to say children have read three times a week. For each time the reading journal is signed three times, pupils receive a golden ticket. These are put into a half termly draw for children to win a prize.

As many children as possible are listened to read by adults in school. This is done in reading lessons, across the curriculum, in group interventions (specified on the provision maps) and one to one. Children who are felt to be particularly vulnerable may also be referred to the dinner staff one to one reading rota.

Library: In addition to reading books, each class has a library slot in their weekly timetable when they can select a school library book to keep for a week and then either exchange or re issue.

Reading Lessons: Each class has 5 reading lessons a week which includes 1 lesson for reading for pleasure. This may include a visit to the library.

Reading texts are carefully chosen from a range of suggested texts and authors. Children are provided with a broad and balanced reading diet which encourages a language rich environment and promotes inclusion and diversity for all. Included in these are alternative stimulus such as song lyrics and videos are used to further enhance children’s learning experiences and exposure to diverse cultures and traditions.

In KS1 (off scheme) each week should contain reading sessions for each block as below:

Block 1: Class novel extract in focus. The first lesson is whole class reading which is modelled by the teacher and individuals taking turns. Enjoying the story, noting vocabulary, read aloud think aloud – demonstrate active reading and opportunities for language rich discussion. The second lesson should involve retrieval and inference skills. Grammar and punctuation, formality and layout may also feature in these sessions.

Block 2: Wider reading. Use a poem, extract or chapter from an alternative reading source to widen reading experience and provide opportunities for language rich discussion. This should follow children’s interests. The first lesson is whole class reading which is modelled by the teacher and individuals taking turns. The second lesson should involve retrieval and inference skills. Grammar and punctuation, formality and layout may also feature in these sessions.

In KS2, to prepare children for the end of key stage assessments Block 1 is extended to include additional reading and discussion opportunities and is spread over 3 days. Block 2 is taught in 1 session. PIXL 3 in 3 is used to build stamina ahead of the statutory reading tests.

Oracy - Speaking and listening

Pupils make faster progress in reading and writing, the more they have opportunities for speaking and listening.
Opportunities are provided right across the curriculum for children to express their views, ask questions and present information orally.
When questioning the class, consideration is given to children who need thinking time before answering. Paired and group discussion before feeding back is an ideal way to ensure that children have time to process answers.
In reading lessons, Block 1 prepares children for speaking in front of the class with the expectation that children take a turn at reading. (Sections carefully selected to suit ability levels) Block two and three develop discussion skills as children work on tasks exploring texts.
Across the curriculum, children are required to listen and talk about a wide range of topics, themes and reflections. Children are encouraged to talk effectively and with reasoning and evidence through the use of sentence stems provided in a progressive document for each year group.

Handwriting

From Reception, pupils are all encouraged to work towards cursive handwriting. (Children with specific difficulty in this area may have personalised plans) This begins with learning to write letters with a lead in starting on the line and ending on the line. (excluding o r v w)
Every letter starts on the line and with the exception of o r v w they all finish on the line. X is formed by a backwards c and forwards facing c which means taking the pencil off the page.
Pencil holders are available in school, for children who do not have the correct grip. Pupils who require this support are identified on entry in order to rectify issues as soon as possible.
Pupils write in pencil but may progress to pen when they are ready.
Handwriting is to be taught regularly and demonstrated daily by the classroom staff.
Displays in the classroom should have some examples of joined writing.
Handwriting is taught daily and follows the LetterJoin scheme of learning. For children with a specific weakness in handwriting, Bubble Writing is available as an intervention.

SEND Interventions

A range of interventions are used to support children with areas of need in English. These will depend on pupil’s specific needs. Interventions that are commonly used in school are; Ticking Texts, Bubble writing, Bug Club, Read Write Inc., Project X and Precision Teach. Pupils may be supported in class, withdrawn from whole class learning to work in small groups or one to one to develop their skills and close gaps in learning.

Impact

Curriculum

The English Curriculum at Carlton Primary School has been designed to ensure children are exposed to high quality literature which is language rich and progressive in nature. The curriculum fosters pupil’s confidence and provides opportunities to express views and opinions in differing genres both orally and in writing. Through the use of diverse texts, children are given opportunities to explore and celebrate other cultures building on their cultural capital.

Formal Assessment

Reading assessment

Pupils are assessed at the beginning of the year by being recorded reading an age appropriate reading text (or an accessible text for SEND) to capture fluency of reading.

Children also complete NFER reading tests at this point to support matching them to the correct colour band.

Sandwell Miscue Analysis is used to support choice of book bands.

Each class keeps running records of children’s reading progress. These will include data from reading records and progress through book bands.

In Early Years children are assessed against the Early Years Framework. Year 2 and Year 6 take end of Key Stage national tests which examine a range of reading comprehension skills.

Spelling assessments

Pupils are screened at the point of transition to the next year group. A further screening will take place as they reach the end of a term end to check for retention and progress. Assessments are made by the class teacher using progress on Spelling Shed and performance in weekly spelling lessons. Spelling and grammar is externally assessed through testing at the end of Year 6.

Writing assessments

At the end of each unit of work, teachers complete the writing framework chart by dating columns (one column for each piece of assessed work.) This is kept as a record of progress for each child.

Marking should take into account the National Curriculum objectives, the writing framework and for those children who are working below age related expectations the Pre Key Stage Standards document.

In Early Years children are assessed against the Early Years Framework. Final grades at the end of Key Stage 1 and 2 in writing are teacher assessed. There is no external assessment of composition; however we routinely moderate our levels across all year groups both in staff meetings and in cluster meetings with other schools. These, along with the children’s English and publishing books, help to form a profile for final teacher assessments at the end of each school year.

Speaking and Listening.

Assessment in this area is monitored through use of progression in language document.

SEND Assessment

Children with SEND who are working significantly below age related expectations are assessed using BSquared where small steps of progress are recorded. This is also used to identify children’s next steps in learning in reading, writing and speaking

Course Outline

Writing Long Term Plan