OUR APPROACH TO: WRITING

WRITING
SUBJECT OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE
WHY DO WE DO IT? n Employ an accurate use of n developing and sustaining n Statutory assessments
We know that engaging children grammar and punctuation writing skills by providing occur at the ends of
with writing will ensure that through direct teaching opportunities for children Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
they become confident and of specific skills to write for a range of based on the Statutory
coherent communicators, both n Are equipped with purposes and audiences. Assessment Framework
in spoken and written language. the cultural capital to n modelling writing skills n In all year groups, writing
Therefore, we teach a sequenced succeed and thrive. which teach children how is moderated and additional
and progressive curriculum n Unlock their imagination, to compose, amend and moderation opportunities
which builds on the skills of curiosity and creativity revise their writing. are sought across phases,
transcription and composition, through a diverse range of n teaching children to become between schools in
producing fluent writers who writing opportunities. critical readers of their the MAT and the local
can communicate effectively for n Transition to the next stage of own writing by using self- authority particularly at
any purpose. We are committed their learning as enthusiastic, evaluation and checking their the end of Key Stages
to ensuring that our children: fluent and confident work independently for sense, n Both transcription and
writers in any subject. accuracy and meaning. composition skills are
n Progress successfully through n teaching transcription, assessed to ensure
a structured synthetic phonics We believe that this firm grammar and punctuation progression.
programme and are able to foundation will allow our in the context of children’s
spell new words effectively children to cultivate the own writing, as well as WRITING AND BEYOND
by applying the spelling future they desire. through discrete activities. If reading is the window to
patterns and rules they learn n teaching children to develop the world, writing is the road.
throughout the key stages WE DO THIS BY… their ability to organise At SBMAT we know there
n Develop confidence and n treating children as writers, and present imaginative are explicit vocations where
competence in communicating. from the earliest stage, writing, factual writing and writing is key: (journalist;
n Access writing opportunities who have ideas that they poetry in different ways. author; copywriter etc) but
that help them to build skills will want to communicate, n teaching strategies for there are also a host of wider
for life, and to understand building on writing skills spelling to enable children careers where writing is an
the world’s diversity and they have acquired and to become confident and invaluable and essential skill.
their place within it. their knowledge of print competent spellers. Whether applying for jobs
“You can make n Write clearly and accurately,
adapting their language
from their environment.
n providing opportunities to HOW DO WE ASSESS?
or interacting with clients,
clarifying quotes and estimates
anything by and style in and for a range
of contexts, purposes
write by giving knowledge
and experiences where
n Writing assessment is informed
by day-to-day teaching,
or even communicating with
family and friends, writing
writing.” and audiences.
n Acquire a wide range of
the children can acquire
confidence and a positive
formative and summative
assessments. Children are
is an incredible life skill
that can facilitate aspiration
vocabulary that they can use to attitude to writing. formally assessed periodically and support both success
C.S. Lewis effectively express themselves n giving real purpose to writing. throughout the year. and social mobility.
 OUR APPROACH TO: WRITING PAGE 1 OF 4

EYFS: NURSERY EYFS: RECEPTION YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 YEAR 4 YEAR 5 YEAR 6

TRANSCRIPTION: SPELLING
■ Writes some letters in context ■ Uses phonics to write ■ Spell words containing each ■ Spell common ■ Spell words that are often misspelt. ■ Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand
and some accurately. phonetically plausible words. of the 40+ phonemes. exception words. ■ Spell further homophones. the guidance for adding them.
■ Spell common ■ Distinguish between ■ Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand how ■ Spell some words with ‘silent’ letters [for
DEVELOPMENT MATTERS: DEVELOPMENT MATTERS: exception words. homophones and to add them (suffix –ation, -ly, -ous, Prefixes – un-, example, knight, psalm, solemn].
3 and 4 year olds Children in reception will be ■ Name the letters of near-homophones. dis-, mis -, -re, sub-, inter-, super-, anti-, auto-). ■ Continue to distinguish between homophones
■ Use some of their print and learning to: the alphabet. ■ Add suffixes to spell longer ■ Use dictionaries to check the spelling and meaning of words. and other words which are often confused.
letter knowledge in their early ■ Spell words by identifying ■ Use letter names to distinguish words, including –ment, ■ Use knowledge of morphology and etymology in
writing. For example: writing the sounds and then writing between alternative -ness, - full, -less, -ly. spelling and understand that the spelling of some
a pretend shopping list that the sound with letter/s. spellings of same sound. words needs to be learnt specifically,.
starts at the top of the page; ■ Teach the spelling of ■ Use dictionaries to check the spelling and meaning of words.
writing ‘m’ for mummy. EARLY LEARNING GOALS: the days of the week. ■ Use a thesaurus.
■ Write some or all Writing: Children at ■ Using the spelling rule for
of their name. the expected level of adding –s or –es as the
development will: plural marker for nouns
■ Spell words by identifying and the third person
sounds in them and singular marker for verbs.
representing the sounds ■ Using the prefix –un.
with a letter or letters. ■ Use the suffixes –ing,
-ed, -er and –est where
no change is needed in
root word e.g. helping,
helped, helper, quickest.
 OUR APPROACH TO: WRITING PAGE 2 OF 4

EYFS: NURSERY EYFS: RECEPTION YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 YEAR 4 YEAR 5 YEAR 6

TRANSCRIPTION: HANDWRITING
DEVELOPMENT MATTERS: ■ Sit correctly at a table. ■ Understand which ■ In cursive handwriting, ■ Use the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed WRITE LEGIBLY, FLUENTLY AND WITH INCREASING
3 and 4 year olds ■ Knows how to hold a pencil letters belong to which form lower-case letters of to join letters and understand which letters, when SPEED BY:
correctly using a tripod grip. handwriting ‘families’. the correct size relative adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined. ■ Choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices
■ Use one-handed tools ■ Knows which hand feels more ■ In cursive handwriting, to one another. ■ Increase legibility, consistency and quality of handwriting. and deciding whether or not to join specific letters.
and equipment, for comfortable to write with. begin to form lower-case ■ Start using some of the ■ Choosing the writing implement that is best suited for the task.
example, making snips ■ Knows how to form most letters in the correct diagonal and horizontal
in paper with scissors. letters correctly in non direction, starting and strokes needed to join
■ Use a comfortable grip cursive handwriting. finishing in the right place. letters and understand
with good control when ■ Know how letters are ■ Form capital letters. which letters, when
holding pens and pencils. formed similarly to other ■ Form digits 0-9. adjacent to one another,
■ Show a preference for letters in the same family. are best left un-joined.
a dominant hand. ■ Write capital letters and
■ Write some letters accurately. DEVELOPMENT MATTERS: digits of the correct size,
Children in reception will be orientation and relationship
learning to: to one another and to
■ Form lower-case and lower case letters.
capital letters correctly. ■ Use spacing between
■ Develop their small motor words that reflects the
skills so that they can use a size of the letters.
range of tools competently,
safely and confidently.
Suggested tools: pencils
for drawing and writing,
paintbrushes, scissors,
knives, forks and spoons.
■ Use their core muscle
strength to achieve a good
posture when sitting at a
table or sitting on the floor.
■ Develop the foundations of
a handwriting style which is
fast, accurate and efficient.

EARLY LEARNING GOALS:

Fine Motor Skills Children
at the expected level of
development will:
■ Hold a pencil effectively
in preparation for fluent
writing – using the tripod
grip in almost all cases;
■ Use a range of small tools,
including scissors, paint
brushes and cutlery;
■ Begin to show accuracy
and care when drawing.

EARLY LEARNING GOALS:

Writing: Children at
the expected level of
development will:
■ Write recognisable
letters, most of which
are correctly formed.
 OUR APPROACH TO: WRITING PAGE 3 OF 4

EYFS: NURSERY EYFS: RECEPTION YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 YEAR 4 YEAR 5 YEAR 6

COMPOSITION: PUNCTUATION
■ Write sentences spelt ■ Leave spaces between words. ■ Punctuate sentences using a ■ Begin to use commas ■ Indicating possession by using ■ Use commas to clarify ■ Use commas to clarify
phonetically using capital ■ Begin to punctuate capital letter and a full stop. after fronted adverbials. the possessive apostrophe meaning or avoid meaning or avoid
letters, finger spaces sentences using a capital ■ Use question marks ■ Begin to use inverted commas with plural nouns. ambiguity in writing. ambiguity in writing.
(sometimes) and full stops letter and a full stop. (when required) and to punctuate speech. ■ Use inverted commas ■ Use brackets, dashes ■ Use hyphens to
that they can read back. ■ Begin to use question marks. exclamation marks. ■ Use commas to separate to punctuate speech. or commas to indicate avoid ambiguity.
■ Begin to use exclamation ■ Begin to use commas in a list. items in a list. ■ Use commas after parenthesis. ■ Use brackets, dashes
DEVELOPMENT MATTERS: marks for exclamation ■ Use possessive apostrophe ■ Place the possessive fronted adverbials. ■ Use a colon to introduce a list. or commas to indicate
Children in reception will be statements. (singular). apostrophe accurately in ■ Begin to use semicolons or parenthesis.
learning to: ■ Use apostrophes for words with regular plurals [for colons to mark boundaries ■ Use semicolons, colons or
■ Write short sentences with contracted forms. example, girls’, boys’] and in between independent clauses. dashes to mark boundaries
words with known sound- words with irregular plurals between independent clauses.
letter correspondences using [for example, children’s]. ■ Use a colon to introduce a list.
a capital letter and full stop. ■ Punctuate bullet
■ Re-read what they points consistently
have written to check
that it makes sense.

EARLY LEARNING GOALS:

Writing: Children at
the expected level of
development will:
■ Write simple phrases
and sentences that can
be read by others.

COMPOSITION: GRAMMAR
■ Join words and clauses ■ Expand noun phrases ■ Extend the range of sentences ■ Choose nouns or pronouns ■ Use expanded noun phrases ■ Use passive verbs to
using ‘and’ . to describe and specify with more than one clause appropriately for clarity to convey complicated affect the presentation of
■ Use a capital letter for e.g. the blue butterfly. by using a wider range of and cohesion and to information concisely. information in a sentence.
names of people, places, ■ Use the past and conjunctions, including; avoid repetition. ■ Use modal verbs or ■ Use the perfect form of
the days of the week, and present tense correctly when, if, because, although. ■ Use fronted adverbials. adverbs to indicate verbs to mark relationships
the personal pronoun ‘I’. and consistently. ■ Use the present perfect ■ Use and understand the degrees of possibility. of time and cause.
■ Use co-ordination form of verbs in contrast grammatical terminology ■ Using relative clauses ■ Recognising vocabulary
(or, and or but). to the past tense. accurately and appropriately beginning with who, which, and structures that are
■ Sentences with different ■ Use conjunctions, adverbs when discussing their writing. where, when, whose, that appropriate for formal
forms: statement, question, and prepositions to or with an implied (i.e. speech and writing, including
exclamation, command. express time and cause. omitted) relative pronoun. subjunctive forms.
■ Begin to use some ■ Use cohesive devices to
subordination through using link ideas and paragraphs
when, if, that, or because. (conjunctions, adverbs,
pronouns, synonyms).
■ Use and understand the
grammatical terminology
accurately and appropriately
in discussing their
writing and reading.
 OUR APPROACH TO: WRITING PAGE 4 OF 4

EYFS: NURSERY EYFS: RECEPTION YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 YEAR 4 YEAR 5 YEAR 6

COMPOSITION: ORGANISATION & COMPOSITION

■ Knows that writing can be ■ Discuss what they have ■ Write narratives about ■ Write effectively ■ Discuss writing similar to that ■ Identify the audience for ■ Select appropriate
used for different purposes written with the teacher personal experiences and coherently for which they are planning to and purpose of the writing, grammar and vocabulary,
such as lists, recipes, stories or other pupils. and those of others different purposes. write in order to understand selecting the appropriate form understanding how
or information giving. ■ Compose a sentence (real and fictional). ■ Write down ideas and/ and learn from its structure, and using other similar writing such choices can change
orally before writing it. ■ Write about real events. or keywords, including vocabulary and grammar. as models for their own. and enhance meaning
EARLY LEARNING GOALS: ■ Re-read what they ■ Plan and say out loud what new vocabulary. ■ Discuss and record ■ Note and develop initial in narratives.
Comprehension: Children have written to check they are going to write about. ■ Make simple additions, ideas composing and ideas, drawing on reading and ■ Describe settings, characters
at the expected level of it makes sense. ■ Write down ideas and/ revisions and proof- rehearsing sentences orally research where necessary. and atmosphere and integrate
development will: ■ Read aloud their writing or key words, including reading corrections to (including dialogue). ■ When writing narratives, dialogue to convey character
■ Demonstrate understanding clearly enough to be heard by new vocabulary. their own writing. ■ Progressively build a varied consider how authors and advance the action.
of what has been read to their peers and the teacher. ■ Encapsulate what they want ■ Begin to use headings and and rich vocabulary and have developed characters ■ Note and develop initial
them by retelling stories to say, sentence by sentence. subheadings in non-narrative. an increasing range of and settings in what they ideas, drawing on reading and
and narratives using their ■ Re-read writing to check ■ Describe settings and sentence structures. have read, listened to research where necessary.
own words and recently it makes sense. characters in narrative. ■ Organise paragraphs around or seen performed. ■ When writing narratives,
introduced vocabulary. ■ Proof-read to check for ■ Read aloud what they have a theme In narratives, create ■ Select appropriate consider how authors
■ Anticipate – where appropriate errors in spelling, grammar written with appropriate settings, characters and plot. grammar and vocabulary. have developed characters
– key events in stories. and punctuation. intonation and volume so ■ In non-narrative material, ■ Describe settings, characters and settings in what they
■ Use and understand recently ■ Read aloud what they have the meaning is clear. using simple organisational and atmosphere and have read, listened to
introduced vocabulary during written with appropriate devices such as headings integrate dialogue. or seen performed.
discussions about stories, intonation to make and subheadings. ■ Write longer passages using ■ Write longer passages using
non-fiction, rhymes and the meaning clear. ■ Make simple additions, a wide range of devices a wide range of devices
poems and during role-play. revisions and proof- to build cohesion within to build cohesion within
reading corrections to and across paragraphs. and across paragraphs.
their own writing. ■ Use further organisational ■ Use further organisational
■ Read aloud what they have and presentational devices to and presentational devices to
written with appropriate structure text and to guide structure text and to guide
intonation and volume so the reader (e.g. headings, the reader (e.g. headings,
the meaning is clear. bullet points, underlining. bullet points, underlining).
■ Assess the effectiveness of ■ Assess the effectiveness of
their own writing and other’s their own writing and other’s
writing proposing changes writing proposing changes
to vocabulary, grammar and to vocabulary, grammar and
punctuation to enhance punctuation to enhance
effects and clarify meaning. effects and clarify meaning.
■ Ensure the consistent ■ Ensure the consistent
and correct use of tense and correct use of tense
throughout a piece of writing throughout a piece of writing
ensuring correct subject ensuring correct subject
and verb agreement. and verb agreement.
■ Proof read for spelling ■ Use the singular and plural,
and punctuation errors. distinguishing between
the language of speech
and writing and choosing
the appropriate register.
■ Proof read for spelling
and punctuation errors.