At Pencoys we aim to enable our children to communicate effectively at school and in the wider world, giving them improved life opportunities. The skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing allow them to interact and communicate effectively and confidently, while equipping them with the practical and academic skills they need.

Our aim is to produce not only capable and confident writers, but writers who understand the power of the written word, knowing that they have a voice in which they can share their thoughts and views to a wide audience. The ability to read and write confidently enables children to access learning and understanding for the rest of their lives.

Through reading, experience, exploration and excitement, the children at Pencoys learn to write enthusiastically and imaginatively in a wide range of genres and for a variety of purposes. Our children learn the essential rules and technicalities of the English language as part of a carefully considered and purposeful curriculum, which allows our children to create the best work possible of which they can be proud.

We believe in the importance of spoken language in the development of the whole child. The quality and variety of language children hear and speak are vital to the development of vocabulary, grammar and the understanding of reading and writing. We explicitly teach speaking and listening through deliberate practice activities that give children a range of opportunities to practise and develop confidence and competence.

NC Aims for English:

The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding

• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information

• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language

• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage

• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences

• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas

• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

Writing

At Pencoys, our writing curriculum has been developed to cover the requirements of the English National Curriculum and support children to become confident and capable writers. The curriculum incorporates a range of genres including a wide range of fiction story patterns and non-fiction text types. The model texts have been carefully considered to support progression and development in speaking, listening, reading and writing. The grammar focus is carefully planned across each unit and explicitly taught through the model writing text, as part of the guided-reading text or in isolation where necessary.

The Talk 4 Writing process is implemented in three steps:

• Imitation: Beginning with a creative hook to engage pupils, children learn a high quality text through drama and actions to enable them to internalise the text structures and complex vocabulary. This is enhanced by further opportunities for talk and drama to fully immerse children in the text type.
• Innovation: Once familiar with the model text, through teacher-led writing and planning opportunities, children begin to write about alternative topics, scaffolded by the model text. Text genres are analysed to create ‘tool kits’ and vocabulary banks which can be used for independent writing.
• Invention/independent application:  Through a process of planning, drafting and writing independently, children have the opportunity to write creatively. Here they will draw upon their own interests and current topics being learnt whilst using the text structures, vocabulary and language patterns that have been taught in that unit.

Spelling:

The writing curriculum develops confidence and competence in spelling through carefully planned spelling lessons which follow the Read Write Inc. spelling scheme. In addition to the taught lessons, this involves children completing their own spelling logbooks in all subject areas which develops an individualised approach and supports good spelling habits for life. ​The Nessy Reading and Spelling programme is also used in KS2 to support children with gaps in reading and spelling.

Handwriting

In EYFS, children are taught the basic stages of pre-cursive handwriting, with the expectation that children will learn to join in the cursive style during year 2. We use the Letter Join scheme to support the progression of handwriting.

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Please click on the Pdf below to see the Writing long term plan:

Writing LTP 22-23 F1-Y6