Intent

At Trumps Green Infant School, writing is a crucial part of our curriculum. All children are provided with ample opportunities to develop and apply their writing skills across the curriculum. 

Our intention is for pupils to be able to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. To be able to do this effectively, pupils will focus on developing effective transcription and effective composition. They will also develop an awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. We also intend for pupils to leave school being able to use fluent, legible and speedy handwriting.

Implementation

• At Trumps Green, we use ‘Talk for Writing’ as the vehicle for teaching writing.  This is to ensure a consistent and systematic approach to teaching the skills of writing across all cohorts.  This also means that children know what to expect when they transition year groups. 
• Early writing is taught through early mark making into handwriting patterns and then progresses into letter formations. This begins with writing (whether with a writing tool or in the air) individual letter shapes, cvc words, labels and captions, moving onto short sentences using the sounds and words that they have been taught.  The children also learn to remember and write stories using the Talk for Writing approach.  They are encouraged to write independently in a variety of ways in continuous provision.
• In Year 1 and Year 2 Teachers use a cold task before they begin the new Talk for Writing text.  They use this to assess the areas that their children will need to be specifically taught, even if this means tracking back to objectives from previous years, in grammar and text type.
• In Year 1 and Year 2, when the unit is complete teachers assess the hot write (independent writing) and compare this to the cold task.  Interventions on specific areas of weakness happen during feedback in lessons.   In Reception, children orally retell stories and teaches assess writing from the unit.
• Through Talk for Writing, we focus on vocabulary and we are aware that the vocabulary gap needs to be addressed as a priority.  In order to do this, to support the teaching of new and adventurous vocabulary, all year groups have access to and make full use of the books that are on our Trumps Green reading lists.  This ensures that all children are regularly read to in class and high quality texts are used.
• High quality systematic teaching of synthetic phonics has a high priority throughout Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Phonics is taught daily for 20-30 minutes, following the Letters and Sounds programme, to all children in Foundation Stage, Year 1 and Year 2 (see Reading intent statement)
• Grammar is taught through the model text, but also through discrete lessons.  There is an expectation that all teacher’s use of grammar is accurate.  To ensure progression in grammar skills, all teachers have been given a Talk for Writing progression of grammar document.  Any areas of weakness that are identified as a result of independent writing or the hot or cold tasks, are taught as part of the modelled text, or the grammar starters. Teachers are expected to track back to previous years objectives, if this is appropriate.
• Writing across the curriculum is taught by showing the children what a good example looks like, before then identifying the features in the specific text type needed.  The children then use this knowledge as a scaffold to write about their learning, as they are familiar with the text type and style needed for that genre.

Impact

The Writing curriculum is evaluated through:

• Regular checks on the writing process being taught, along with the quality of writing in English and curriculum books is evaluated by learning walks, drop ins, moderation sessions, pupil interviews and work scrutinies.
• Internal moderations are carried out at least 3 times a year.  External moderations are carried out once a year with learning partnership schools.  The analysis of this used to identify areas of development and any children who are not making expected progress.
• KS1 outcomes have been moderated by external moderators in 2019.  The moderator identified that all children were assessed against a wide range of genres and that teachers made accurate judgements about pupil’s attainment knowing the strengths of their children.