Wynndale Writing Policy  

Writing is a key priority at Wynndale Primary School. As a school, our aim is to develop a love of writing, through purposeful, exciting and engaging stimuli. These allow children to learn key writing skills, develop their vocabulary and embed their spelling, punctuation and grammar.

One way of enabling children to engage with writing is through our writing sequence approach, where the children focus on a range of carefully selected narrative, non-fiction and poetry texts as a stimulus for writing.

Wynndale Writing Sequence

Carefully chosen key texts will form the focus of a half term writing sequence for both Key Stage 1 and 2. Within each term children in all year groups will study a narrative, non-fiction and poetry text as a stimulus for writing. Writing lessons in every classroom happen daily.

The first stage in our sequence is to immerse the children in the text through drama, art, music and real-life experiences. Through the analysis stage we explore the features of the text and the choices the author has made to make it successful. From this we build a toolkit in the author’s style. The children are then taught the skills needed to be able to use the toolkit to influence their own writing. The children then begin to plan their own piece of writing before becoming authors and using their plan to write. They have the opportunity to correct spellings, improve their vocabulary choices or up-level their sentences during the editing stage. Children are given time to redraft their work by adding in anything from previous editing and improvement sessions. Finally, the children publish their writing in a final draft. To celebrate their writing efforts, publications will be shared in a Writing Celebration at the end of this sequence.

The sequence for writing is reflected in all classrooms through their English Working Wall.

The texts that are used to inspire writing in each year group are regularly considered and published on our website for parents and children to access. We recognise that it is good practise in teaching for links to be made with prior learning and therefore all teachers have read the books on the writing spine.

Assessment of writing

At the end of each writing sequence the children will complete an extended piece of writing. As a school we recognise the value of 1:1 conferencing and investing time to ensure this happens with each child in the class. 1:1 conferencing between the child and teacher/ teaching assistant takes place during the writing and self-editing phase within each writing sequence. Within the 1:1 conference, children will be praised for the elements that they have included and marked against year group expectations and the author toolkit which they have created throughout the unit. They will also be set specific targets to respond to immediately following the conference. Aspects of the curriculum which are missing within the writing of most pupils and need further teaching will then be planned for in the next writing sequence and set as targets moving forwards.

Through cross curricular writing and 1:1 conferencing, children who are identified as not meeting year group expectations are grouped and an intervention is planned for.

Children who are identified as Greater Depth writers may receive additional teaching to ensure they have the opportunity to fully achieve their potential as writers. 

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar

Spelling, punctuation, and grammar are crucial aspects of writing. Children are taught spelling rules through a series of discrete lessons throughout the week. From Year 2 to Year 6, the Spelling Shed programme is used consistently and systematically. This programme follows a structured teaching sequence in which each new concept is taught, practised, applied, and assessed.

In addition to teaching spelling rules, lessons also support the learning of common exception words and personal spellings. Teachers ensure that children learn the statutory spellings for their year group. In Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, the focus is on learning to spell key words. Spelling prompts are displayed in each classroom to support this learning.

Grammar is taught through discrete lessons. Each session begins with a 'reactivate' activity to reinforce and consolidate prior learning. Lessons follow a weekly focus and a structured sequence: definition and detective, expand and explore, independent practice, and assessment.

Assessment of Spelling

Pupils’ learning of spelling is assessed both weekly and termly.

Weekly: Children will have a set of words to learn each week, differentiated as appropriate. The set of words will be formed from words following the spelling rules taught that week and common exception words for that year group. Spelling scores should be collated and reviewed half termly.

Termly: Each term, children will be tested on the Common Exception words for the relevant year group. Individual pupil scores should be calculated as a percentage of total number of words for that year group. These percentages should be reported to parents.

Assessment of Grammar and Punctuation

Pupils’ learning in grammar and punctuation is assessed both weekly and termly.

Weekly Assessments: At the end of each lesson sequence, children complete an assessment based on the grammar and punctuation focus for that week. This allows teachers to monitor understanding and address misconceptions promptly.

Termly Assessments: Children also complete a summative grammar and punctuation assessment each term. These assessments help identify gaps in knowledge and highlight pupils who may be working below age-related expectations (ARE), ensuring timely and targeted support.

Handwriting

At Wynndale we aim to make handwriting an automatic process that does not interfere with creative and mental thinking. We recognise that handwriting is a basic skill that influences the quality of work throughout the curriculum.

We use LetterJoin as a basis for our teaching of handwriting and by the end of Key Stage 2 all pupils should have the ability to produce fluent, legible and eventually speedy joined up handwriting. Handwriting is taught daily in foundation and Key Stage 1 and at least twice a week in lower Key Stage 2.

 Children who are not progressing with their handwriting and are unlikely to meet year group expectations are identified and additional teaching and intervention is put into place.

Children are immersed in the LetterJoin handwriting style through all resources used for daily lessons, they are however exposed to a range of handwriting styles through classroom displays and books they read.

From Year 5 onwards children who demonstrate a fluent, neat, consistent handwriting style will be awarded a pen licence. This will be celebrated in assembly. Prior to this, children will use a HB pencil provided by school to ensure high quality materials are being used.  

Speaking and Listening

The Four strands of Speaking and Listening: Speaking; Listening: Group Discussion and Interaction, and Drama permeate the whole of the Wynndale curriculum. Children are encouraged to develop effective communication skills in readiness for later life.

We will provide opportunities for children to extend their speaking beyond the simple provision of facts to include explanation, description, opinion and reasoning.

As part of the Wynndale community we will ensure that we model effective speaking and listening and have high expectations that children will speak clearly in lessons and in turn will listen to others.

We will provide different contexts and situations for the development of speaking and listening such as class assemblies, whole school drama performances and pupil voice. We will participate in National and Regional incentives such as the Mansfield Music and Drama festival.

Monitoring and Evaluation

In order to ensure that English is being taught effectively and children are making progress the subject leader will undertake regular monitoring. This starts with evaluating the quality of planning to ensure that year group curriculum expectations are being taught and that lessons make provision for all learners and ensure challenge and support is provided. If needed, the leader will work alongside a teacher to ensure that this happens and to provide necessary CPD. Next, the subject leader will carry out a book scrutiny to ensure planning has been followed, marking is effective and children are therefore making good progress. Finally, learning walks which focus on the writing working wall and quality of teaching feed into the overall monitoring process. At each step in the monitoring cycle written feedback will be provided and the subject leader will work alongside that teacher to provide individualised CPD where required. Following this, feedback is analysed and common threads are identified and planned into future English CPD. The subject leader may also conduct pupil interviews about their attitudes and opinions around the different areas of English. Analysis of these viewpoints will then be used in the English Action Plan. Regular discussions with staff are also used to update practise and inform future planning for English.

The Subject Leader will work closely with the designated Governor Link to ensure that the action plan is appropriate, effectively implemented, and driving progress.

Continued Professional Development

CPD is formed through monitoring and evaluation of English at Wynndale and meeting the ongoing needs of our staff alongside National initiatives. To ensure subject lead remains knowledgeable and up to date, they will collaborate with subject leads from partner schools within the Wynndale Collaboration and the Family of Schools. The English Subject Leader will also be an active member of the Mansfield English Network and will attend relevant training events provided by Nottinghamshire County Council.

Parental Engagement

We are also committed to offering parents and family members regular opportunities to engage in workshops to enable them to gain a better understanding of what and how we teach at Wynndale. We strongly believe that this effectively supports parents and family members to build upon work done in school, thus further enhancing opportunities for our children to progress, achieve and attain.