Intent Statement
Through studying our Writing Curriculum, underpinned by the National Curriculum for Writing within the English Curriculum, our pupils can communicate confidently and articulately through their writing. We use the “Talk For Writing” approach which allows our children to deepen their understanding of writing genres, unpicking the skills and techniques writers use, in order to have a desired impact on the reader. They develop passion and enthusiasm for producing high quality texts that inform, inspire and enthuse their intended audience. They recognise the different skills and techniques that underpin writing across genres, making use of the grammatical and language techniques particular to each. They recognise how grammar underpins our language, and are able to use grammar creatively to achieve their intended effect. By being confident writers, pupils can confidently express their ideas and opinions, ensuring they have the foundations for a promising future of writing.
Implementation
EYFS
Communication and language is one of the three key areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). We believe it is critical, therefore, that children experience a language rich environment where speaking and listening plays a pivotal role in a child's language development. Writing is taught alongside phonics and reading and is taught through inspiring experiences. The children are immersed in a language-rich environment, both inside and outdoors, where they have plenty of opportunities to develop their spoken and written language. Handwriting is introduced at this early stage and is taught alongside other fine motor activities such as finger gyms and sorting activities. Staff in Early Years evidence writing in both written and digital format using Tapestry. 
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Key Stage 1 and 2 
Beyond EYFS, we expect that children continue to develop their speaking and listening skills in order to continue developing their spoken and written vocabulary. At Great Linford Primary School, we follow the "Talk for Writing" approach which generally follows the following steps:
  • "Cold Write" - This is an opportunity for the children to "give it a go" and allows for the teacher to tailor the following lessons in order to start with the skills that the children need.
  • Imitation - WAGOLL ("What a good one looks like") - In response to the children's "Cold Write", high-quality texts are written by teachers, ensuring that the needs of the children are addressed in the writing which they will be analysing. These texts are analysed by the children and teacher for their features, vocabulary and literary techniques. The children will continue to embed and "over-learn" the text, ensuring that they remember it. A key element of this teaching phase is "talking the text", creating "text maps" and performing the text. When the children are confident with the text, they can move onto the next stage.
  • Innovation - Can we make changes? - We need to ensure out children are explicitly taught how their writing changes to suit the purpose. During this stage of the T4W approach, children explore the grammar and skills needed. They will produce "Short bursts" of writing so that they can apply their skills.  Children and class teachers will experiment with "innovating" the WAGOLL and making tweaks to it. These make be changes to the setting and the characters (KS1), adding in extra paragraphs (KS2) or even writing the similar text from another character's point of view. 
  • Independent Application - "Hot write!" - Once the children have practised the skills that they need and have embedded the text into their memory, they start their independent task. An opportunity for the children to write the same genre is provided; however, this may have a different context. This is ensures that the children can use the skills they have practised, but will be doing it in a way that truly shows what they can do.
Impact
​Teachers provide regular formative feedback opportunities in writing. As a school, we believe that the most impactful feedback with children will be "on the spot" feedback. We believe that by providing verbal feedback with our children about their work has the most impact. These focus on ensuring accuracy in grammar, spelling and handwriting alongside developing the effectiveness of their authorial voice. Teachers also use a wide range of written outcomes, within English, and when communicating their knowledge and understanding across the curriculum, to make summative assessments of writing.

​Assessments are peer moderated in years 1, 3, 4 and 5. Assessments in years 2 and 6 are moderated with partner schools and externally. Teachers are supported in moderation by the Writing Assessment Grids and Writing Progression Documents that are specific to their year group. The Writing Assessment Grids are sequentially progressive and cyclical: this allows children to constantly recap previous learning before making progress (taking one step back before taking two steps forward).

Where necessary, teachers liaise swiftly with the English Leader and or SENCo where significant additional support is required. The expectation is that we provide support that enables all pupils to achieve age related standards, or make maximum progress from their starting points. 
Progression
english_sequencing_and_progression.pdf
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supporting from home
Help with spellings
Your child will bring home weekly spelling words to practise. These words follow the same spelling pattern that has been taught in school that week.  We always recap previous spellings that have been taught but will only test the children each week on their five new spellings. Four spellings will follow the year group spelling pattern for the week and the final spelling will be taken from the curriculum and a current learning journey. Practise at home or online using Spelling Frame. ​
Handwriting
At Great Linford we are very proud of our pupil’s handwriting and take particular care in our handwriting style. We use Letter-join’s on-line handwriting resource and Lesson Planners as the basis of our handwriting policy as it covers all the requirements of the National Curriculum.
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Handwriting is a basic skill that influences the quality of work throughout the curriculum. By the end of Key Stage 2 all pupils should have the ability to produce fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy joined-up handwriting, and to understand the different forms of handwriting used for different purposes.
Our intention is to make handwriting an automatic process that does not interfere with creative and mental thinking.
Aims:
  • To develop a neat, legible, speedy handwriting style using continuous cursive letters, which leads to producing letters and words automatically in independent writing.
  • To establish and maintain high expectations for the presentation of written work.
  • For pupils to understand, by the end of Year 6, the importance of neat presentation and the need for different letterforms (cursive, printed or capital letters) to help communicate meaning clearly.

Great Linford's Great Writing!

Each half term we celebrate successful writing at Great Linford. This may be because of amazing use of grammar, impressive literary techniques from books that have been read or generally just great progress that has been seen from the children. 

​Have a look at our winners for this term below...


​Our Curriculum Journey
What does writing look like at Great Linford this term?

At the centre of writing at Great Linford Primary School are our genres. The genre understanding is cyclical, meaning that each type of writing is revisited over the children's journey through the school. Each time a genre is revisited, the children will explore it in a deeper, more complex way. Our writing genres are linked to either a core text, the subject driver, or where appropriate, linked to something that the children enjoy. This makes the learning purposeful and fun. Take a look below at what genres we are doing throughout the year.