Southery Academy Curriculum Intent – Writing

Intent

At Southery Academy, we want our pupils to use Standard English when speaking, as we recognise that this has a direct impact on their writing. We strive for pupils to develop their writing skills so that they have the stamina and ability to write at the age expected standard. We want our children to leave our Academy with a love for writing and to write for a range of audiences and purposes.

Implementation

At our Academy, we have adopted the Jane Considine ‘The Write Stuff’ approach to teaching writing across the whole Academy. Children are able to see a clear sequence across a unit, where they build up to completing an independent piece; or across a lesson, where they build high quality vocabulary banks and ‘sentence stacking’ using various literary techniques. Children have a clear purpose for their writing and are aware of the audience – therefore they are able to choose the appropriate register. Teachers use a wide range of high-quality examples, allowing pupils to critique and reflect. Furthermore, teachers know the importance of Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation (SPAG) and implement this within the teaching sequence. For example, children are taught how to use question marks in Year 1, so that they can learn how to use a rhetorical question in Year 4. Children are taught about the importance of planning their writing before drafting, editing and finalising their pieces. As members of staff, we encourage and model the use of Standard English whenever necessary, using a high level of vocabulary in order to set the standard to pupils. We give children opportunities to speak clearly and to practise oracy, building their confidence on their journey through education.

Impact

Our children enjoy writing across the curriculum and take pride in their written work. Presentation of work and handwriting is high. We strive for children to achieve their maximum potential by giving them the skills and vocabulary needed to become successful in the next stage of their education. Children are formally assessed half-termly within independent writing, using Academy-agreed frameworks for each cohort.