Writing

To develop the appropriate subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum we have undertaken a multifaceted approach to writing, whereby all subject areas include the opportunities for pupils to express their thoughts in a range of written styles. Careful links are made to ensure that writing is used as a meaningful communication tool across all subjects. Pupils are exposed to a range of exemplar texts, from across different genres and subject areas, to embed ambitious vocabulary choices and secure expectations of writing across the curriculum. This exposure to a variety of curricular areas encourages a range of writers and writing styles. Writing is a crucial skill that is embedded across all year groups; consolidation of fine motor skills and phonic strategies are implemented in the EYFS and KS1 and working towards securing confidence with independent pieces is the priority in KS2. We are intent on our pupils leaving Three Peaks Primary Academy with a certainty that they are able to communicate effectively in writing – and to enjoy being able to express themselves in this way.

The Write Stuff

Children in Years 2-5 follow ‘The Write Stuff’. With this strategy, children are encouraged to build their own version of a text using the shapes or plot points that break down each genre to support them. They collect high level vocabulary that they can use in their writing, often inspired by a stimulus. Sentences are modelled by the class teacher who shares the ‘writer’s brain’, thinking aloud, to develop children’s writing craft. Children are then asked to produce their own sentences based on lenses from the writing rainbow, known as sentence stacking.

The Write Stuff is based on two guiding principles; teaching sequences that slide between experience days and sentence stacking lessons. With modelling at the heart of them, the sentence stacking lessons are broken into bite-sized chunks. Teachers prepare children for writing by modelling the ideas, grammar or techniques of writing.

• Initiate section – a stimulus to capture the children’s imagination and set up a sentence.
• Model section – the teacher close models a sentence that outlines clear writing features and techniques.
• Enable section – the children write their sentence, following the model.

Children are challenged to ‘Deepen the Moment’ which requires them to independently draw upon previously learnt skills and apply them to their writing during that chunk.

Following the completion of a ‘Sentence Stacking’ sequence, pupils then plan and write independent texts where they are able to show the writing skills they have been developing.