Burnley Road Academy

Statement of intent:

At Burnley Road Academy, we intend our pupils to become confident, independent writers, who develop increasing stamina for writing throughout their school lives. We ensure the children have access to a range of high quality texts as models for writing and understand the purpose and audience for each text type. By the end of their time with us, we intend our children to have the ability to carefully select vocabulary and punctuation, with attention to the desired effect on the readers’ thoughts and feelings. We have high expectations for our children and intend them to take pride in everything they produce.

In line with our academy values, children are encouraged to show courage and take risks with their writing by using ambitious vocabulary and punctuation. We intend them to develop perseverance with writing, developing stamina and viewing any mistakes as another part of the learning process. Children are given opportunities to show compassion through their writing and work as members of a team when creating shared pieces of work. 

Burnley Road Academy: 

Understands that a strong grounding in writing will impact the future learning and development of a pupil and help prepare them for life in modern society.

Provides a broad and balanced writing curriculum, which encompasses creative writing, writing for different styles, purposes, and audiences, handwriting, use of grammar and punctuation, spelling and widening vocabulary. Writing opportunities are provided across the curriculum.  

Ensures that teachers are aware of the teaching, learning and assessment requirements for the writing  curriculum. 

Ensures that pupils know how to plan, produce and evaluate their work as well as how to carry out an effective editing and improvement process. 

Implementation:

At the beginning of the year, the children are taught the Place Value of Punctation and Grammar (PVGP) to embed their grammar knowledge before moving on to extended writing. This is mapped across our key stages to ensure progression. Once PVPG is complete, our writing journey commences. Our writing journey ensures that children recap text types, genres and story structures in different year groups to build on previous skills: text-type specific features, grammar, punctuation and syntax. Units generally last three weeks and consist of a diagnostic task, text deconstruction using a model text, and contextualised teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling based upon gaps identified from assessment for learning. In addition to this, the explicit instruction of grammar, punctuation, spelling and syntax is delivered as prerequisite learning for each unit. Writing is then organised into sections and children use this application opportunity to cohesively organise new and existing grammar, punctuation, spelling and syntax learning. Children are taught to edit and redraft their work before writing a final version, which is assessed to inform future planning.

Impact:

By the end of Year Six children will be able to write clearly and accurately and adapt their writing for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. Our pupils will acquire a wide vocabulary and use it appropriately within context.

Writing standards in Foundation Stage and Ks1 are in line with national standards and writing at Ks2 is improving. Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling is line with national expectations and children are able to write for a range of purposes. 

‘It is the essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens, introducing them to the best that has been thought and said and helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.’

Ofsted School Inspection Handbook 2019

Our writing curriculum incorporates all aspects of the writing process: phonics, spelling, handwriting, grammar, punctution, composition and editing. Children write for a range of purposes and their work is regularly stimulated by the use of great children's books. We take part in visits (or virtual visits) with popular children's authors - they share how they get ideas and develop different aspects of their books e.g. characters. We ensure children take part in interesting experiences e.g. trips, investigations and Forest Activities to stimulate their own ideas for writing.  

Each week, children will be taught a spelling rule/pattern based on the curriculum for their year group. Teachers follow the spelling scheme provided by the online resource Spelling Shed. Children should be expected to apply this rule in sentences, based on the context of their learning. Spellings should go home based on the rule. Teachers may also include spellings for new vocabulary being introduced in other units of work. Children should be encouraged to use Spelling Shed games/activities to help learn these spellings. Assignments can be added to Spelling Shed to revise previous lists, aiding long-term retention.

Spelling successes will be celebrated in weekly ABC assemblies, with awards for individuals and year groups.

Dictation should be used regularly in Year 2 as part of spelling. In other classes children are tested on their spelling words weekly. Once this has been read out and the children have written the words, the work should be marked. Older children can mark their own work.

Cursive handwriting teaches pupils to join letters in words as a series of continuous flowing movements or patterns. Words can be written without taking the pencil off the page. This continuous style provides a directional left, right movement. The flowing, rhythmical movement aids speed and fluency particularly when practised from Foundation level with the final product being neat and fast. The cursive style also lessens the chance of reversing letters by eliminating the need to lift the pencil between letters. Spaces between words become distinct and distinction between upper and lower case is clearer.

Pupils with specific learning disabilities find continuous cursive useful because the pencil stays on the page throughout every word, thus simplifying the movement. Children with motor problems learn a series of easy, rhythmical movements, which help to improve fine motor co-ordination. Children begin joining their writing from Year 2 (depending on the cohort) when working towards greater depth.