ENGLISH – WRITING 

Why do we teach what we teach? (Our intent)

At Oak Green, we believe that writing gives you the ability to think, communicate, and make connections with the wider world. We aim to develop self-assured, fluent and enthusiastic writers who can express themselves adeptly for a range of purposes, using rich and varied language, evaluating and making improvements along the way. Through a breadth of genres, we enable our students to achieve their best within the National Curriculum and our wider curriculum offer such as exploring the historical and cultural context of literature. We ensure that our pupils are immersed in a wealth of texts and the experiences that enable them to understand them and develop their writing skills. We have ensured our curriculum for writing supports the needs and diversity of the community in which we serve. We aim for all pupils to leave Oak Green as well rounded individuals with a passion for writing.

How do we teach it? (Our implementation)

• In Nursery, the children are introduced to mark making within the learning landscape and this mark making is placed on the ground to encourage tummy time so children can develop their core. Children in nursery develop the palmer grip through core strength and fine motor activities.
• In Pre-school, children move to the four-finger pincer grip (with some children ready for the tripod grip) through mark making in provision, with core and posture opportunities developed further. Children also have adult-led sessions daily.
• In Reception, children begin with Read, Write Inc. phonics ‘Strong Start in Reception’, in which children learn how to write set 1 sounds and practice their letter formation. This alongside a mark making focus using the scheme Letterjoin during independent writing sessions and in continuous provision, allows staff to focus on developing the tripod grip, core and posture.
• During independent writing in Reception, the children use exciting experiences to write simple sentences and are introduced to adjectives and nouns when writing. We develop our sessions to be inspired by the scheme Ready Steady Write ready for the transition to Year 1.
• In EYFS, the children are also involved in Helicopter Stories and Poetry Basket sessions; this progresses over the year, which develops the children’s storytelling skills and imagination.
• In KS1 and KS2, we use the writing programme ‘Ready Steady Write’ following the overviews for each year group
• It is taught 4 days per week for one hour from year 1 to Year 6
• The basic structure is as follows: immerse, analyse, plan, write
• There are 2 writing outcomes in each unit with approximately 13 lessons. Each unit lasts half a term. Each aspect can last between 1 and 5 lessons
• Each session begins with a sentence accuracy task to allow a sentence level focus and a solid teaching of grammar. This is then followed by essential teaching which focuses on a specific text and involves key questions and teacher modelling. Following this, pupils then complete a task which might be independent or guided. The lesson concludes with a plenary reflecting on learning.
• All classrooms have an appealing reading area which reflects the current vehicle text and a working wall that is used as part of every lesson.
• Work is recorded in English books following the school’s presentation and marking policy.
• Oak Green follows the RWI programme for spelling from Year R to Year 4 and Spelling Shed for Years 5 & 6 with teachers consolidating this within English lessons.
• In Year R-Year 6, cursive handwriting is taught within lessons as well as being timetabled weekly through the Letterjoin scheme for Year R- Year 4. In UKS2 it is practised during early work sessions. The transition from the use of pencil to pen occurs when children in KS2 have shown that they are able to write neatly and with accuracy, across all subject areas.
• Writing skills, including spelling and handwriting are modelled by teachers and applied across the whole curriculum

What is the difference that this makes? (Our impact)

When pupils leave Oak Green they have experienced a wealth of immersive opportunities linked to a wide range of texts, allowing them to develop their writing skills. Exposure to rich and varied language enables pupils to move into the wider world being able to express themselves through a range of media. Pupils are passionate about writing and achieve well following the National Curriculum and wider Oak Green curriculum.