Writing at St Peter's 

It is essential that teaching develops pupils’ competence in these two dimensions. In addition, pupils should be taught how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. These aspects of writing have been incorporated into the programmes of study for composition.

Our belief

“Learning to write unlocks a whole new world for children, increasing their self-esteem and independence as well as allowing them to communicate their thoughts, feelings and ideas in a completely different way. Get them talking, Get them writing.”

Alistair Bryce - Clegg

Writing has its own intrinsic value and our curriculum ensures that all children develop an enjoyment of writing and an appreciation of its relevance and importance in today’s world. At Beacon Education we believe that every child is a writer.

We know that in order for our children to be confident writers, we need to teach them the tools of writing through deliberate practice. We believe that spelling and grammar should be taught, modelled and that children need to be provided with time to embed these principles.   As our children mature as writers, they are given the opportunity to hone and refine their ideas, developing a depth of knowledge and application.  We believe that speaking, reading and writing are all intertwined. Spoken language is the first and most important resource that young children have. It forms the foundations for writing. Our children are taught to orally compose ideas with confidence, before beginning the writing process.   All children experience and draw upon a core reading spine of quality fiction, poetry and non-fiction texts. This underpins their English learning.

“With extensive practice, explicit instruction, and encouragement pupils can become more adept at using these three overarching elements of writing and coordinating them in working memory can become less effortful.”

(EEF,2021)

At St Peter’s First School, we have followed guidance from the CLPE report “Writing in Primary Schools – What we know works” and teach grammar in context. This begins with:

• A well-chosen text which provides rich language models and structures from which children can learn how writing works and the effect it can have on a reader.

• Sharing rich examples of writing, both on and off the page. Including texts that allow children to absorb the rhythms and patterns of language, reflecting the cultural, social and linguistic diversity of the children, as well as introducing a world beyond the familiar.

From this guidance we have built a book based curriculum. This is a conscious curriculum that is coherently planned, with a sharp focus on technique development. We use the BEACON EDUCATION writing progression as a long term planning tool and pinpoint what the next step in learning is before deciding upon the text that helps us teach the pupils in context. This ensures that pupils accumulate knowledge and techniques in a logical progression so they can more easily use what they already know to make sense of a new concept.

Phonics

“Due to the close relationship between phonics and spelling, writing as well as reading skills stand to benefit considerably from the power of systematic phonics teaching.”

(Hanna et all, 1966)

In EYFS and KS1, pupils learn to read and spell as part of their daily phonics lessons, following the RWInc Phonic Programme. Pupils learn to read sounds and blend them into words. They apply this phonic knowledge to read and comprehend. Pupils are also taught how to form letters using mnemonics to help them and they learn to spell using ‘Fred fingers’. As part of this programme, pupils also learn to compose their own writing - drawing upon ideas from stories they have read. In all other areas of the curriculum, pupils are encouraged to apply their phonic knowledge when writing independently.

When pupils exit the RWinc Phonic Programme in Year 2, they begin the RWInc Spelling Programme. Using an approach underpinned by phonics, it develops children’s knowledge of word families, how suffixes impact upon root words, and provides mnemonics to remember the trickiest spellings.

Follow the link below to find out more about Phonics at St Peter's. 

SEND - Ambition and Access at St Peter’s