In the Foundation Stage, children are encouraged to attempt their own emergent writing and their efforts are valued and celebrated. As their phonetical knowledge increases, so does their ability to write independently. At the same time, their knowledge of key words is supported through reading and writing activities, including shared reading and writing. A wide variety of opportunities are provided for children to engage in writing activities and independently apply their knowledge of phonics through role play, creative activities and the outdoor area.
Once children have mastered their first set of phonemes, we teach writing through storybook lessons. Children read books closely matched to their phonetical ability and use their knowledge of these books to write simple sentences. By the end of Early Years, our aim is that all children have the confidence and ability to record their thoughts and ideas through early writing.
On entry to Key Stage One, children continue to learn to read and write through the daily delivery of the Read Write Inc. programme, building on the grapheme to phoneme correspondences learnt in the foundation stage. Composition of sentences is developed further throughout the Year One curriculum, particularly in the humanities.
From Year One, we teach writing using the school’s own bespoke plans. Following these plans, teachers use a range of texts to develop children’s reading and writing skills. A progression of engaging books and texts are planned through Years One to Six, which include a range of authors and themes, as well as including varied cultural and historical settings. The children’s writing process is supported by immersion in the book being studied, oral retelling, opportunities for drama and an emphasis of high-quality and technically accurate sentence-level writing.
As the development of our children’s competence in the use of English is a school priority, additional opportunities for non-fiction writing take place frequently throughout the wider curriculum. Through writing across the curriculum, our children have the opportunity to plan, draft and edit over time.
Our children leave us as confident readers, with a love of books and an understanding that reading is the foundation to wider learning; additionally, our children develop a secure understanding of the writing process, including how to write accurately and effectively for different reasons. But more than that, they will have developed a wider vocabulary and improved their ability to orate their thinking, which will allow them to communicate effectively in the future, both in their continued education and more widely as an engaged member of our society.
