Writing and Grammar

To develop our children as writers we:

• Teach them to develop competency in the two dimensions of writing: transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing)
• Follow the agreed writing process that allows children to work through the steps required to achieve a piece of writing
• Allow them to write a range of genres effectively for different audiences and purposes, adapting their vocabulary accordingly
• Show them how to write in a variety of forms through good quality teacher modelling
• Teach grammar sessions, modelling correct use of terminology
• Teach spelling lessons, concentrating on rules and patterns of words stipulated for each year group
• Show and encourage children to edit and improve their written work
• Teach children how to punctuate to make meaning clear to the reader
• Give them the knowledge and strategies to become confident and accurate spellers
• Teach them to write with a fluent, legible cursive style of handwriting, promoting an understanding of how to present work appropriately
• Provide a rich literacy environment with clear labels and displays, celebrating and promoting good quality of writing throughout the school
• Encourage children to write for real-life audiences e.g. newsletters/website

Writing at Sedbergh Primary is developed through: shared writing, guided writing and independent writing.

Writing in the Early Years:

In EYFS, language and literacy development are incorporated in all areas of learning.  Opportunities are provided for children to communicate thoughts, ideas and feelings.  Purposeful role-play is used to develop language and imagination.  These can be a mixture of adult led activities and child initiated activities.  There are also daily opportunities to develop children’s gross and fine motor skills doing activities such as, dough disco, moving to write, squiggle whilst you wiggle or enhancements in the provision. Throughout the year they have regular handwriting sessions following the Curly Cal scheme and daily literacy sessions. There are numerous opportunities inside and outside the classroom for the children to practise and develop their literacy skills through fun and exciting continuous provision activities. Reception follow the Talk for Writing approach to teaching writing, which breaks down the writing process into 3 sections: Imitation, Innovation and Invention.

At Sedbergh Primary School we provide a high quality spelling education that is often multi-sensory, engages, inspires and challenges pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to spell confidently.

We use a variety of spelling programmes that ensures statutory requirements are met. Key Stage 2 year groups have a statutory list of words to learn. From Year 1 to Year 6, weekly spellings are sent home to learn for homework.

Grammar and Punctuation is taught either discretely (in one-off lessons) or is addressed through understanding and learning about the genre being covered in class. In May, as part of the SATs, Year 6 pupils are assessed on Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation.

Opportunities for teachers to enhance pupils’ vocabulary arise naturally from their reading and writing. As vocabulary increases, teachers should show pupils how to understand the relationships between words, how to understand nuances in meaning, and how to develop their understanding of, and ability to use, figurative language. They should also teach pupils how to work out and clarify the meanings of unknown words and words with more than one meaning. Pupils should be taught to control their speaking and writing consciously and to use Standard English. Teachers should teach pupils the vocabulary they need to discuss their reading, writing and spoken language. It is important that pupils learn the correct grammatical terms in English and that these terms are integrated within teaching. Early years use Word Aware and A Poem a Day as strategies to develop a wide range of vocabulary.

Spelling at Sedbergh Primary is developed through:

• The systematic teaching of phonics in EYFS and KS1 using the Supersonic Phonic Friends scheme.
• Developing an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar which are taught implicitly and explicitly from Year 1 through to Year 6 using the appendices in the new National Curriculum and Suze’s Spelling Rules.
• Regular dictionary and thesaurus work.
• Use of word banks and spell checks.
• Regular opportunities to identify and use spellings within a context.