Writing

Our Approach

At Twyford C of E School, we intend to provide our children with the high-quality education needed to promote the development of their written and spoken language. We view the teaching of writing not only as an essential skill that our children will foster as they grow, but the medium through which they can express themselves and share their learning across the wider curriculum.
Our intent for writing is that children at Twyford C of E School will leave at the end of Key Stage 2 equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to write purposefully and express themselves with precision and clarity. Children will be able to plan, revise and evaluate their writing for a range of purposes and audiences, incorporating their expanding knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical features whilst employing a legible and fluent handwriting style.

We believe that highly focused and engaging quality first teaching is essential in the development of our writers. The children at Twyford C of E School are taught writing skills through direct teaching and provided with opportunities to implement these skills through writing for a range of purposes. Our pupils are exposed to the writing process regularly through modelling and over-learning and most importantly inspired to develop a love for writing by their teacher

Sentence Structures

At Twyford C of E School, we have adapted Jonathan Leer’s sentence structure approach for the explicit teaching of grammar within the context of different writing genres. The three sentence structures (Simple Sentences, Compound Sentences, Complex Sentences) are displayed in each classroom and referred to throughout lessons and writing units.

Modelling

‘My Turn, Our Turn, Your Turn’ is used by adults throughout Twyford C of E School to model skills and expectations.

Modelling at our school will include opportunity for children to:

  • complete incomplete sentences
  • expand a sentence
  • combine two sentences

Spelling

From Year 2 spelling is taught through discreet weekly spelling lessons following a progressive and systematic programme, Pathways to Spell. Through weekly teaching of spelling objectives and development of a whole school approach to word transcription, vocabulary development and proofreading, Pathways to Spell will enable learners to become confident and competent spellers.

Spelling Passports

At Twyford C of E School we recognise the importance of pupil’s ability to read and spell the Common Exception Words as stated on the National Curriculum. To support our pupils in the spelling of these words, pupils work their way through progressive and systematic ‘passports’. The passport system is enables pupils to work at the level in which they have been assessed to be attaining at. The passports move between school and home in order for parents to clearly see what their child is working on and to provide support and practise of spelling these words at home.

Spelling Shed

Spelling Shed is an online spelling programme which is used with all pupils from Year 2 to Year 6. Fun, interactive activities and games are set by the class teacher for each pupil to practise and consolidate the spelling patterns and rules being taught in the weekly spelling lessons. Games work through progressive levels, making them accessible to all pupils of varying spelling ability.

Handwriting

At Twyford School we use the Kinetic Letters programme for the direct teaching of handwriting. We recognise the importance of the physicality of handwriting; investing time in developing core and upper body strength, correct seating posture and an ideal pencil grip as the essential handwriting foundations for our children. By implementing a sequential programme of handwriting teaching across the school, over time, handwriting becomes more fluent and automatic.

Progression documents for writing are available by request to the school office.