What is our aim for our writers?

In line with the National Curriculum at Rauceby, we strive to help our children develop into articulate and imaginative communicators, who are well-equipped with all the fundamental writing skills. We aim for all our children to develop a love of language and the written word through text-based approaches and real-life experiences. These approaches engage and excite learners to write creatively for specific purposes and audiences. Careful links are made across the curriculum to ensure that children’s writing is relevant and meaningful, where possible linking it to our wider curriculum. Our intentions in writing are for children to write for a purpose; see themselves as real writers; see writing as an interesting and enjoyable process; and develop the skills to plan, edit and redraft their written work. We believe that successful writers can select and manipulate punctuation, grammatical structures and vocabulary for effect.

How do we teach writing at Rauceby?

We have introduced the 'Talk for Writing' approach to writing developed by educational writer, Pie Corbett. It is fun, creative yet also rigorous and has a proven record of accelerating children's learning. It starts with enjoying and sharing stories. Throughout the school, we place a strong emphasis on children reading stories and enjoying a range of literature. Through regular reading, we want children to build up an extensive and rich vocabulary for use in their own writing. Talk for Writing is powerful because it enables children to imitate the language, they need for a particular topic orally before reading and analysing it and then writing their own version.  It is built on three stages of teaching:

1) Imitation - the children learn a text and the language they need

2) Innovation - the children adapt the model text with ideas of their own

3) Invention - the children create their own text using the language and skills that the model taught them.

During the initial 'imitation' stage of Talk for Writing, a text (fiction and non-fiction) is introduced and read to the children. Together they learn to tell the story off by heart. To help them remember the text a multi-sensory approach is used. They retell a text with expression and actions and use a visual story map to support their retelling.

As children learn the text word for word, they build up a bank of interesting vocabulary, phrases and types of plot which they can then use in their own writing. The principle is that if a child can tell a story, they will be able to write a story.

Once the story is learnt, children are encouraged to adapt it. At this 'innovation' stage, children make the story their own. They could start with a simple change of character or for older children it may involve telling the story from a different view point. They will make changes to their story map and rehearse retelling their innovated story orally. They will then write out the innovated story in manageable sections and will receive feedback from the teacher. There is an opportunity to respond to this marking before they go on to write the next section. This very supportive and structured approach allows children to gain confidence and know what they need to do in order to get better.

The final stage is the 'invention' stage where the children use all the skills they have learnt to write an independent piece. There is the freedom to draw upon their own ideas and experiences, or they can 'hug closely' to the shared text should they need to.

EYFS - Composition: It is important for children to develop as independent, enthusiastic and expressive writers, who are able to write in a meaningful way; a multi-sensory approach is used to achieve this both in the indoor and outdoor learning environment. Writing skills are taught daily through a teach, practise and apply approach following the RWI programme. Opportunities for writing are also presented across the curriculum allowing children to write about experiences as they are immersed in their learning journey. Speaking and Listening are vital in preparing children for the experience of writing and orally story telling can be seen in their self-directed learning.

KS1 - Grammar and punctuation: The NC objectives for grammar and punctuation are met through and within the planning sequence for Talk for Writing. Composition: Composition of writing is taught using the Talk for Writing, where the learner plans, writes and edits a piece of writing which is connected to the text they learn orally and then interrogate as a reader and a writer. Various strategies are used in to scaffold the writing process, such as model writing, shared writing, oral rehearsal, scribing, ‘magpie-ing’ ideas etc. Further writing opportunities are available in text-led sessions and in the wider curriculum, as well as unstructured times of the day.

KS2 Grammar and punctuation: Grammar and punctuation is taught in context through writing lessons (although discrete grammar lessons are taught where necessary). Writing: In KS2, writing is taught in whole-class sessions and is based around either a text stimulus or the current curriculum topic in line with the Talk for Writing teaching sequence. Units of work generally begin by sharing text – children then discuss features such as vocabulary use, sentence structures and layout. The teacher will provide models to aid children in practising each of these elements with and without adult support. Children will then practise applying these to their own

writing, often through a shared write first, and then independently. Children are taught to revise and edit their writing throughout and at the end of a unit when publishing their independent piece.

How will my child be assessed in writing?

Formative assessment

Teacher’s strong subject knowledge and understanding of pupils means that the main method of curriculum assessment we employ is formative assessment.

Retrieval practice

Repeated practice, taken regularly and often repeated to ensure understanding of grammar concepts and sentence work to ensure that learning is stored in the long-term memory.

Pupil voice 

Discussions with pupils about their learning is an important part of how we assess their knowledge.

Pupil behaviour 

Children will show that they are enjoying learning in writing sessions and that work has been pitched appropriately through their behaviour and attitudes during lessons.

Pupils’ work 

Work is completed in children’s English books, but skills should also be seen to be transferred in

other subjects

Summative assessment 

Work is assessed through the use of writing moderation across a number of independent pieces from that term.