English
Writing
A St Joseph’s learner will enjoy writing in a range of genres, selecting appropriate vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. They will know how to improve their writing and will have the ability to write creatively for the enjoyment of themselves and others.
Writing in the EYFS
In Early Years, children write for purpose in play. At the start of their journey, this might look like mark making whilst singing nursery rhymes, building up to Reception where children write for purpose in their play, e.g. instructions or stories. Adults will scaffold writing in play and promote a love of writing and mark making.
In Nursery, children develop their mark making skills. They learn to make lines and marks with a pencil and begin to copy the letters of their name by themselves.
In Reception, children will start to learn how to form letters correctly. They will be encouraged to use their knowledge of phonics to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. By the end of the year, they will be expected to write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others.
Writing in Key Stages 1 and 2
All of the texts used are carefully selected to engage and inspire the children's writing and enable them to acquire a rich and varied vocabulary.
In Year 1, children will be taught to write sentences by saying out loud what they are going to write about, put several sentences together and re-read their writing to check it makes sense. They will also be expected to discuss what they have written and to read it aloud.
In Year 2, children learn to write for a range of purposes, including stories, information texts and poetry. Children are encouraged to plan what they are going to write and to read through their writing to make corrections and improvements.
In Years 3 and 4, children are encouraged to draft and write by talking about their writing. They will continue to learn how to organise paragraphs and, if they are writing non-fiction, to use headings. When they are writing stories, they will learn to use settings, characters and plots. Children in Years 3 and 4 will be expected to use what they know about grammar in their writing and to read through what they have written, to find ways to improve it.
In Years 5 and 6, children will continue to develop their skills in planning, drafting and reviewing what they have written. Children learn to identify the audience for and purpose of their writing. They will be expected to use grammar appropriately. In non-fiction writing, children will use headings, bullet points and other ways to organise their writing. They will be expected to describe settings, characters and to use dialogue in their stories.
During the school day, the children have several opportunities to practise and develop their writing in their English lessons and throughout the curriculum.
Have a look at the photos below to see some examples of our amazing writing!
Progression in Writing:
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Progression in writing.pdf | Download |
Writing Expectations:
Please click on the links below to see the end of phase expectations for writing in KS1 and KS2.
These are examples of the 'expected standard' for writing by children in Year 2 and Year 6 and will help you to understand the writing expectations for children in those years. In the other years, children will be working towards the expected standard.
Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation
Having a good understanding of grammar is essential for children’s writing, allowing them build words into sentences that communicate exactly what they want to say. At St. Joseph's, grammar and punctuation is taught discretely before being applied in context during the daily English lesson.
Progression in Grammar and Punctuation:
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Progression In Grammar.pdf | Download |
Below you can find a useful glossary of grammatical terms used in school:
| Name | |
|---|---|
| grammar-glossary-for-parents.pdf | Download |
Technology:
Support in writing:
All children have the opportunity to write every day, however we know that some children may need more support in this than others. To help children who may need more support or who are on the SEN register we may:
- give adult support during writing lessons
- offer modified reading and/or writing books to support
- give visual prompts
- offer a specific 1:1 or group intervention e.g. beat dyslexia
Where possible, this support will be given during writing lessons so children do not miss out on the full curriculum.
