Writing Curriculum at Westgate
Writing Curriculum Intent
At Westgate Academy, we teach children to write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audience. Our teaching focuses on developing children’s competence in both the transcription (spelling and handwriting) and the composition (articulating ideas and structuring them) of their writing. We aim to develop pupils’ competence in both dimensions. Within this, we ensure children know how to plan, revise and edit their writing.
By the time they leave our school, we want our pupils to have acquired a wide vocabulary. We are very word conscious at Westgate and embrace opportunities to broaden vocabulary and show pupils how to understand the relationships between words. We model and encourage the use of Standard English in speaking and ensure they understand the importance of using this in their writing. We will promote oracy in all curriculum areas and will provide opportunities to teach these skills and allow children to use and refine these skills. We place emphasis on the importance of spelling, grammar, punctuation and the ‘language about language’. We integrate this into our teaching of writing so that children can see its use in context.
Children are provided with opportunities to write for a variety of real purposes and we ensure that children tailor their writing for their relevant audience. We aim to foster a love of writing and a desire to be creative in this area.
By the end of Key Stage 2, a Westgate Writer will have been taught to and have been provided with opportunities to …
Curriculum Drivers - CLEAR
Communication
- Teach oracy skills in English and other curriculum areas
- Teach vocabulary focused session weekly and activate throughout the week
- Teach subject-specific vocabulary across the curriculum
- Language exposure, understanding and application
- Writing for a range of purposes and audiences across the curriculum
- ‘Let’s Talk SPAG’ time in English and other lessons across the curriculum
Local
- Topic-linked writing (linked to local area)
- Opportunities provided to write to/share writing with local businesses/organisations – providing opportunities to share writing with community
- Selecting local audiences for children’s writing (providing this stimulus)
Enriched
- Sharing writing during Topic celebration events (using oracy skills)
- Writing linked to/informed by visits/trips/experiences
Ambitious
- Challenging children to write a range of texts in different styles and for different audiences/purposes
- High expectations in English books
- Exposure to quality texts and authors
- Suitable ambitious targets set termly for children
- Writing curriculum accessible for all children
Remembered
- Recapping spelling skills
- Recapping SPAG skills
- Use of flashbacks for key SPAG knowledge and application
- Linking writing to topic/English/Science/PHSE learning
- Opportunities to revisit/build on skills from previous year groups
- Opportunities to revisit text types covered in previous years
Curriculum Content Coverage
Over their four years at Westgate, children are provided with opportunities to write for a variety of purposes: to entertain, to describe, to inform and to persuade. Children are taught the text types:
- Discussion
- Narrative
- Explanation
- Instructions
- Non-chronological Reports
- Persuasion
- Poetry
- Recount
In each year group, the text form and context may differ. (See Westgate English Curriculum Map).
YEARS 3 AND 4 |
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Writing Transcription |
Spelling Pupils are taught to:
We follow the Spelling Shed programme. Handwriting Pupils are taught to:
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Writing Composition |
Pupils are taught to:
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YEARS 5 AND 6 |
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Writing Transcription |
Spelling Pupils are taught to:
We follow the Spelling Shed programme. Handwriting and Presentation Pupils are taught to:
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Writing Composition |
Pupils are taught to:
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Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation progression
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YEAR 2 |
YEAR 3 |
YEAR 4 |
YEAR 5 |
YEAR 6 |
Word |
Formation of nouns using suffixes such as –ness, –er and by compounding [for example, whiteboard, superman]
Formation of adjectives using uffixes such as –ful, –less (A fuller list of suffixes can be found on page 46 in the year 2 spelling section in English Appendix 1)
Use of the suffixes –er, –est in adjectives and the use of –ly in Standard English to turn adjectives into adverbs |
Formation of nouns using a range of prefixes, such as super–, anti–, auto–
Use of the forms a or an according to whether the next word begins with a consonant or a vowel (e.g. a rock, an open box)
Word families based on common words, showing how words are related in form and meaning (e.g. solve, solution, solver)
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The grammatical difference between plural and possessive –s
Standard English forms for verb inflections instead of local spoken forms [for example, we were instead of we was, or I did instead of I done]
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Converting nouns or adjectives into verbs using suffixes [for example, –ate; –ise; –ify]
Verb prefixes [for example, dis–, de–, mis–, over– and re–]
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The difference between vocabulary typical of informal speech and vocabulary appropriate for formal speech and writing [for example, find out – discover; ask for – request; go in – enter]
How words are related by meaning as synonyms and antonyms [for example, big, large, little]. |
Sentence |
Subordination (using when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (using or, and, but)
Expanded noun phrases for description and specification [for example, the blue butterfly, plain flour, the man in the moon]
How the grammatical patterns in a sentence indicate its function as a statement, question, exclamation or command
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Expressing time, place and cause using conjunctions (e.g. when, before, after, while, so, because), adverbs (e.g. then, next, soon, therefore), or prepositions (e.g. before, after, during, in, because of)
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Noun phrases expanded by the addition of modifying adjectives, nouns and preposition phrases (e.g. the teacher expanded to: the strict maths teacher with curly hair)
Fronted adverbials [for example, Later that day, I heard the bad news.]
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Relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that, or an omitted relative pronoun
Indicating degrees of possibility using adverbs [for example, perhaps, surely] or modal verbs [for example, might, should, will,]
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Use of the passive to affect the presentation of information in a sentence [for example, I broke the window in the greenhouse versus The window in the greenhouse was broken (by me)].
The difference between structures typical of informal speech and structures appropriate for formal speech and writing [for example, the use of question tags: He’s your friend, isn’t he?, or the use of subjunctive forms such as If I were or Were they to come in some very formal writing and speech] |
Text |
Correct choice and consistent use of present tense and past tense throughout writing
Use of the progressive form of verbs in the present and past tense to mark actions in progress [for example, she is drumming, he was shouting]
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Introduction to paragraphs as a way to group related material Headings and sub-headings to aid presentation
Use of the present perfect form of verbs instead of the simple past (e.g. He has gone out to play contrasted with He went out to play)
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Use of paragraphs to organise ideas around a theme
Appropriate choice of pronoun or noun within and across sentences to aid cohesion and avoid repetition
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Devices to build cohesion within a paragraph [for example, then, after that, this, firstly]
Linking ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time [for example, later], place [for example, nearby] and number [for example, secondly] or tense choices [for example, he had seen her before]
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Linking ideas across paragraphs using a wider range of cohesive devices: repetition of a word or phrase, grammatical connections [for example, the use of adverbials such as on the other hand, in contrast, or as a consequence], and ellipsis
Layout devices [for example, headings, sub-headings, columns, bullets, or tables, to structure text] |
Punctuation |
Use of capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks to demarcate sentences Commas to separate items in a list
Apostrophes to mark where letters are missing in spelling and to mark singular possession in nouns [for example, the girl’s name]
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Introduction to inverted commas to punctuate direct speech
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Use of inverted commas and other punctuation to indicate direct speech [for example, a comma after the reporting clause; end punctuation within inverted commas: The conductor shouted, “Sit down!”]
Apostrophes to mark plural possession [for example, the girl’s name, the girls’ names]
Use of commas after fronted adverbials
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Brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis Use of commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity
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Use of the semi-colon, colon and dash to mark the boundary between independent clauses [for example, It’s raining; I’m fed up] Use of the colon to introduce a list and use of semi-colons within lists
Punctuation of bullet points to list information
How hyphens can be used to avoid ambiguity [for example, man eating shark versus man-eating shark, or recover versus re-cover] |
Terminology |
noun, noun phrase statement, question, exclamation, command compound, suffix adjective, adverb, verb tense (past, present) apostrophe, comma
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adverb, preposition conjunction word family, prefix clause, subordinate clause direct speech consonant, consonant letter vowel, vowel letter inverted commas (or ‘speech marks’) |
determiner pronoun, possessive pronoun adverbial
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modal verb, relative pronoun, relative clause parenthesis, bracket, dash cohesion, ambiguity
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subject, object active, passive synonym, antonym ellipsis, hyphen, colon, semi-colon, bullet points
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Skills/Key subject disciplines
In their time at Westgate, children the following areas within writing:
- Transcription
- Handwriting
- Composition
- Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
Vocabulary
The terminology used when talking about English grammar will be built on each year.
YEAR 3 |
YEAR 4 |
YEAR 5 |
YEAR 6 |
adverb preposition conjunction word family prefix clause subordinate clause direct speech consonant consonant letter vowel vowel letter inverted commas (or ‘speech marks’) |
determiner pronoun possessive pronoun adverbial
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modal verb relative pronoun relative clause parenthesis bracket dash cohesion ambiguity
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subject object active passive synonym antonym ellipsis hyphen colon semi-colon bullet points
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Implementation
Discrete English writing sessions take place at least 5 times a week for at least 45 minutes - 1 hour. Where possible, the purpose of writing links to the ‘Past’, ‘Place’ or ‘Pick’ topic learning in order to provide children with a good understanding of what they are writing about. The stimulus, purpose and audience is chosen to motivate children to want to write. The teaching of grammar and punctuation vocabulary is integrated into these English units as we have found that teaching within context is the most effective way of delivering this and applied in context. Children will also be given the opportunity to learn SPAG through discrete sessions (out of context) and will be given the opportunity to develop their writing composition skills through focused sessions.
Year groups also plan ‘Take One Book’ units each year which focus on a book of the Year Group team’s choice. This may be used as an opportunity to consolidate the writing of a text type or as a stimulus to teach specific punctuation and grammar skills.
These lessons are supplemented by weekly spelling sessions and weekly spelling quizzes (which follow the Spelling Shed programme).
Emphasis is also put on writing within other curriculum areas. Children are usually given the opportunity to write in Westgate Book Week/Day and are often inspired by authors who have been invited in. There are also a number of other competitions that run over the year such as 500 words and poetry competitions. Success in these areas is celebrated in whole school celebration assemblies and children are often rewarded with certificates and prizes.
Opportunities to revisit learning
All through their time at Westgate, children revisit the vocabulary, grammar and punctuation which they will have been taught in previous Year Groups.
Children are also asked to recall the features of the text types and text forms which they study each year.
Local Links
As much of the purpose of writing units links to our ‘Past’, ‘Place’ and ‘Pick’ units, this means that there are opportunities for local links at times.
Examples
Year 3 |
Past Non-chronological report based on Lindum Colonia. Place Narrative – Stories with familiar settings (Lincolnshire Puppy in Lincoln and at the Lincolnshire coast). |
Year 4 |
Place Persuasion – Letters to local companies to persuade them to stock our new European based chocolate product. |
Year 5 |
Past Discussion Text - Crime and Punishment (linked to Lincoln Castle Trip). |
Year 6 |
Past Recount – Evacuee diary entries (Linked to learning about local evacuees). Place Persuasion – Earth Hour letters to local companies to encourage them to get involved in ‘changing climate change’. |
SMSC
ENGLISH |
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Spiritual |
Enabling children to understand and engage with the feelings and values embodied in high quality, poetry, fiction and drama. Developing own and understanding others’ creativity and imagination in writing and reading.
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Moral |
Developing children’s awareness of moral issues in their reading of fiction, journalism, magazines, radio, television and film. Developing children’s ability to make responsible and reasoned judgements about moral dilemmas in texts they read or write. Developing an ability to understand, discuss and write about topics where people disagree/have contrasting points of view. Thinking through the consequences of actions and decisions of characters in their reading or writing.
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Social |
Developing children’s awareness of social issues in their reading of fiction, journalism, magazines, radio, television and film. Helping children to understand how language has changed over time, the influences of spoken and written language and social attitudes to language. Developing children’s ability to share views and opinions with others. Developing children’s understanding of formality and register in speech, reading and writing for a variety of purposes. Working successfully as a member of a group in English lessons. Showing a respect for others’ writing or opinions of texts they have read Developing confidence and expertise in language, which is an important aspect of social identity.
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Cultural |
Developing a sense of personal enrichment through sharing in high quality, poetry, fiction and drama. Developing use of language appropriate to literature which has significance and meaning in culture. Understanding and feeling comfortable to discuss and contrast a variety of cultural texts. Giving children opportunities to discuss and write about different cultures or from the perspective of someone from a different culture. |
British Values |
Showing and understanding of individual liberty by being able to express their opinions through spoken language and writing. Developing mutual respect for others’ writing or ideas. Understanding of right and wrong (rule of law) through discussions in reading or leading to writing. Showing a tolerance of those with other faiths and beliefs through discussions when reading or writing. |
Impact
How will writing be assessed at Westgate Academy?
Teacher assessment takes place through daily marking and feedback.
Teachers also assess within terms and at the end of terms using our Westgate Writing grids. Based on the outcomes of this assessment, planning and teaching is tailored to the needs of the class or year group, children are allocated intervention groups and individual targets are set to ensure that they continue to make progress.
Moderation of writing will happen across the year both in teams and as a whole school.
At the End of Key Stage 2, we use the End of Key Stage 2 Assessment Framework. Year 6 teachers complete their own internal moderation process as well as external moderation where necessary. Teachers work alongside staff from other schools to ensure judgements are validated.
How will the impact of our writing curriculum be evaluated/monitored?
Writing subject leader is responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of this subject area. Monitoring is scheduled to occur half-termly. Judgements on the impact of the curriculum on pupils is based upon a triangulation of different monitoring and evaluation activities within school:
- Lesson observations
- Learning walks
- Pupil voice discussions
- Book and planning scrutinies
- Outcomes of assessments
- Deep dives