It is our intention to immerse pupils in the wonders of quality texts, to instil a love for reading, a passion for discovery and a confidence to explore their imagination. We believe the exposure of children’s literature within the primary school setting is vital as a rich context for learning; not only within English as a subject but to support building a reading culture throughout the school. We aim to use high quality books that offer opportunities for empathy and can aid philosophical enquiry, as a means of developing the spoken language requirements through debate, drama and discussion using the issues raised through, and within, the text.
We believe English Language is an essential foundation for success in every subject, which will enable our children to shape their futures and to fully participate in society.
At Highfield Hall we aim to ensure that all our children, no matter their background, develop a genuine love of language and the written word, through a text-based approach. We want them to see writing as an exciting and enjoyable process which inspires them to be life-long writers and communicators. Careful links are made across the curriculum to ensure that children’s English learning is relevant and meaningful; where possible linking our reading, writing and the topic that we are covering in History, Geography and Science.
Writing Implementation
We teach writing following the Pathways to Write units of work, through a quality text-based approach. Our teachers adapt these for bespoke delivery to their classes based on each year group’s individual needs. The units of work ensure children cover the National Curriculum for English in its entirety for writing; and the progressive structure of the programme ensures children’s learning develops through the introduction of new skills being taught and regular opportunities to revisit and develop existing skills. Pupils are taught discrete punctuation and grammar skills, appropriate to their year group, within our text-based approach to planning. Children then apply the grammar and punctuation skills that they have learnt in their extended pieces of writing. Teachers use shared, modelled and guided writing to help children along their writing journey. Critique “Fix it time" is built into our writing structure to enable the children to consider and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of their writing through a process of feedback, editing and redrafting. We broaden and develop children’s vocabulary through language rich displays and vocabulary working walls for English to share and celebrate ambitious text and topic-based vocabulary.
Both spelling and handwriting are taught and modelled in discrete lessons. In Nursery, we develop children’s gross and fine motor skills through an early-writing programme called ‘Squiggle whilst you wiggle’. In Reception and KS1 we follow Monster Phonics planning for spelling and PenPals handwriting. In KS2 we use Spelling Shed and PenPals for handwriting. The statutory Year 3-6 word lists are taught in each year group and revised in the following year group.
Writing Impact
The impact on our children is that they have the knowledge and skills to be able to write successfully for a purpose and audience. Children will become more confident writers that have the ability to plan, draft and edit their own work. By the end of KS2, children have developed a writers’ craft; they enjoy sustained writing and can manipulate language, grammar and punctuation to create effect. All children in KS2 have a ‘Writing Portfolio’, which follows them through the key stage. This is an opportunity for them to show off their best work and to ensure high standards of presentation are being met.
• The ability to write fluently and with interesting detail on a number of topics throughout the curriculum.
• A vivid imagination, which makes readers engage with and enjoy their writing.
• A highly developed vocabulary and an excellent knowledge of writing techniques to extend details or description.
• Well-organised and structured writing, which includes a variety of sentence structures.
• Excellent transcription skills that ensure their writing is well presented and punctuated, spelled correctly and neat.
• A love of writing and an appreciation of its educational, cultural and entertainment values.
We teach writing using Pathways to Write, a mastery approach to teaching writing.
Lessons focus on application of Gateway Keys (skills which the children should already have learnt) and the teaching of Mastery Keys (the skills which are being explicitly taught and applied in that unit of work).
The mastery approach involves the learning, practising and repeated applying of four or five particular objectives taken from the National Curriculum expectations for that year group. Children are given various opportunities to apply these objectives and so become more secure in them.
Once mastered in that half term, they then become Gateway Keys for other units of work where applicable. Each Pathways to Write unit is centred around a high-quality, engaging text. These texts promote a wide range of vocabulary, offer a diverse range of genres, and introduce the children to a variety of authors and illustrators.
Pathways to Write matches the National Curriculum, and is cohesively sequenced and progressive, so that children are working at a level which matches that of their development. Teachers plan and adapt Pathways to Write units where applicable, to ensure that all children are accessing learning which is appropriate for them, and so that all children progress.