Writing (inc Handwriting & Spelling)
At The Synergy Schools Federation, we are committed to developing confident, creative and skilled writers who enjoy writing and can communicate effectively for a range of purposes and audiences.
To support this, we have adapted Jane Considine's The Write Stuff approach to meet the needs of our pupils and ensure a clear progression of knowledge and skills from the Early Years through to Key Stage 2.
Our writing curriculum is built around carefully sequenced units that combine engaging experiences with the explicit teaching of writing skills and techniques. Learning moves between inspiring immersive “Experience” lessons and focused “Sentence Stacking” lessons, where pupils learn how to craft high-quality writing through careful modelling, discussion and shared thinking.
Using the framework of The Writing Rainbow, teachers break the writing process into manageable learning chunks, enabling children to develop vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure and authorial techniques in a clear and progressive way. Across the federation, units have been carefully adapted to ensure that the teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar builds upon prior learning and is fully aligned with National Curriculum expectations.
Our Writing Process
Initiate
Children are immersed in engaging experiences, rich vocabulary and high-quality texts that stimulate their imagination, generate ideas and provide a meaningful context and purpose for writing.
Model
Teachers explicitly demonstrate the writing process through Sentence Stacking, modelling how effective writers select vocabulary, construct sentences and use grammar and authorial techniques purposefully. Through discussion and shared writing, pupils develop an understanding of the choices writers make and the impact these have on the reader.
Enable
Pupils apply their learning with increasing independence, drawing upon the knowledge, vocabulary and skills they have developed to plan, compose, evaluate and improve their own writing. Carefully designed scaffolds support all children in achieving success while fostering confidence and independence.
Where appropriate, writing is linked meaningfully to the wider curriculum, enabling children to deepen their subject knowledge, apply ambitious vocabulary and write for a range of audiences and purposes. Units culminate in extended independent writing outcomes, allowing pupils to demonstrate and apply the skills they have acquired.
The Benefits for Children
Through this approach, children:
- develop secure knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure and composition;
- build confidence, creativity and independence as writers;
- experience a rich range of high-quality texts and genres;
- learn to plan, draft, evaluate and improve their writing effectively;
- understand what successful writing looks like through explicit modelling;
- receive precise feedback that helps them address misconceptions and make improvements; and
- apply their writing skills confidently across the curriculum for a range of audiences and purposes.
Our approach ensures that all children are appropriately supported and challenged, enabling them to become enthusiastic, articulate and independent writers who take pride in their work.
Intent
Our intent is for every child to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to write with accuracy, fluency and creativity. Children learn to make purposeful choices about vocabulary, grammar and structure, adapting their writing to suit different audiences, purposes and contexts.
By the end of Key Stage 2, we aim for pupils to be confident, resilient and increasingly independent writers who are well prepared for the next stage of their education and beyond.
Handwriting
The handwriting programme used by The Synergy Schools Federation is based on the Nelson Handwriting Scheme. This scheme ensures the children learn to join their handwriting during Year 2 and have developed their own individual style by the time they leave school in Year 6.
Spelling
EYFS and Y1 spelling is taught as part of the RWI phonics scheme of work – see Appendix 7 of English Policy. Y2 work on a 1 year programme using the revised Spelling Shed scheme of work:
