Writing

Subject Lead = Mrs Holmes

What writing looks like at Saint Augustine’s

Early Year writing

In Reception, the writing curriculum is put into practice through engaging activities that support the development of early literacy skills. These activities include the use of high-quality books during whole-class carpet time, where children listen to stories, discuss the plot, and explore the relationship between spoken and written language. This fosters a love of stories and introduces them to the concept that written words represent sounds and ideas.

Small group activities are then used to provide more focused practice, allowing children to develop their fine motor skills through mark-making, drawing, and writing. They begin to use their growing phonetic knowledge to write simple words, such as their names or other familiar words, by sounding them out.

Additionally, children are encouraged to express themselves verbally, which supports their ability to translate spoken language into written form. Activities such as labelling their artwork or creating simple captions for their drawings help reinforce the idea that writing is used for communication. By enjoying a range of books, songs, and rhymes, children are further immersed in language, which helps to improve their reading and writing skills.

These practices ensure that writing is integrated into a playful, child-centred environment, where children are supported in building the foundations for literacy.

Whole-School Approach: Talk for Writing

At Saint Augustine’s, we use Talk for Writing as our core writing approach across Y1-6. This highly structured and engaging program was developed by Pie Corbett and is rooted in the principles of language immersion, creativity, and progression.

Talk for Writing empowers students by building confidence and skill through the stages:

• Imitation: Children first learn from a high-quality model text that demonstrates the language and structure needed for the genre they’re studying. They explore its features, internalize key language patterns, and discuss meaning, often through story mapping and oral retelling. This stage solidifies foundational language skills and introduces genre-specific structures.
• Innovation: In this stage, children use the model text as a framework, gradually making it their own by modifying certain parts while keeping the structure. This innovation stage fosters creativity, encourages students to take ownership of their writing, and allows them to practice writing in manageable steps.
• Independent Application: The final stage is where students create an independent piece of writing. Building upon the skills developed in the earlier stages, students apply their learning with minimal guidance, demonstrating their understanding of the genre’s structure, language, and features.

This approach benefits students by developing fluency, fostering imagination, and building confidence in writing. By internalizing a variety of text structures, students are equipped with tools that they can adapt and apply across different writing contexts.

High-Quality, Diverse Book Units
Our book units are carefully selected based on their high quality, diverse representation, and relevance to students' experiences and cultural perspectives. Each text enriches students’ exposure to different themes, viewpoints, and writing styles, and it often reflects elements of British values, which are woven into the curriculum.

Progression of Writing Outcomes Across Genres
Our writing curriculum is built on a progression of outcomes that ensures each year’s learning builds on the previous one. Students are introduced to an expansive range of genres, covering fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, to create a well-rounded writing experience. They explore narrative structures, descriptive language, persuasive techniques, informative writing, and poetic forms, ensuring that by the time they leave, they have encountered and practiced various types of writing.

• Skill Development Year-on-Year: As students move through each year, they revisit and deepen their skills in key genres. For example, persuasive writing skills learned in one year will be expanded and refined in the next.

• Exposure to Varied Writing Styles: Students engage with a range of genres that foster their ability to write adaptively, meeting different audiences and purposes.
• Confident, Independent Writers: Through consistent practice and support, children become increasingly independent and proficient writers, capable of creating structured, expressive, and thoughtful pieces by the end of their primary education.

Our Talk for Writing approach, combined with rich literary experiences, aims to nurture every child at Saint Augustine’s into a skilled, confident writer who can express themselves across a broad range of genres.

What Speaking and Listening looks like at Saint Augustine’s

At Saint Augustine’s Primary School, oracy is an integral part of the curriculum, offering students various opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills. These include harvest debates, persuasive debates in English, and an end-of-year poetry slam. Throughout all units, there are deliberate opportunities to practice oracy, with a focus on model texts and structured speaking activities.

Talk for Writing plays a crucial role in promoting oracy, as students learn to internalize and articulate stories and texts through retelling, role-play, and group discussions. This method strengthens their confidence and fluency in speaking, which supports their writing development.

Oracy is embedded across the curriculum, ensuring students engage in meaningful speaking and listening tasks in every subject. In RE, debates linked to Catholic social teaching encourage thoughtful discussion and moral reflection. In maths, sentence stems are introduced and displayed to guide students in articulating their reasoning and explaining mathematical thinking clearly.

To further support oracy, vocabulary starters are included in most lessons, allowing students to discuss the meanings of ambitious and technical vocabulary. Sentence stems displayed in classrooms facilitate group discussions and help structure responses, fostering collaboration and clear communication. Through discussions, presentations, and debates, students gain essential tools for effective communication, preparing them for success in various contexts.

What Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar (SPaG) looks like at Saint Augustine’s

At Saint Augustine’s, we follow a consistent and structured approach to teaching grammar, punctuation, and spelling across all year groups, from Year 1 to Year 6. Our approach is based on the Twinkl Grammar Overview, which provides a clear progression of skills and ensures that children are taught grammar in a way that aligns with the National Curriculum expectations.

Grammar Teaching (Year 1 to Year 6)
In each year group, we focus on a weekly grammar starter that targets a specific grammar aspect from the Twinkl overview. The grammar starter is designed to be short, focused, and engaging, helping children to develop their understanding and use of grammar across the curriculum. As the year progresses, each lesson builds on the skills learned in previous weeks, ensuring a steady and continuous development of grammar knowledge.

Daily Grammar Starters: These are conducted at the start of each English lesson and are used to introduce or reinforce specific grammar skills. Grammar starters are marked immediately, allowing children to receive instant feedback on their work. This immediate feedback is crucial for helping children to identify and correct mistakes, reinforcing learning in real time.

• Building on Skills: Grammar is taught progressively, with each new lesson extending children’s understanding of sentence structure, punctuation, tenses, parts of speech, and other important grammar concepts. By revisiting and expanding on previous lessons, students develop a deeper and more secure understanding of grammar.
• Spelling (Year 1 to Year 6): Spelling is also a key focus of our curriculum, with rules taken directly from the Twinkl Spelling Overview. In each year group, children are taught specific spelling rules and patterns that align with their age and development.
• Spelling Tests: Every Friday, children take a spelling test, which assesses their knowledge of the spelling rules and words taught during the week. The spelling test takes the place of a grammar starter on that day, giving children the opportunity to consolidate and apply their spelling knowledge in a formal context.

Through this structured and consistent approach to grammar, punctuation, and spelling, we ensure that children have the skills and confidence to write accurately and effectively. This also supports their overall literacy development, allowing them to produce clear, well-constructed written work across all subjects.

Writing Intent, Implementation and Impact

Writing Intent at Saint Augustine’s

At Saint Augustine’s, we implement a whole-school approach to writing through the Talk for Writing cycle of imitation, innovation, and independent application. This method equips children with a deep understanding of writing structures, fostering both creativity and technical skills.

Students engage with a variety of writing outcomes, including non-fiction and poetry, ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum. High-quality model texts inspire and challenge pupils, encouraging them to strive for their best. Each writing lesson begins with a grammar starter aligned with the national curriculum, reinforcing essential grammatical foundations daily.

Spelling is integral to our writing curriculum. In Key Stage 1, children receive daily instruction through the Twinkl Phonics scheme. In Key Stage 2, spelling is embedded in English lessons, aligning with national curriculum standards.

We prioritize cross-curricular learning, providing opportunities for children to apply their writing skills across various subjects, reinforcing the importance of writing in all areas of learning. Termly assessments identify gaps in learning, which are addressed through quality first teaching or targeted interventions, ensuring every child is supported in their writing journey.

Writing Implementation at Saint Augustine’s

Writing is carefully planned, taught, and delivered by class teachers, ensuring tailored instruction for each child. A comprehensive writing progression document, developed by the English lead, outlines specific topics, grammar objectives, and writing outcomes for each Talk for Writing cycle, promoting consistency across the school.

In Key Stage 2, spelling is integrated into weekly lessons, with teachers providing lists based on weekly focuses. Spelling tests occur every Friday, with feedback identifying knowledge gaps for further support.

For Key Stage 1, spelling instruction through Twinkl Phonics teaches words corresponding to phonics and common exception rules. Weekly spelling tests reinforce learning, with new words assigned afterward.

Teachers initiate each writing lesson with grammar starters, adaptable to students' needs, allowing for varied evidence of learning. This structured approach ensures all students receive the tools and guidance necessary to develop their writing skills effectively.

Writing Impact at Saint Augustine’s

At Saint Augustine’s, we are committed to enhancing the quality of writing across all key stages. Since implementing Talk for Writing in 2023, our students' writing abilities have shown significant improvement. This approach encourages exploration and internalization of language, enhancing writing outcomes and enjoyment.

We are confident that with a sustained focus on high-quality teaching, our writing outcomes will continue to improve, preparing Saint Augustine’s pupils for the next stages of their education.

English Policy

Writing Progression