A Whole-School Approach to Writing
At Oak Meadow, we believe that writing is a key indicator of a child’s reading ability, and the connection between reading and writing runs deep. From a young age, teaching children how to write helps them understand the relationship between letters, sounds, and the words these sounds create. We believe that writing is not only a powerful tool for communication, but it also allows children to express their thoughts and feelings in a meaningful way, giving them the invaluable ability to convey their innermost ideas. Furthermore, writing enhances critical thinking skills such as helping children to process information, solve problems, and think more clearly as they work to organise their thoughts into structured sentences. Beyond this, writing at Oak Meadow serves as a canvas for creativity and imagination, offering children the opportunity to explore and develop their creative potential. Whether it's through fictional or non-fictional writing, writing provides an outlet for self-expression and sparks the imagination, making it a vital part of a child’s learning journey at our school.
Early Writing
In Reception, we focus on building the foundational skills that are vital for writing success. Our approach combines structured literacy teaching with creative, hands-on activities to engage young learners. We understand that fine and gross motor skills play a key role in early writing development. Gross motor skills are focused on during children’s time in Reception through them taking part in activities such as rolling, pushing tyres and climbing as these help to strengthen core muscles, which in turn aids posture and writing positions. Additionally, children’s fine motor skills are focused on through them taking part in activities that allow them to strengthen their hand muscles such as; dough disco, threading, peg activities and cutting. These exercises help strengthen the muscles in the hands and fingers, making it easier for children to hold a pencil and form letters correctly. In addition to this, we believe in the power of imaginative play to inspire writing. Role play activities allow children to engage with language in a practical and purposeful way, and children are encouraged to use their phonic knowledge when accessing continuous provision and engaging with activities such as: writing labels, words and simple phrases. Additionally, we focus on children’s ability to draw pre-writing shapes which are basic strokes and marks which children need to know before they start to write letters. These shapes help to develop hand-eye coordination and pencil control, which are essential for early writing.
Transcription into composition
At Oak Meadow, the journey from transcription to composition begins in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Year 1, where we focus on building the essential mechanics of writing. Through daily fine motor exercises, letter formation activities, and early phonics work, children develop the skills needed for clear and accurate transcription. As they progress through school, these skills are practiced daily within our English sessions, allowing students to develop automaticity in spelling, handwriting, and punctuation. This regular practice ensures that transcription becomes second nature, freeing up their working memory and enabling them to focus on the creative aspects of writing. By the time students reach Key Stage 2, they can concentrate on the purpose and intent of their compositions, whether they are writing to describe, inform, entertain, or persuade, while their transcription skills support the fluency and effectiveness of their work.
Writing
In Key Stage 2, we build on the skills developed in the Early Years and Primary stages, focusing on composition, creativity, and the development of writing for different purposes and audiences. Our KS2 writing curriculum is designed to help students produce clear, coherent, and well-structured pieces of writing across a range of genres.
Building Composition Skills
At the heart of our KS2 writing curriculum, is the development of composition skills. Children learn how to plan, draft, revise, and edit their writing. Our approach emphasises: the importance of structure and organization in writing, expanding vocabulary and using varied sentence structures to make writing more engaging and writing with a clear purpose, an understanding of the impact and with audience at the forefront of children’s mind.
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We acknowledge that a good writer must me adaptable and select the appropriate skills to meet the purpose and impact of the genre they are exploring. Within the school year, we ensure that children have opportunities to write in a variety of genres, which include: narrative (stories, myths, legends), descriptive (setting, characters, atmosphere), informative (reports, instructions), persuasive (letters, speeches, advertisements), poetic (rhyming, free verse, and shape poems). These genres are taught in connection with texts the children read, allowing them to see examples of each style and understand how to apply what they learn to their own writing. Author Craft Journey
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Our writing cycle includes a series of interconnected steps that build skills and confidence. The cycle includes:
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Build context through reading/ Deconstruction: We begin by analysing high-quality examples of writing. Children explore features of effective writing, such as language choice, sentence structure, writing technique, and punctuation.
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Oracy: Speaking and listening activities are central to our writing process. Through discussions, debates, and storytelling, children develop ideas and gain confidence in expressing themselves verbally before writing.
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Skills Development: We focus on teaching specific grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary skills that are integral to the writing genre we are focusing on. Children have the opportunity to practise these skills and then apply them using a context.
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Modelled Writing: Teachers model writing in front of the class, demonstrating how to structure and develop an extended piece of writing. Children watch as teachers work through each stage of the writing process, making decisions about language, style, and organization.
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Nurture and Plan ideas: Children use a given structure in order to plan, structure and organise their ideas in order to aid them when writing independently.
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Craft with clarity: Children then apply their skills to produce an extended piece of writing, drawing on everything they have learned from their writing journey. This final piece is an opportunity for children to showcase their writing abilities and express their ideas in detail.
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Editing/ Revision: Once the piece is complete, we emphasize the importance of editing. Children learn to assess their own writing critically, looking for areas to improve in terms of clarity, structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. They are encouraged to refine their work, ensuring that it meets the desired quality before moving on to the final piece. Peer editing and teacher feedback also play a key role in this stage, helping students understand the value of revision and how to make their writing even stronger.
Handwriting
Throughout the school, we use Nelson Handwriting to ensure that children develop strong, legible handwriting from an early age. The program encourages correct letter formation and motor control, building the muscle memory needed for fluent and clear writing. Through structured exercises, children will practice the basics of letter formation before moving on to more complex writing tasks as they grow.
Spelling and Dictation
In writing lessons, children use dictation as an effective way to practice their weekly spellings, following the Spelling Shed scheme. During spelling sessions, teachers reads a passage or a set of sentences aloud, and the students write down what they hear, focusing on spelling each word correctly. This exercise helps reinforce the spelling patterns and rules they’ve learned through Spelling Shed throughout the week. As they write, they also practice listening skills, which makes them more aware of the correct spelling of words and how they sound. Additionally, dictation aids in developing transcription skills, as students learn to quickly and accurately convert spoken words into written form. Dictation not only boosts their spelling ability but helps improve their overall writing, transcription, and attention to detail.
Writing Curriculum
