Writing
At Havannah Primary School, we want all children to enjoy becoming writers. We aim to give children the opportunity to write enthusiastically for a range of purposes and audiences whilst teaching the skills to become competent writers. A range of high quality texts to inspire writing gives pupils the opportunity to learn from authors, make links and widen their use of vocabulary. Also, a clear cycle allows writing to be carefully investigated, modelled, planned, edited and invented.
The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.
The national curriculum for writing aims to ensure that all pupils:
- acquire a wide range of vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for writing
- write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 there are two dimensions for writing:
- transcription (spelling and handwriting)
- composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing)
Additionally, pupils will be taught how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. Pupils will learn how to spell quickly and accurately through knowing the relationship between sounds and letters (phonics) and understanding the morphology (word structure) and orthography (spelling structure) of words. Pupils will also be taught that effective composition involves forming, articulating and communicating ideas, and then organising them coherently for a reader. This requires clarity, awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Writing also depends on fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting.
As vocabulary increases, pupils will be taught how to understand the relationships between words, how to understand nuances in meaning, and how to develop their understanding of, and ability to use, figurative language. Pupils will be taught to control their speaking and writing consciously and to use Standard English. Also, pupils will learn the correct grammatical terms in English.