Writing in Upper School at Freemantle Academy
At Freemantle, carefully chosen literature in the form of fiction books, non-fiction texts, poems provide a context and set standards for exciting, engaging and challenging writing opportunities for all learners, enabling them to progress and achieve to the best of their ability; pupils’ reading links meticulously to their writing.
We aim for each individual learner to see themselves as a writer and view the subject positively, recognising its importance in wider life – both in their present situation and in their future aspirations.
Our curriculum and delivery of writing lessons allows learners to draw upon their reading to inspire, support, develop and extend the quality of their writing. There are links made between/across books/reading materials, the teaching of reading, and writing.
Intent for Developing Upper School Writers:
For pupils to have a positive perception of writing, view themselves as writers and see the purpose of writing within and beyond the curriculum.
To develop learners’ oracy skills and wider understanding of language to give them the skills and confidence to write and share writing effectively.
To develop and prioritise the mechanical accuracy of pupils’ speaking and writing to allow them to express themselves effectively and communicate meaningfully to the intended audience
Develop knowledge of the components of writing and facilitate writing task design that has meaning (to the children), purpose, context, challenge and scaffolding so that by the end of their time at Freemantle, pupils are able to express themselves confidently across a range of genres and purposes.
Implementation of Developing Upper School Writers:
The English Leaders work with teachers to carefully develop a reading spine that guarantees pupils who complete a full Freemantle curriculum have explored a rich and diverse range of texts that expand their knowledge of literature and provide them with the knowledge to succeed after they leave us. This provides the main context for writing at Freemantle.
Allow learners to draw upon their knowledge and experiences of existing stories, to write for a range of purposes, supported by knowledge of settings, characters, plots and vocabulary.
Models set high expectations and provide interest for learners. Books and texts, as well as genres and writing tasks are mapped out in long-term planning in each year group which progresses meaningfully over time to give pupils opportunities to consolidate and build skills within genres.
Writing skills are also mapped out to provide progression so that pupils revisit and activate prior knowledge as a basis for their development as writers.
We prioritise the explicit teaching of vocabulary across our curriculum, including opportunities to apply vocabulary in the English curriculum, and draw on this to support pupils writing.
To progressively teach pupils the skills of rehearsing, checking and redrafting work to allow pupils to communicate meaningfully and be understood.
We teach the mechanics of writing explicitly to ensure grammatical competence and accuracy is embedded and does not detract from pupils’ intended meaning when writing.
In Key Stage 2, we promote fluent and confident written transcription through practise and the explicit teaching of handwriting (using the Nelson Handwriting scheme) and spelling. For pupils who require it, further support is provided through the Little Wandle Rapid Catch-Up programme