Curriculum Subjects

Writing at Shawclough

Intent

At Shawclough Community School, we want every child to become a confident writer who can communicate clearly, accurately and with increasing independence. We nurture enjoyment of writing and help children understand that their words can tell stories, share information, explain ideas and influence others.

Writing begins with talk, play, drawing and meaningful mark-making. Throughout school, spoken language, vocabulary and reading underpin writing development. We teach both transcription—handwriting and spelling—and composition—developing ideas and organising them into sentences and texts. Secure foundations help children concentrate on what they want to say.

Our curriculum builds progressively from early writing to writing for different purposes and audiences. High-quality books inspire ideas and introduce rich language. Grammar and punctuation are taught explicitly within writing units, helping children understand how their choices improve meaning and effect. Accurate sentences remain a priority in every year group.

We maintain high expectations for all children. Appropriate support, practice and challenge help pupils overcome barriers, deepen their skills and become increasingly independent writers.

Implementation

Early Years

In the Early Years, we build the physical and language foundations children need for writing. Movement and play develop strength and control in the shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers. Activities such as Squiggle programmes, Dough Disco, drawing and practical tasks support coordination, fine motor skills and pencil control. In Nursery, children explore mark-making with a variety of tools, materials and surfaces, learning that marks can carry meaning.

In Reception, children learn letter formation alongside phonics through Read Write Inc. (RWI). They begin using Get Writing books when ready, applying the sounds they know to spelling and early sentence writing. Stories, role play and adult-supported talk help children develop ideas and rehearse what they want to write.

Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, children continue to develop spelling, handwriting and sentence writing through RWI and Get Writing. Alongside this, we use the high-quality texts from Ready Steady Write to develop spoken language, vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure. Teachers adapt activities and writing demands so that children secure essential skills while developing their ideas. Storytelling, puppets, role play, sequencing, drawing and oral rehearsal prepare children for writing. Regular, focused practice helps them form letters accurately, spell using their phonics knowledge and write complete sentences. Children who are ready are challenged to develop their ideas and make more precise language choices.

Key Stage 2

In Key Stage 2, Ready Steady Write provides a structured approach to developing writing for different purposes and audiences. Children explore high-quality texts and learn how authors organise writing and use language effectively. Teachers model planning, drafting, evaluating, revising, editing and publishing, gradually increasing pupils’ responsibility for these processes. Spelling and handwriting continue to be taught and practised.

Across school

Across school, grammar and punctuation are explicitly taught, modelled and applied within meaningful writing. Feedback helps children improve both accuracy and the impact of their words. Pupils also write across the curriculum, applying their skills to explain learning and communicate ideas. Support and challenge respond to individual needs while promoting independence, confidence and enjoyment.

Impact

Our aim is for children to leave Shawclough as confident, capable writers who communicate effectively for a range of purposes and audiences. As they progress, pupils should demonstrate increasingly fluent handwriting, accurate spelling and punctuation, well-constructed sentences and thoughtful choices of vocabulary and organisation. They should be able to discuss their ideas, explain their choices and improve their writing with growing independence. Teachers assess progress through discussion, observation and writing produced over time, using this evidence to identify next steps, provide timely support and extend learning.

Ways to help at home

Choose short, enjoyable activities that match your child’s stage of development. The age ranges below are a guide. Follow their interests, praise their ideas and effort, and ask the class teacher which skills to practise.

  Make meaningful marks — Nursery and Reception. Offer crayons, chalk, paintbrushes and paper. Make pretend menus, tickets or shopping lists through play. Ask your child to tell you what their marks mean; you can write down their words for them.

  Say it before writing it — All ages. Talk about an experience or retell a story with toys. Early writers can say one sentence aloud before writing. Older children can rehearse several ideas and decide the best order.

  Use sounds to spell — Reception and Key Stage 1. Encourage your child to say a word slowly, hear its sounds and write the letters they have learnt. Use sound cards and formation guidance from school. Help with tricky words and value their attempts.

  Write for a real purpose — Key Stage 1 and beyond. Write cards, short messages, labels or shopping lists. Younger children may draw and add a word or sentence; older children can write a letter, invitation or clear instructions for a game.

  Read like a writer — All ages. Share fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Notice an interesting word or how an author describes a character. Older children can discuss how a writer creates humour, excitement or suspense.

  Keep a diary or make a book — Key Stage 2. Write a short diary entry, comic, poem or fact page about an interest. Younger writers can add captions to pictures. Older pupils could create linked chapters or a guide for a younger child.

  Plan with pictures and notes — Key Stage 2. Sketch a setting, draw a simple story map or jot down key facts before writing. Talk about who will read the piece and what it needs to tell them.

  Read back and improve — Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Ask your child to read their writing aloud and check it makes sense. Choose one useful improvement, such as a missing full stop, clearer word choice or spelling they are practising. Let them make the change.

Keep handwriting and spelling practice in line with school guidance. Avoid correcting everything at once. If writing is tiring or frustrating, take a break and speak to the teacher about suitable support.

Handwriting at Shawclough

Intention

At Shawclough Community School, we want every child to develop comfortable, confident and legible handwriting. Secure letter formation and increasing fluency help children record their ideas and focus on what they want to say. We value purposeful presentation and enjoyment of writing.

Our curriculum builds from physical readiness and meaningful mark-making in Nursery to accurate formation, joining and increasingly automatic handwriting. We have high expectations for all pupils, with support matched to their stage of development and individual needs.

Implementation

In Early Years, movement, play and mark-making develop the strength, coordination and control needed for handwriting. Activities include Dough Disco, Squiggle Whilst You Wiggle, painting, threading and peg work. In Reception, Read Write Inc. phonics provides consistent lower-case letter formation ditties alongside continued physical preparation.

In Key Stages 1 and 2, Ready Steady Handwrite provides a consistent approach to teaching and practice. Teachers model letter movements and ready-to-write routines, including comfortable posture, pencil grip and paper positioning. Regular, focused practice and feedback help children develop accuracy and confidence before increasing fluency and speed.

By the end of Key Stage 1, children are taught to form lower-case letters, capital letters and digits accurately, with appropriate size and spacing. They begin to use the strokes needed to join letters, while secure letter formation remains the priority.

By the end of Key Stage 2, children are taught to write legibly and fluently at an appropriate speed. They develop stamina for longer writing and learn to choose suitable letter shapes, joins and writing tools for different tasks, including when an unjoined style improves clarity.

Teachers check accuracy and revisit difficulties promptly. Appropriate modelling supports left-handed writers, while adapted tools and targeted practice support inclusion, including SEND. Our accompanying progression document sets out the detailed teaching sequence from Nursery to Year 6.

Impact

We aim for pupils to write with increasing ease, independence and legibility, so handwriting supports their learning. By Year 6, pupils should use a fluent, readable style and adjust their speed and presentation to the task. Progress is considered from each child’s starting point.

Teachers evaluate handwriting through observation, focused practice and independent work across subjects. They check whether taught skills transfer into everyday writing and use this evidence to identify next steps and timely support. Comfort, confidence and stamina matter alongside presentation.

Ways to help at home

Keep practice short, relaxed and enjoyable. Ask your child’s teacher which letter formations or joins to practise so that home and school use the same approach. Praise careful effort and improvement.

• Build hand control through pinching, squeezing and rolling playdough, squeezing clothes pegs, threading and joining or separating construction pieces. Drawing, painting and everyday tasks such as fastening buttons also help. Supervise small items as appropriate.
• Practise meaningful writing such as a name, a shopping list or a short message. Model the correct starting point and direction. Secure formation comes before joining; avoid introducing joins before they are taught at school.
• Encourage a relaxed tripod grip: thumb and index finger hold the pencil, with the pencil resting on the middle finger. This applies to either hand. Left-handed writers may hold slightly further from the tip to see their writing. Allow the preferred hand to develop naturally.
• Place paper slightly towards the writing hand and tilt it comfortably: the top of the page usually tilts left for right-handers and right for left-handers. Keep the writing hand below the line where comfortable, and use the other hand to steady the page.
• Choose a suitable chair and table. Feet should rest on the floor or a footrest, with the back supported, shoulders relaxed and forearms comfortably on the table. Leave room for the writing arm to move.

A comfortable, effective grip matters more than achieving one exact shape. If writing causes pain, excessive tiredness or continuing difficulty, speak to the class teacher about suitable support.

Grip pictures show the three finger contact points. Paper angles are starting points and should be adjusted for comfort.