Writing

Why we teach your child to write

At Queen’s Manor Primary we are committed to developing children into confident, fluent writers who can communicate effectively for a range of purposes and audiences. We want every child to leave primary school with the knowledge, skills and confidence to express their ideas clearly, creatively and accurately, setting them up for future success at school and beyond.

What our curriculum looks like

Writing is a core component of the primary curriculum, and our carefully constructed writing curriculum supports children to write in a variety of different contexts, encouraging children to think deeply about the choices they make as writers. The curriculum is sequenced from EYFS to Y6. At Queen’s Manor, we teach writing by studying a wide variety of different writing genres, supporting children to develop the ability to write for a range of different purposes. Within each year group, curriculum objectives have been carefully matched to each writing genre, building upon children’s prior knowledge.  

How we teach writing

At Queen’s Manor, the teaching and learning sequence for each genre of writing has been carefully planned to enable children to become confident, independent and reflective writers.

Through each learning sequence, children are explicitly taught to:

• think about the intended impact on the reader;
• analyse models of excellence and identify key features of the writing genre;
• use effective vocabulary and grammatical structures in their writing to create a specific impact;
• structure and organise their writing to suit the particular text type;
• plan their writing in an organised and effective way;
• develop excellent transcription skills, ensuring that writing is presentable and correctly punctuated;
• re-read, edit and improve their writing;
• reflect on the effectiveness of their writing choices.

We teach handwriting using the Nelson Handwriting programme. This structured scheme develops correct letter formation, joins, spacing and presentation through regular, progressive lessons. As children move through the school, they develop a neat, fluent and legible handwriting style, enabling them to write with increasing confidence, speed and accuracy.

How you can help your child at home

EYFS and Key Stage 1

• Practise the handwriting and letter formation activities sent home for home learning.
• Practise weekly spellings and encourage your child to use them in their writing.
• Encourage your child to write for a purpose, such as keeping a diary, writing a shopping list, card or letter.
• Read with your child every day and talk about the words, characters and ideas in the text. Discuss what makes the writing interesting.
• Praise your child's ideas and encourage them to write independently whenever possible.

Key Stage 2

• Continue to practise handwriting and weekly spellings as part of home learning.
• Read regularly with your child and discuss the author's vocabulary and writing choices. Talk about what makes the text effective.
• Encourage your child to write for different purposes, such as journals, letters or creative stories.
• Use Bedrock Learning regularly to develop vocabulary and deepen understanding of grammar and language.
• Celebrate your child's writing by encouraging them to edit, improve and share their work with others.