Writing

St Joseph's Vision for Writing

At St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, we believe that every child is an author with a voice that deserves to be heard. Our writing curriculum inspires children to communicate confidently, creatively and purposefully, equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to become successful writers for life.

We aim to foster a love of language through high-quality texts, rich vocabulary and meaningful writing opportunities. Writing is at the heart of our curriculum and provides children with the confidence to express their ideas, opinions and imagination across a wide range of audiences and purposes.

From the very beginning of their learning journey, children develop secure foundations in early reading and writing through our systematic synthetic phonics programme, Unlocking Letters and Sounds. As they progress through the school, they build upon these foundations by developing grammatical knowledge, transcription skills, vocabulary and composition, enabling them to write with increasing accuracy, independence and creativity.

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure all pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, achieve success and develop the resilience, independence and enthusiasm needed to become lifelong writers.

What Children Learn

Children are immersed in a language-rich environment where high-quality texts inspire purposeful writing. Through carefully planned sequences of learning, pupils develop the knowledge and skills required to write confidently across a range of genres and curriculum subjects.

Throughout their time at St Joseph's, children learn to:

• write for a range of audiences and purposes
• develop ideas through speaking and discussion before writing
• plan, draft, edit and improve their work
• apply spelling, punctuation and grammar accurately
• select ambitious vocabulary to enhance meaning
• develop fluent handwriting and effective presentation
• reflect on and improve their writing through self and peer assessment

Vocabulary development is a key priority across the school. Every class follows the principles of Explicit Vocabulary Instruction, ensuring children are taught ambitious vocabulary within English and across the wider curriculum.

Writing is taught daily and is closely linked to reading, enabling children to draw upon high-quality models, authorial techniques and rich language. Opportunities to write are provided across the curriculum so that pupils can apply and embed their learning in meaningful contexts.

Skills Progression

Our writing curriculum follows the National Curriculum and is carefully sequenced so that knowledge and skills build progressively from Reception to Year 6.

Children develop their understanding through three key areas:

• Transcription – spelling and handwriting
• Composition – planning, drafting, writing and editing
• Grammar and Punctuation – applying age-related grammatical knowledge accurately and effectively

Children revisit and build upon previously taught skills through regular practice, ensuring knowledge is retained and applied independently.

Progression begins with mark making and early sentence writing in Reception before developing into increasingly sophisticated vocabulary, sentence structures and extended writing throughout Key Stages 1 and 2. Progression documents for each year group outline the specific knowledge and skills that children are expected to develop, ensuring continuity and progression across the school.

How We Teach Writing

Writing lessons are carefully structured to provide pupils with the knowledge, support and opportunities they need to become successful writers.

Our teaching includes:

• high-quality model texts to inspire writing
• explicit teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling within meaningful contexts
• opportunities for speaking and oral rehearsal before writing
• explicit vocabulary instruction
• shared writing and teacher modelling
• guided and independent writing
• regular editing and redrafting
• cross-curricular writing opportunities
• targeted support and challenge to meet the needs of all learners

Children are encouraged to see themselves as authors, taking pride in producing writing that is accurate, purposeful and engaging.

Assessment

Assessment is an ongoing part of teaching and learning.

Teachers regularly assess children's writing through:

• independent writing tasks
• extended writing ('Big Writes')
• day-to-day formative assessment
• pupil conferencing
• self and peer assessment
• assessment against National Curriculum objectives and teacher assessment frameworks

Writing is assessed across the curriculum to ensure pupils can apply their skills independently in different contexts.

Teachers participate in regular moderation within school and with local school partnerships to ensure assessment is accurate, consistent and in line with national expectations. Assessment information is used to identify next steps, inform planning and ensure all pupils make strong progress.

In Year 6, writing teacher assessment may be externally moderated if St Joseph's is selected by the Local Authority. Each year, approximately 25% of schools are chosen for moderation to ensure teacher assessment judgements are secure, accurate and consistent with national standards.

Impact

By the time children leave St Joseph's, they are confident, articulate and independent writers who can write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences.

Our pupils:

• write with increasing accuracy, fluency and stamina
• apply grammar, punctuation and spelling confidently
• use ambitious vocabulary to communicate effectively
• edit and improve their own writing independently
• develop fluent, legible handwriting and take pride in the presentation of their work
• apply writing skills successfully across the wider curriculum
• leave Year 6 well prepared for the next stage of their education

Most importantly, our children develop a genuine enjoyment of writing and understand the power of language to inform, entertain, persuade and inspire.

Spelling

St Joseph's Vision for Spelling

At St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, we believe that confident spellers become confident writers. We aim to develop pupils who understand the structure of words, recognise spelling patterns and apply their knowledge accurately and independently across the curriculum.

We follow The Spelling Book by Jane Considine from Year 2 to Year 6, providing a structured, engaging and evidence-informed approach to spelling. The programme builds upon the secure phonics foundations established through Unlocking Letters and Sounds, helping children understand the relationships between sounds, patterns, word families, morphology and etymology.

Rather than relying solely on memorising weekly word lists, our curriculum encourages children to become curious about language, developing them as 'pattern finders' and 'spelling detectives'. We want pupils to understand why words are spelt the way they are and to apply this understanding confidently in their independent writing.

Our aim is for every child to develop spelling 'stickability'—the ability to retain, recall and automatically apply spelling knowledge—so they leave St Joseph's as accurate, confident and independent writers.

What Children Learn

Spelling is taught explicitly throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, with learning carefully sequenced to build upon children's developing phonics knowledge.

Children learn to:

• recognise common spelling patterns and rules
• understand phoneme-grapheme relationships
• investigate prefixes, suffixes and root words
• explore morphology and etymology
• recognise common spelling exceptions
• develop strategies for learning and remembering spellings
• apply accurate spelling independently across all areas of the curriculum

Through The Spelling Book, lessons combine direct teaching, discussion, investigation, retrieval practice and regular opportunities to revisit previously taught learning. Children are encouraged to explore connections between words, developing a deeper understanding of the English spelling system rather than simply memorising individual spellings.

Learning is revisited frequently to strengthen long-term memory and ensure spelling knowledge becomes embedded.

Skills Progression

Our spelling curriculum follows the National Curriculum expectations and provides clear progression from Reception to Year 6.

Children begin by developing secure phonics knowledge through Unlocking Letters and Sounds, learning to segment and blend sounds and apply phoneme-grapheme correspondences when spelling.

As they move through Key Stage 2, pupils develop increasingly sophisticated spelling knowledge, including:

• statutory spelling patterns and rules
• prefixes and suffixes
• morphology (word structure)
• etymology (word origins)
• homophones and near homophones
• spelling conventions and exceptions
• accurate application within independent writing

Progression documents ensure knowledge and skills are systematically revisited and built upon each year.

How We Teach Spelling

Spelling is taught through engaging, interactive lessons that encourage children to think like linguists and investigators.

Teaching includes:

• explicit teaching of spelling patterns and conventions
• investigations into word families and spelling patterns
• exploration of morphology and etymology
• retrieval practice to strengthen long-term memory
• opportunities for discussion and collaborative learning
• application of spelling knowledge within independent writing
• regular review of previously taught learning
• targeted support and challenge to meet the needs of all learners

The teaching approach encourages curiosity about language and develops children's confidence in selecting the most appropriate spelling strategies when writing independently.

Assessment

Assessment is an ongoing part of spelling teaching and learning.

Teachers assess pupils through:

• daily classroom observations
• independent written work
• spelling investigations and activities
• regular retrieval and revision tasks
• application of spelling within writing across the curriculum
• formative assessment to identify misconceptions and inform future teaching

Rather than focusing solely on weekly spelling tests, assessment places emphasis on children's ability to retain spelling knowledge and apply it accurately in their independent writing.

Teachers use assessment information to plan future learning, provide appropriate support and ensure pupils make sustained progress throughout the school.

Impact

By the time children leave St Joseph's, they have developed a secure understanding of English spelling and the confidence to apply this knowledge independently.

Our pupils:

• spell with increasing accuracy and confidence
• understand spelling patterns rather than relying on memorisation alone
• apply spelling knowledge effectively within their independent writing
• use a range of strategies to tackle unfamiliar words
• understand the relationships between sounds, word structure and meaning
• demonstrate resilience and curiosity when exploring new vocabulary
• are well prepared for the spelling demands of secondary education

Most importantly, our children develop an appreciation of the richness of the English language and understand that spelling is an essential tool for effective communication.

Handwriting

St Joseph's Vision for Handwriting

At St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, we believe that fluent, legible handwriting is a vital life skill that enables children to communicate their ideas clearly and confidently. We aim for all pupils to develop accurate, automatic and well-presented handwriting that supports composition, allowing them to focus on the content of their writing rather than the mechanics of letter formation.

We recognise that handwriting is an essential component of writing and contributes to pupils' confidence, independence and pride in their work. Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, children develop the correct posture, pencil grip, letter formation and joins needed to achieve fluent, efficient handwriting.

In Early Years and Key Stage 1, handwriting is taught through Unlocking Letters and Sounds, where children develop secure letter formation alongside their phonics learning. From Year 2 to Year 6, pupils build upon these foundations using the Letter-join Handwriting Scheme, developing joined, fluent handwriting that can be applied confidently across the curriculum.

Our aim is for every child to leave St Joseph's with a clear, consistent and legible handwriting style that supports successful learning throughout secondary school and beyond.

What Children Learn

Handwriting is taught regularly through structured, progressive lessons that develop children's skills from early mark making to fluent, joined handwriting.

Children learn to:

• develop correct pencil grip and posture
• form letters accurately using the correct starting and finishing points
• position letters correctly on the line
• develop appropriate letter size and spacing
• join letters accurately and consistently
• increase writing speed while maintaining legibility
• present work neatly and take pride in its appearance

In Early Years and Key Stage 1, handwriting is taught alongside phonics through Unlocking Letters and Sounds, ensuring children develop accurate letter formation from the outset.

From Year 2 to Year 6, pupils follow the Letter-join Handwriting Scheme, which provides engaging, structured and interactive lessons that develop fluency, consistency and automaticity. Skills are reinforced through regular practice and applied across the curriculum to ensure handwriting becomes embedded in all written work.

Children are encouraged to apply their handwriting skills in all subjects so that neat presentation becomes an expectation across the curriculum.

Skills Progression

Our handwriting curriculum follows a carefully planned progression from Reception to Year 6.

Children begin by developing:

• gross and fine motor control
• correct pencil grip
• pre-writing patterns
• accurate letter formation

As they progress through the school, pupils develop:

• correct letter orientation
• consistent sizing and positioning
• appropriate spacing between letters and words
• diagonal and horizontal joins
• fluent, joined handwriting
• increased speed, stamina and automaticity

By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are expected to write fluently, legibly and efficiently, enabling them to record ideas confidently across all areas of the curriculum.

How We Teach Handwriting

Handwriting is taught through explicit modelling, guided practice and regular opportunities to apply learning in meaningful contexts.

Our teaching includes:

• direct teaching of letter formation and joins
• modelling using the school's agreed handwriting style
• regular opportunities for guided and independent practice
• reinforcement of correct posture and pencil grip
• use of Unlocking Letters and Sounds in EYFS and KS1
• use of the Letter-join Handwriting Scheme from Year 2 to Year 6
• targeted intervention for pupils requiring additional support
• regular opportunities to apply handwriting skills across the curriculum

Teachers consistently reinforce high expectations for presentation across all subjects, helping children to take pride in their work.

Assessment

Handwriting is assessed regularly through teacher observation, independent writing and dedicated handwriting activities.

From Reception to Year 6, teachers use the Letter-join Handwriting Assessment Tracker to monitor pupils' progress against age-related expectations. The tracker is aligned with the National Curriculum and the Writing Framework and enables teachers to assess key aspects of handwriting, including:

• letter formation
• letter orientation
• joins
• spacing
• consistency
• speed
• fluency
• overall presentation

Assessment may be completed termly, annually or as required to identify next steps and pupils who may benefit from targeted intervention.

The assessment tracker supports continuity between year groups by providing receiving teachers with a clear picture of each child's handwriting development and areas for further improvement.

Impact

By the time children leave St Joseph's, they have developed fluent, legible and efficient handwriting that supports successful writing across the curriculum.

Our pupils:

• form letters accurately and consistently
• write with neat, joined handwriting where appropriate
• demonstrate increasing speed and fluency
• present their work with care and pride
• apply handwriting skills confidently across all curriculum subjects
• are well prepared for the increased writing demands of secondary school

Most importantly, children understand that handwriting is an important communication skill and take pride in producing work that is clear, well presented and reflects their best efforts.