Implementation | What do we teach and when?

At Shakespeare, we believe that all children can be successful in writing.  In order to achieve this, our expectation is that through quality first teaching, all our children will successfully access the learning.  In all lessons, children will recall their previous learning so that they remember more and be introduced to and recap key vocabulary.  We use a gradual release model where we model writing to pupils ( I do), gather ideas from the pupils and co-compose outcomes (we do) before children independently apply what they have learnt (you do).   Pupils use their oracy skills to help them throughout a unit of writing. 

We expect the vast majority of pupils to move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. However, for children who lack fluency in writing or have a particular weakness that hinders their progress, we provide opportunities to consolidate their understanding through additional scaffolding (this could be through adult support or adapted work).

Early Years

In our Early Years setting, storytelling is a vital and valued thread that runs through our Foundation Stage curriculum.  A broad selection of high-quality books, songs, role-play and rhymes create the basis of many cross-curricular topics which revolve around the children's diverse interests as well as seasonal changes and key events. 

In EYFS, pupils are provided with a wealth of resources to develop their writing skills. Emergent writers can use various writing resources (chalk, paint, pens, pencils, water, and brushes) to practise making meaningful marks. Pupils can access these materials during independent learning times and use this to extend their play and ultimately their learning. This is enhanced through the delivery of RWI Phonics sessions in which pupils learn individual letter formation and how to hold and build sentences. Fine motor control activities are also provided in EYFS to ensure that pupils are ready for writing. 

During their time in Early Years, they will explore a wide breadth of vocabulary and develop their language through oral rehearsal.  By the time the children leave our Early Years provision, they will be able to form letters correctly to write their name and create a simple sentence using phonics to support their spelling as well as using capital letters and full stops.  They will be able to read their sentences back.

Year One

In the Autumn Term of Year 1, pupils practise their basic writing skills and become confident in applying their phonics to their writing.  They learn how to hold a sentence, build a sentence of their own, and how to edit sentences using their writing toolkits. Children also have lots of time to develop and share ideas through partner work, thinking out loud and orally rehearsing their sentences.

Children are also given opportunities to re-read their writing to check it makes sense and that it has the core components of a successful sentence/ piece of writing, i.e., capital letters, finger spaces, and full stops. This approach ensure the National Curriculum expectations are explicitly taught in a consistent, clear, and highly structured way, which supports the children in their early writing journey to write with confidence, accuracy, and coherency.

Moving into Year Two and beyond

As pupils progress through Year 1, they are introduced to writing units as detailed in the LAT English Genre Matrix. The matrix recognises the importance of learning how to write fiction, non-fiction and poetry. As pupils progress through their time at Shakespeare, they will repeat genres which will allow for spaced learning and this provides pupils with the opportunity to refine previously learnt skills and show an improved level of sophistication within their writing. Across a term, teachers will plan to deliver a minimum of one fiction unit, one non-fiction unit and one poetry unit. 

At Shakespeare we believe that all children can be successful in writing. In order to achieve this, our expectation is that through quality first teaching, all our children will successfully access the learning. Pupils use their oracy skills to help them throughout a unit of writing. Pupils will discuss high quality models, orally rehearse sentences, discuss vocabulary and edit and improve their learning following discussion with their teachers and/or their peers.