Writing
At Queen Elizabeth’s Primary School, we aim to develop independent writers who can write for a range of purposes and audiences by providing the key skills needed. Our writing curriculum is cross-curricular as pupils will write a range of genres for different topics within the school year. During specific English lessons, pupils are taught how to write for a specific purpose, including spelling and grammar aspects, as well as being taught the structure. Most of our English lessons, focus around a specific book/genre or a text, where we spend a considerable amount of time discussing the text and how to write in a specific style. Pupils are given the opportunity to practise writing in a variety of ways before creating their own final written piece which they then edit themselves. Pupils will develop their speaking and listening and reading and writing skills throughout these sessions. By the time pupils leave us in Year 6, they will be independent writers with many of the tools needed to continue their education. We will ensure they have extended vocabulary, have developed their imagination and can write in varying styles and forms. Pupils have access to their own personal writing targets in their books to support them.
In EYFS, the writing area is changed regularly and all pupils are encouraged to access this area with a Rainbow Challenge each week. As the year progresses, pupils begin to write simple sentences with guidance from the teachers based around their class text. There is also a large focus on speech and language during this initial year of Primary Phase.
Grammar
We teach a grammar session for 10 minutes before each English lesson through our ‘Grammar Hammer’ scheme. Pupils are given questions to answer based on their prior knowledge and will select the correct answer for that question (See example below). Teachers will then teach new concepts to the pupils during the lessons which will spear in subsequent lessons. Grammar Hammers are also used as an informal assessment tool for teachers to provide interventions on gaps in learning.
Spelling
Spelling patterns are taught throughout out English Lessons as well as during spelling lessons each week. During this lesson, pupils will be taught the meaning of the words and how to use them in sentences before being put into the back of their planner to learn over the week. In the following spelling session, pupils will be tested on these and results put into their planners.
