Writing

Writing at Highfields Academy

At Highfields Academy, we recognise the vital role that writing plays in a child's education and personal development. Our aim is to cultivate a love for writing, enabling pupils to express themselves confidently and creatively. We strive to create an environment where children take pride in their written work and are eager to share their stories and ideas, both within the classroom and beyond. By providing diverse and stimulating writing opportunities, we aim to inspire our pupils and foster a culture of enthusiasm for writing.

Early writing begins with mark-making, allowing children to express their thoughts and ideas creatively. As pupils start their phonics journey in Reception, they learn letter formations through our Little Wandle phonics sessions. This foundational stage involves writing individual letters, CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, and high-frequency words.

As their phonetic understanding develops, children progress to constructing short sentences using the sounds they have learned. We encourage independent writing during continuous provision, where pupils have the freedom to explore their creativity and apply their phonics knowledge in a supportive environment. This approach not only builds confidence in their writing abilities but also fosters a love for expressing themselves through written words.

We employ a Mastery approach to English instruction through the Pathways to Write programme. This method ensures that all pupils engage with high-quality texts and are provided with a variety of writing opportunities across all year groups. Skills are developed through consistent practice within each unit, allowing pupils to apply what they have learned in meaningful writing tasks.

Our curriculum emphasises vocabulary enhancement, encouraging pupils to expand their language skills through the Pathways to Write framework. We also integrate writing across various subjects, providing extended writing opportunities that enable pupils to practice writing for sustained periods. High expectations are maintained regarding composition, word choice, spelling, and punctuation in all writing activities.

Pupils are given time to reflect on their writing, allowing them to evaluate and edit their work for improvement. We provide accessible writing tools, including dictionaries, thesauruses, vocabulary mats and model texts, to support their writing journey.

At Highfields Academy, we aim to instil a sense of pride in writing, encouraging pupils to write clearly and accurately while adapting their language and structure to suit different audiences and purposes. Our writing programme equips pupils with essential communication skills, emphasising the importance of writing as a lifelong ability.

Through our curriculum, pupils will develop the stamina and skills necessary for extended writing, mastering accurate spelling and punctuation. They will learn proper grammar usage and progressively build on their knowledge to diversify their writing styles. We take pride in the quality of our pupils' written work, including handwriting, content and presentation, which is evident throughout the school year.

Our marking practises are thorough, providing in-the-moment feedback that helps pupils understand their progress and areas for improvement.

We understand that a strong vocabulary is crucial for learning across the curriculum. Our teachers actively develop pupils' vocabulary by building on their existing knowledge and making connections between familiar and new words. This approach helps expand the range of vocabulary choices available to pupils in their writing.