English Writing

At Whitehill Primary School, our intent for English Writing is to develop confident, skilled, and creative writers who can communicate their ideas clearly and effectively. We aim to ensure that all pupils acquire a secure knowledge of writing conventions, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling, alongside the ability to express themselves imaginatively and for different purposes.

Our writing curriculum is designed to build progressively on pupils’ skills, enabling them to plan, draft, revise, and present their work with accuracy and flair. Handwriting is explicitly taught to ensure that pupils can write legibly, fluently, and at an appropriate speed for their age. Spelling and grammar are embedded across all writing activities, allowing pupils to develop a strong command of the conventions of written English.

Pupils experience a variety of writing forms, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, across structured learning journeys. Each learning journey encourages pupils to develop their composition skills, explore different text types, and apply their technical knowledge of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and handwriting. Cross-curricular links are incorporated where appropriate, allowing pupils to apply their writing skills in meaningful contexts while consolidating their understanding of sentence structure, vocabulary, and stylistic choices.

Through a carefully sequenced and progressive curriculum, Whitehill pupils are supported to become confident, precise, and expressive writers, capable of communicating ideas effectively, presenting work with accuracy, and taking pride in their written outcomes.

Writing at Whitehill is taught through a rich and progressive curriculum that develops composition, grammar, spelling, and handwriting skills across all key stages. Writing lessons are linked to high-quality texts, topics, or cross-curricular themes to provide meaningful and engaging contexts. Pupils are taught the full range of writing genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and narrative writing.

Teachers use the writing progression document to plan lessons that build on previous learning and ensure coverage of the National Curriculum. Lessons are carefully scaffolded to develop sentence structure, paragraphing, vocabulary, and stylistic features. Spelling is systematically taught, and handwriting is explicitly modelled and practised to develop fluency and legibility.

Assessment of writing is ongoing, informed by observations, marking of pupils’ work, and teacher judgment. Teachers use Target Tracker three times per year to record progress and identify areas for development. Moderation meetings are held in-house to ensure consistency in assessment and to support teachers in making accurate judgments. The leadership team and English lead monitor writing provision through book looks, lesson observations, and pupil voice to ensure that teaching is effective and learning is sequenced appropriately.