Writing
“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you.” – Beatrix Potter
“You can make anything by writing.” - C.S.Lewis
Intent
At Thomas A' Becket Infant School, we believe that every child should develop into a confident, capable and enthusiastic writer. We aim to provide a rich, language-based curriculum that inspires children to write for a range of meaningful purposes and audiences.
Through high-quality texts, real-life experiences and purposeful opportunities for communication, children develop a love of writing and understand its value beyond the classroom. We strive to equip all children with the vocabulary, knowledge and technical skills they need to express their ideas clearly, creatively and effectively.
We aim to develop children’s spelling skills by building strong phonics knowledge and securing children's understanding of the relationship between phonemes and graphemes. We are committed to ensuring that all children develop the skills needed to decode, segment and spell words confidently, enabling them to communicate effectively through writing. Through explicit teaching, regular practice and targeted support, children become increasingly independent in applying their phonics and spelling knowledge across the curriculum.
We believe legible, fluent handwriting is an essential part of effective communication. We aim for all children to develop correct letter formation, presentation skills and writing stamina, enabling them to write confidently and independently across the curriculum.
We have high expectations for all learners and are committed to ensuring that every child, regardless of their starting point, makes strong progress and achieves their full potential as a writer.
Implementation
At TAB Infant School, writing and spelling are taught through a rich, engaging curriculum that provides meaningful opportunities for children to write for different purposes and audiences. High-quality texts, real-life experiences and cross-curricular links inspire writing, while carefully sequenced lessons develop the skills needed to become successful writers.
From Reception through to the end of Key Stage 1, children are immersed in language through reading, discussion, drama and vocabulary exploration before planning, composing, editing and improving their own writing. Teachers model the writing process and provide shared writing opportunities to support children in understanding different text types and applying vocabulary, grammar and punctuation effectively.
Writing is taught across a range of genres, including narratives, recounts, descriptions, instructions and information texts, with children encouraged to apply their skills independently across the curriculum. Regular opportunities to share work, reflect on learning and respond to feedback help children develop confidence and pride in their writing.
Spelling begins with systematic phonics teaching in Reception, where children learn to segment words into phonemes and represent them with corresponding graphemes. In Key Stage 1, children build on this knowledge by learning alternative graphemes and using classroom resources to support accurate spelling. In Year 2, teaching progresses to a structured spelling programme focused on National Curriculum spelling patterns, rules and Common Exception Words. Regular teaching, practice, assessment and home learning ensure children develop confidence and accuracy in spelling, enabling them to apply their knowledge independently across the curriculum.
Handwriting is taught progressively throughout the school. In Reception, children develop the motor skills needed for writing and learn correct letter formation through daily phonics and writing activities. In Key Stage 1, regular lessons focus on posture, pencil grip, letter formation, sizing and spacing. As children become secure, they learn to join letters fluently and apply their skills across the curriculum. Clear modelling, regular practice and consistent expectations help children develop fluent, automatic handwriting.
Impact
As a result of our writing curriculum, children develop the confidence and skills needed to write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences. They draw upon a rich vocabulary, apply grammatical knowledge accurately and use appropriate text structures to communicate their ideas successfully.
Children demonstrate increasing independence throughout the writing process, using planning, drafting, editing and revising strategies to improve their work. They take pride in their writing, respond positively to feedback and can reflect on how their writing can be improved.
Pupils are engaged and motivated writers who can apply their writing skills across the curriculum. They speak confidently about their learning, understand the features of different text types and make strong progress from their individual starting points.
As a result of our systematic approach, children develop secure phonics knowledge and use it confidently to spell unfamiliar words. They demonstrate increasing accuracy when segmenting and encoding words, drawing upon a growing bank of graphemes, Common Exception Words and spelling patterns.
Children become increasingly independent writers who can select appropriate graphemes, apply spelling rules and accurately spell age-related Common Exception Words across the curriculum. Regular assessment ensures gaps are identified and addressed promptly, enabling children to make strong progress and achieve well.
Children leave TAB Infant School with handwriting skills that enable them to communicate their ideas clearly, confidently and efficiently. Their writing is increasingly fluent, legible and well presented, allowing them to focus on the content of their writing rather than the mechanics of letter formation.
By the end of Key Stage 1, children have developed the knowledge, skills and enthusiasm needed to continue their writing journey as successful communicators and lifelong learners.