We are Writers
Intent
At Asquith, our intent is to develop confident, creative, and articulate writers who can communicate their ideas clearly and effectively. We aim to ensure all children, regardless of background or starting point, develop a strong use of vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and handwriting, enabling them to write with accuracy and purpose.
Our writing curriculum is designed to inspire children through high-quality texts, rich experiences, and purposeful opportunities. We want children to enjoy writing, take pride in their work, and see themselves as writers who have a voice that matters. Writing is taught progressively, with clear expectations and consistent language used across the school to support understanding and continuity.
We place a strong emphasis on talk, imagination, and creativity as foundations for writing. Children are encouraged to rehearse ideas orally, explore language, and draw on experiences to support idea generation. This approach supports all learners, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND or EAL, ensuring equitable access to the writing curriculum.
Our writing curriculum aims to:
Deliver the National Curriculum and EYFS Framework ensuring all pupils can:
The English writing curriculum is designed to reflect and embed the school drivers.
Wonderful Words are developed through explicit vocabulary teaching and high-quality texts, enabling pupils to express ideas clearly and creatively.
Readers for Life is promoted by closely linking reading and writing, using diverse and engaging texts and books that inspire pupils and model high quality writing.
We provide Opportunities for purposeful writing by using high-quality texts, resources and real life experiences. Through shared reading, discussion, and exploration of rich vocabulary and structure, children are inspired to write for a range of purposes and audiences.
Dream Big is encouraged by providing pupils with ambitious writing outcomes, real audiences, and texts that broaden aspirations.
Asquith Values underpin writing lessons: pupils show respect for others’ ideas, take responsibility for improving their work, demonstrate determination through drafting and editing, cooperate through shared talk and writing, develop understanding through exploring diverse perspectives, and write with honesty and authenticity.
Implementation
At Asquith Primary School we follow a structured approach to writing that involves exploring a model text, practising relevant skills, supported writing and finally independent writing. We cover a wide range of genres including fiction, non-fiction and poetry units.
English writing is implemented through a carefully structured and progressive curriculum that develops pupils’ disciplinary knowledge (how writing works) alongside substantive knowledge (what pupils write about). Children are taught how to write effectively by understanding sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary choices, and text organisation, while also building rich knowledge through meaningful themes and concepts. We begin the year by teaching a block unit on sentence construction and grammar. This gives children a solid structure from which to write independently.
Writing is taught through well-sequenced units built around engaging themes and high-quality texts. Lessons within each sequence are deliberately designed to build knowledge step by step, allowing pupils to revisit, practise, and apply skills before moving on.
Vocabulary is taught explicitly and systematically. Key vocabulary is introduced, defined, modelled, and revisited regularly to support both comprehension and written expression. Children are given frequent opportunities to use new vocabulary orally and in writing so that language becomes embedded and transferable.
A progressive approach to English terminology is used across the school, ensuring children are introduced to age-appropriate language and concepts at each stage. Key terminology is clearly defined, explicitly taught, and modelled so pupils understand and can use it accurately in their writing. Terminology is revisited and built upon as pupils move through the school, supporting long-term retention and deeper understanding.
Teaching is supported through the use of effective scaffolds and resources, including modelled and shared writing, sentence stems, word banks, visual prompts, and manipulatives where appropriate such as sentence building cards. These help pupils understand abstract writing concepts and reduce cognitive load, enabling all learners to access the curriculum successfully. Opportunities for review and retrieval are built into lessons and sequences to support pupils to know more and remember more.
Our youngest learners begin their writing journey through Drawing Club. It is a structured approach to support pupils’ writing development by providing opportunities to draw, talk, and rehearse ideas before writing. Through high-quality texts, explicit vocabulary teaching, and shared modelling, pupils develop confidence, language, and imagination. This approach continues into year 1.
Lessons are planned with careful consideration of the needs of SEND and EAL pupils. Teaching is adaptive, with appropriate scaffolding, visuals, and modelling, to ensure all children can access learning, participate fully, and make progress
Spelling:
From year 3 we follow Spelling Shed to support the teaching of spelling. This involves lessons where children learn both the statutory spellings for their year group as well as common spelling patterns. Children have the opportunity to explore where words come from and how they have been amended over time, as well as explore different methods of learning spellings.
Foundation 2 and Year 1 are taught spelling predominantly through Read Write Inc. These spelling are then embedded in English lessons along with common exception words. Writing lessons.
Grammar and Punctuation:
Grammar and punctuation skills are essential building blocks in the development of effective writing. During the Autumn Term, all children undergo an intensive Grammar and Punctuation programme, which equips them with the knowledge and skills that will form the basis of their writing. The programme that we use is called Place Value of Punctuation and Grammar (PVPG). It provides the children with a structured approach to sentence construction, which is built upon throughout school.
Handwriting:
We have created our own handwriting scheme, initially based on Read Write Inc. rhymes. Handwriting is taught through letter families. In EYFS and Year 1, children learn to print. By the end of Year 2 and into Key Stage 2, children transition to cursive handwriting. Handwriting is taught regularly throughout the school to ensure correct letter formation, practise prescribed joins, and develop increasing legibility, neatness, and writing fluency.
Impact
The impact of our writing curriculum is evidenced through end-of-unit independent writing tasks and regular shorter independent pieces of writing across the curriculum. Writing is assessed using National Curriculum statements, ensuring clear progression and age-related expectations. Assessment information is used to identify gaps, inform teaching, and provide targeted support, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND or EAL, ensuring all pupils make strong progress in writing