Writing at Bromet Primary School

Intent

At Bromet Primary School, we want every child to become a confident, creative and articulate writer who can communicate ideas clearly and effectively for a range of audiences and purposes.

Our writing curriculum is built around a text-led approach. Carefully selected, high-quality books, film and other engaging stimuli provide pupils with rich models of language, ambitious vocabulary and meaningful reasons to write. Pupils experience a broad range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry and learn how writers make choices about vocabulary, sentence structure, organisation and language to achieve different effects.

Our curriculum is organised around Book Drivers, incidental writing opportunities and main writing outcomes. Shorter pieces allow pupils to explore characters, settings, vocabulary, viewpoints and text structures before applying their learning to more sustained writing. This approach is evident from the earliest stages of writing through to the independent extended writing expected in Year 6.

Planning is informed by a range of high-quality resources, including Literacy Tree, Literacy Shed, Grammarsaurus and Fred’s Teaching, alongside teacher-designed materials. Teachers select and adapt resources to meet the needs of their pupils while maintaining ambitious expectations.

We place importance on both the composition and transcription elements of writing. Pupils learn to generate and organise ideas, select vocabulary carefully, use grammar and punctuation effectively, consider audience and purpose, and increasingly review and improve their own work.

Spelling develops progressively across the school. Monster Phonics supports phonics and early spelling in EYFS and KS1, while Superhero Spelling supports spelling development through KS2. In Year 6, spelling also has a SATs-focused approach, allowing pupils to revisit important spelling patterns, statutory words and areas identified through assessment.

Handwriting is supported through Letter-join, with pupils encouraged to develop a fluent, legible and consistent style and to take pride in the presentation of their work.

By the time pupils leave Bromet, we want them to be independent, reflective and purposeful writers who can communicate with accuracy, creativity and confidence and are well prepared for secondary school.

Implementation

A Text-Led Curriculum

Writing is taught through carefully planned sequences built around high-quality Book Drivers and engaging stimuli.

Writing units typically include:

• a core text or stimulus;

• purposeful incidental writing opportunities;

• relevant vocabulary, grammar and writing knowledge;

• opportunities to rehearse and practise;

• and a clear main writing outcome.

This means that extended writing is not taught in isolation. Pupils develop ideas, explore language and practise important skills before applying them within a more sustained piece of writing.

The curriculum becomes increasingly ambitious as pupils progress through the school. Early writing includes captions, labels, lists, descriptions and simple narratives. As pupils develop, they encounter a broader and increasingly sophisticated range of writing including stories, diaries, letters, reports, explanations, biographies, journalism, persuasive writing, discussion and poetry.

By Year 6, pupils undertake a broad range of fiction and non-fiction writing and are given opportunities for independent extended writing across different purposes and audiences.

Incidental and Extended Writing

Short, purposeful writing opportunities are an important part of our teaching.

Depending on the text and intended outcome, pupils may write:

• character and setting descriptions;

• dialogue;

• diary entries and letters;

• writing in role;

• captions and labels;

• research notes;

• explanations and instructions;

• persuasive pieces;

• poetry;

• reports;

• plans and sequences.

These opportunities enable pupils to practise, revisit and apply particular aspects of writing before completing a longer outcome. They also help teachers identify misconceptions and decide what pupils need to learn next.

Developing the Writing Process

Pupils learn that successful writing develops over time rather than being produced in a single attempt.

Across writing sequences, pupils are regularly given opportunities to:

Explore → Discuss → Gather ideas → Rehearse → Practise → Plan → Write → Review → Edit → Improve

Teachers model how writers make decisions about vocabulary, sentence construction, organisation and the effect they want to create.

As pupils become more confident, scaffolding is adapted and reduced so they can make increasingly independent choices as writers.

Oracy and Oral Rehearsal

Talk plays an important role in developing writing.

Pupils regularly have opportunities to discuss texts, explore vocabulary, share ideas and rehearse language before writing.

Partner talk, collaborative discussion, drama and oral rehearsal are used where appropriate to help pupils organise their thinking, develop ideas and formulate language before committing it to paper.

Grammar and Language

Grammar is taught explicitly and within meaningful writing contexts.

Pupils regularly revisit grammatical terminology, punctuation and sentence structures and are encouraged to apply this knowledge within their own writing.

We want pupils to understand not only what a grammatical feature is, but how and why writers use different grammatical choices to create clarity, cohesion and effect.

In Year 6, grammar, punctuation and spelling teaching also supports pupils in preparing confidently for the Key Stage 2 Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling assessment.

Vocabulary Development

High-quality texts provide pupils with regular exposure to rich and increasingly sophisticated vocabulary.

Teachers explore vocabulary within texts and support pupils in understanding meaning, context and appropriate use.

Pupils are encouraged to choose vocabulary purposefully and precisely, considering what will best communicate their ideas rather than simply choosing the most complicated word.

Vocabulary developed through other curriculum subjects also helps pupils become increasingly confident in using subject-specific language.

Spelling

Spelling is developed through a structured and progressive approach.

In EYFS and KS1, Monster Phonics supports pupils in developing secure phonics and early spelling knowledge and applying this within their writing.

Across KS2, Superhero Spelling supports pupils in developing their understanding of spelling rules, patterns and strategies.

In Year 6, pupils also follow a SATs-focused spelling approach. Teaching regularly revisits relevant statutory words, spelling patterns, prefixes and suffixes, commonly confused words and areas identified through assessment.

Preparation for statutory assessment sits alongside the wider aim of enabling pupils to spell increasingly accurately and independently in their everyday writing.

Handwriting and Presentation

Letter-join supports the teaching and development of handwriting.

Pupils are encouraged to develop handwriting that is increasingly:

• fluent;

• legible;

• consistent in size and spacing;

• and appropriate for sustained writing.

High expectations for presentation are promoted across the school while recognising that fluent handwriting should ultimately enable pupils to record and communicate their ideas efficiently.

Editing and Improving

Pupils learn that rereading and improving work is a normal part of being a writer.

Depending on their age and stage, pupils are supported through approaches such as:

• teacher modelling and feedback;

• rereading;

• peer discussion;

• proofreading;

• editing and improvement;

• and responding to identified next steps.

As pupils progress through the school, editing increasingly moves beyond correcting spelling and punctuation. Pupils begin to consider vocabulary, sentence construction, cohesion, organisation and the overall effectiveness of their writing.

Writing Across the Curriculum

Writing is not limited to English lessons.

Where it provides a meaningful way of demonstrating or developing knowledge, pupils apply their writing skills across subjects including science, history, geography, religious education, computing, design and technology and PSHE.

Writing may include explanations, reports, historical accounts, research notes, instructions, evaluations, reflections and labelled diagrams.

Appropriate expectations for writing are reinforced while ensuring that the knowledge and disciplinary demands of the individual subject remain central.

Supporting All Writers

Teachers adapt teaching in response to the needs of their pupils while maintaining high expectations.

Where appropriate, support may include:

• oral rehearsal;

• vocabulary banks;

• carefully selected models;

• sentence stems;

• additional modelling;

• planning frames;

• chunked tasks;

• and opportunities to discuss ideas with an adult or peer.

Support is adapted and reduced as pupils gain confidence, helping them develop increasing independence rather than reliance on scaffolds.

Assessment

Assessment is an ongoing part of writing teaching.

Teachers draw upon a range of evidence, including pupils' everyday writing, incidental pieces, extended outcomes, spelling and grammar work, discussion and independent writing.

Writing is also moderated to support accuracy and consistency in teacher assessment.

Assessment helps teachers identify strengths, misconceptions and appropriate next steps so that subsequent teaching can be responsive to pupils' needs.

Impact

The impact of our writing curriculum can be seen in pupils' increasing ability to communicate ideas confidently, accurately and independently.

Strong Outcomes

Recent Key Stage 2 outcomes reflect the positive impact of our approach, with over 92% of pupils achieving the expected standard in writing.

Pupils demonstrate increasing accuracy, control, stamina and independence and are able to write for a range of purposes and audiences.

Secure Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling

Pupils demonstrate strong knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling, with recent Key Stage 2 outcomes including an average scaled score of over 109 in Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling.

This reflects the strong technical foundations pupils develop to support accurate and effective writing.

Confident and Purposeful Writers

Pupils increasingly understand that writing is shaped by audience and purpose and make considered choices about vocabulary, structure, tone and organisation.

Increasing Independence

As pupils progress through Bromet, they become increasingly able to generate ideas, plan, draft, review and improve their own writing, with decreasing reliance on adult support.

Strong Vocabulary and Language

Pupils draw on the vocabulary and language structures they encounter through high-quality texts and increasingly use these purposefully and precisely in their own writing.

Breadth and Progression

Pupils experience a broad range of writing throughout their time at Bromet, progressing from early captions, labels and simple narratives to increasingly sophisticated fiction and non-fiction and independent extended writing.

Reflective Writers

Pupils understand that writing can be developed and improved. They increasingly reread, evaluate, edit and refine their work and take greater ownership of the writing process.

Ready for the Next Stage

By the end of Year 6, pupils have developed experience of writing across a wide range of genres, audiences and purposes. They have built secure foundations in vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, spelling, handwriting and composition.

Pupils leave Bromet as confident, capable and increasingly independent writers, equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed at the next stage of their education.