In English lessons, writing is modelled through our termly core text choices which engage our children to become thoughtful, creative and inventive writers. Children have opportunities to extend their vocabulary through gamification and plenty of opportunities are planned to support them in orally rehearsing stories, sentences etc. Children learn to take pride in their work and this is celebrated throughout our school environment and our ‘Super Writers.’
Super Writers
To celebrate children’s achievements in Writing, children are awarded the title of ‘Super Writers’.
Teachers select Super Writer’s in their class to wear a special Super Writer Cape and mask for the day so that their achievement is recognised by everyone at school. This is a great incentive in school and encourages children to give their all in their writing tasks.
Handwriting
In EYFS and KS1 we use the RWI scheme for Handwriting to ensure that children build up their handwriting skills every day. Children in KS1 have a minimum of 3 handwriting sessions per week. The scheme makes the physical process of writing enjoyable from the start, so children see themselves as ‘writers.’
We use mnemonics – memory pictures – to support children visualise the letter or join before they write it down. There are three handwriting stages
Stage 1 – In Stage 1a, children practise correct letter formation. In Stage 1b, children learn where to place the letters on the writing line.
Stage 2 – Children learn a mature style of writing that will lead to joined-up writing.
Stage 3 – Children learn the two basic joins: the arm join (diagonal) and the washing line join (horizontal) and the two variables for each join.
Spelling
In KS1 we follow the Nelson Spelling which provides a whole-school programme for the teaching of spelling from Reception–Year 6. It is fully matched to the National Curriculum outlined in the following document – Spelling.
Nelson Spelling Scheme introduces spelling rules, structures and patterns in small steps and offers three levels of differentiation, with plenty of writing practice and a clear record of progress for every child. At Altmore, children in KS1 are taught a spelling rule every Monday and then have homework for the week, practising this rule and applying it on a Friday in a spelling test.