It is our intent at Templemoor Infant and Nursery School to provide pupils with a high-quality education in English that will teach pupils to speak, read and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others effectively. Children will be exposed to a wide range of high quality, diverse literature, genres and authors, providing the children with opportunities to develop a rich vocabulary. Starting in Nursery we develop enthusiastic, emerging writers who have a positive attitude to writing. We value the different ways that children make marks and teach the physical skills which will enable children to control and manipulate writing tools. We teach letter formation and how phonemes are represented through graphemes. From Nursery we ensure that a range of writing tools and materials are readily available and celebrate early mark making. We model the pleasure and purpose of writing.
Children move progressively through our phonics and writing programme (Read, Write Inc.), starting in the summer term of Nursery, moving through Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Children are also taught separate English lessons throughout each half term where knowledge and skills can be taught, developed and further embedded in discrete sessions. Once children have completed the Read Write Inc. programme they will then participate in daily English lessons in Year 2. These lessons use core texts to further develop comprehension, grammar and independent writing. Detailed progression maps are in place for reading and writing across the school. Each Year group also has a progression plan which ensure coverage of core knowledge and skills that are then taught progressively. Our children will be taught handwriting skills using the Nelson Handwriting Scheme to enable them to form letters correctly and start using some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters.
WRITING AT TEMPLEMOOR - IMPLEMENTATION
Early Years Foundation Stage
In the EYFS teachers our experienced practitioners plan for the following areas of learning Communication and Language, Physical Development and Expressive Arts and Design as the building blocks for writing. Adults have a sound knowledge and deep understanding of child development and they recognise the strong links between physical and communication skills and emerging writers. Within the environment adults actively encourage children to practise and develop gross and fine motor skills and oral communication in readiness for writing. By modelling, suggesting and encouraging they promote ways in which children can record their ideas in different ways. We ensure that children are immersed in different genres of books promoting an enjoyment of reading, extending their vocabulary and cultivating their imagination.
Physical Development
Children can be seen using large-muscle movements e.g. mark making and writing using chunky chalks outdoors, using large paint brushes to paint with water outdoors, waving flags and streamers, painting and making marks or by making snips in paper with scissors. Staff plan opportunities to develop their small motor skills both as focused activities and in continuous provision in the ‘Funky Fingers Area’.
Communication and Language
Children are given the opportunity to develop their communication skills. Through the use of gesture, talk, first hand experiences and play, children can: - learn and use new vocabulary, develop sentence structure when speaking to adults and peers, talk about thoughts and feelings, use talk in role play, ask questions as well as understanding questions.
Children learn songs, rhymes and poems and talk about familiar books, and tell stories. Children listen to, talk about stories and retell them to build familiarity and understanding.Expressive Arts and Design
Throughout continuous provision our children develop complex stories using small world equipment such as animal sets, dolls, family groups etc. Children in Nursery and Reception can be seen taking part in simple pretend play, using an object to represent something else even though they are not similar. Children develop storylines in their pretend play. Different role play areas are created throughout the year to give children the opportunity to take on different roles e.g. customer, shopkeeper, waiting staff, cook, pilot, air steward etc.
Reading and writing at Templemoor Infant and Nursery school is taught through the Read Write Inc. (RWI) Phonics programme, where children learn the underpinning skills to be able to decode to read and segment to write. To ensure consistent coverage across the school, children begin this journey in our Nursery and continue on the programme until Year 2, when they have achieved proficiency in reading and writing. Children in Nursery begin by learning to recognise the picture and rhyme for each Set One sound. Children then go on learn the sounds. We deliver daily high quality teaching that is progressive throughout the lesson, the week and through the groups. RWI is taught cumulatively with the aid of simple, clear resources and routines. Every RWI lesson begins with the teaching of a new sound alongside recapping sounds that have already been taught. Children learn how to read the new sound and previously learnt sounds within real, nonsense and multi-syllabic words. Children then learn how to spell using the new sound, as well as practising spelling with previously learnt sounds. Children are taught sounds and words from a book that they work on for a number of days, depending on their grouping and level of learning. They engage in ‘partner work’ to teach each other the sounds and words from the book. The teaching of reading is systematic as the books that children read within our RWI lessons match the children’s phonic knowledge. Within RWI, children learn to compose sentences that are grammatically correct. The book is used as a stimulus for writing. Children write a combination of dictated sentences as well as learning the skills to create their own sentences/piece of writing. The teaching of writing is progressive and children will be expected to continually build on their prior learning. The teacher models and marks the writing elements of the lesson with the children to enable them to identify and correct their own errors. The structure of each lesson is the same every day, although lessons will look slightly different across the groups, ensuring the pupils read books containing sounds that they are confident in reading. Lessons will build cumulatively on knowledge that children have learnt as they move through the book levels and groups.
Discrete English Lessons
English is also taught as discrete lessons alongside the teaching of RWI. We use detailed English progression maps which set out coverage of core knowledge and skills and ensure teaching is progressive within year groups and across the school. The teaching of discrete English lessons is to ensure children are exposed to their year group objectives and so the children can be accurately challenged and assessed by their own teacher. This also give children the opportunity to write for different purposes and in other areas of the curriculum. In Key Stage 1 this is taught for two weeks at the end of each half term.
Handwriting
Although the initial teaching of letter formation is taught and recapped during our RWI lessons, we recognise the need for children to have the opportunity to practise their handwriting regularly in a calm, quiet environment. It is within our handwriting lessons that we can focus on reminding children of the importance of their posture and positioning to enable them form letters accurately and of the correct size. We use the Nelson Handwriting Scheme which begins in Reception. This progressively supports the children in developing a neat style, using some of the horizontal and diagonal strokes needed to join, by the end of Year 2. Children have regular, discrete handwriting lessons throughout the school using online software, pupils᾿ worksheets and work books.
Children begin by learning how to correctly form each letter, starting and finishing in the correct place. This will then lead to learning how to form ascenders and descenders clearly and of the correct size, with an importance of sitting letters correctly on the line. As children progress they are expected to form all upper- and lower-case letters of the correct size and by the end of key stage 1 learn how to join some letters correctly.
Read Write Inc. Spelling
Once children have strong phonic knowledge and meet the Year 1 statutory requirements in the curriculum children begin the Read Write Inc. Spelling programme. Children work progressively through the programme using online spelling zone films and pupil work books.
English lessons
When children are ready to move off the RWI programme (usually around Christmas in Year 2) they have daily English lessons. Planning ensures a range of rich, diverse texts will be explored, identifying the appropriate features and revisiting grammar, punctuation and ambitious vocabulary from previous lessons. The teaching of specific grammar is also regularly taught through online resources such as expresso or BBC Bitesize. Each unit develops reading, comprehension, speaking and listening and writing skills. Lessons are regularly adapted and amended to ensure that all children’s needs are met.
Teachers will use shared and modelled writing to teach a range of skills and techniques. Sequenced lessons will ensure that prior learning is checked and built upon. Children will write for a range of purposes and learn about the importance of the editing process. Within our English lessons children will be expected to engage regularly with reading activities, developing their comprehension skills by allowing them to give verbal and written predictions as well as retrieving and inferring from the text. We use VIPERS (Literacy Shed) to ensure that comprehension skills are taught effectively.
Environment
A range of scaffolds to support learning can be found on the children’s tables and around the classroom, for example, red word charts, phonics charts, handwriting cards and vocabulary lists. Every classroom has an English working wall with current, useful resources and modelled writing. every classroom has designated a writing area.
Assessment
Alongside daily formative assessment of writing we ensure regular opportunities are provided for children to write independently so that we can see the skills that are embedded and how independently they access classroom resources to support their writing. Teachers use exemplification materials and previously moderated writing pieces to assist in their assessing of writing. Internal and external moderation is carried out to ensure consistency and validity of judgements.
Impact
Our overarching aim is for children to leave our school with proficiency in reading and writing which they can apply confidently across the curriculum. We hope that children move onto their next stage of learning with a passion for reading and writing and their positive learning attitudes stay with them as they continue to grow and develop. We value the importance of celebrating writing in our school. We have a weekly golden book assembly where children are chosen to be celebrated for their learning attitudes, behaviours and/or work they’ve produced in class. Writing pencils are also given as rewards.
Children at Templemoor Infant and Nursery School achieve well in writing. They are able to apply writing skills across the curriculum. Children develop the skills to write for different purposes, building up their stamina to write for longer and edit their writing to improve the final piece. Children enjoy experimenting with and using a wide range of vocabulary and are able to apply writing skills across the curriculum. Most children leave able to write in a neat, style, using the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters. Regular moderations and progress meetings ensure progress is closely monitored support the progress of all pupils. Standards being met at the end of EYFS, and KS1 are above local and national averages.