At Paxton Academy, we strive to ensure that every child, by the time they finish primary school, can write in a manner which is clear, grammatically correct and engaging. As writing is a key life skill, we promote daily writing opportunities so that children can successfully write for a range of audiences and purposes.
The children’s enjoyment of writing will shine in their bold vocabulary choices, careful presentation and clear understanding of what they are writing about. These skills, knowledge and passion for writing will lead to success in further education, employment and personal life endeavours.
At Paxton Academy, the teachers plan all of the reading and writing lessons around a core, language-rich book which the children are immersed in for approximately three weeks. This allows them time to develop a deeper understanding of the character’s, plot line and structure of the book. In class, teachers write example pieces so children understand the characteristics of different genres. Additionally, for each piece, children are taught a grammar concept which helps them to write accurately and learn the correct terminology to discuss writing with precision.
Children will encounter the same grammar skills across the school to ensure they have mastered the concepts thoroughly and are introduced to increasingly complex grammar concepts as they progress each year. In the classroom, word banks or displays guide children towards suitable and striking vocabulary choices while paragraph plans often help children to structure their work logically.
By the time the children leave Paxton Academy, they will have been taught how to master writing for the following four purposes: writing to entertain, writing to inform, writing to persuade and writing to discuss. These themes spiral throughout the school so the children are confident by the time they leave for secondary school and the skill set needed is embedded in their long term memory.
The children are Paxton Academy also have discrete handwriting and spelling lessons. The spelling lessons are a continuation of the Little Wandle phonics programme to ensure consistency and a smooth transition between all key stages.
To ensure consistency throughout the school, leaders ensure that:
As a result of this, pupils make good progress from their starting points in all year groups, teaching and learning is consistent and children enjoy writing!
