Our approach to writing

At our school, we believe that children must be explicitly taught the knowledge and strategies needed to become confident, independent writers. Drawing on the research from Adam Bushnell, we expose pupils to a wide range of high-quality authors and texts, enabling them to analyse authorial intent and understand how writers make deliberate choices. Through this approach, children learn to manipulate grammar, vocabulary and sentence structures purposefully to create specific rhetorical and literary effects. 

Research highlighted by Nick Hart emphasises the importance of teaching the concept of the sentence as a threshold concept in English. A secure understanding of sentences transforms how children think about both reading and writing and provides the foundation for future learning. As such, transcription and composition are taught explicitly and revisited regularly to ensure deep understanding. 

Our writing curriculum is carefully sequenced, with learning broken down into small, manageable steps. Key milestones are revisited and re-taught throughout each term, reducing cognitive load and helping pupils retain and apply their knowledge effectively. As a result, children develop the confidence and skills to make independent choices as writers. Rather than simply replicating and amending modelled examples, they learn to respond and adapt their writing to suit purpose, audience and context, becoming thoughtful, creative and successful communicators.