WRITING

Subject Leader: Mrs Crosland Nash

Writing Intent

At Barnfields Primary School, our intention is to excite, engage and inspire pupils through a carefully sequenced, progressive writing curriculum that equips them with the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to become confident communicators and lifelong learners.

We believe that strong writing begins with secure sentence construction, underpinned by a deep engagement with reading and language. Through immersion in high-quality literature, pupils develop a rich vocabulary, a strong sense of audience and purpose and the confidence to explore and express their ideas. Our literature-led approach fosters a love of reading while providing pupils with powerful models of language that inform and strengthen their writing.

Writing at Barnfields is taught as a cumulative process. Pupils continually build and refine their knowledge of grammar, sentence structure and composition, enabling them to communicate effectively for a wide range of purposes. Through regular opportunities to reflect on their own writing and that of others, pupils develop confidence and pride in their work, demonstrating both enjoyment and ambition as writers.

Our Writing Approach at Barnfields

At Barnfields Primary School, we provide rich and engaging writing experiences that inspire children to become confident, purposeful and independent writers. Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, pupils develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to communicate effectively for a wide range of audiences and purposes.

Writing is taught through high-quality texts and carefully structured units that build progressively towards an independent final piece. At the beginning of each unit, pupils explore the writing stimulus alongside its intended audience and purpose. Teachers explicitly teach the grammar, vocabulary and sentence structures needed for the final outcome, providing pupils with a secure foundation before they begin composing their own writing.

Throughout the writing process, teachers model expert writing through shared and guided writing, demonstrating how writers make deliberate choices about language, sentence construction, organisation and authorial style. Pupils are given regular opportunities to rehearse ideas orally, analyse model texts, practise sentence construction and apply new learning before moving towards increasingly independent writing.

Editing and improving writing are integral parts of our curriculum. Pupils learn to plan, draft, revise and refine their work, developing the ability to evaluate their own writing and that of others. 

Teachers assess pupils' writing continuously throughout each unit through observation, discussion and independent writing tasks. Each unit concludes with an independent piece of writing that allows pupils to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have developed. These pieces are used alongside regular teacher assessment and moderation to monitor progress and ensure that every child continues to develop as a successful writer.