Subject Leader: Miss H Luke

         

At Heene, we use the ‘I am a Clever Writer’ approach as the foundation for teaching writing skills. Our implementation is guided by the following principles: 

Daily Writing 

• Children write every day to ensure consistent practice and application of skills 

• Newly taught skills are practised discretely before being layered with previously learned skills to build mastery. 

 

High-Quality Texts 

• Each writing unit is based on a high-quality text that inspires creativity and links to the wider curriculum. 

• Units last one to two weeks to maintain engagement and promote a love of reading and writing across a range of genres. 

Small-Step Progression 

• Writing strands are broken down into manageable steps, enabling pupils to embed key skills and experience success. 

• This structured approach ensures progression and confidence in writing. 

Cross-Curricular Writing 

• Writing is not confined to English lessons; it is embedded as a priority across the curriculum. 

• Children are encouraged to demonstrate their best writing in all subjects, with high expectations for presentation, spelling, and handwriting. 

High Standards and Pride 

• We promote pride in writing by setting clear expectations for quality and presentation. 

• By fostering these habits, we aim for all pupils to leave Heene as confident, capable writers by the end of Year 6. 

Spelling 

Spelling Shed is embedded across Years 2 to 6 as a core resource to support the teaching and learning of spelling. Each year group follows the structured progression provided by Spelling Shed, ensuring alignment with the National Curriculum spelling objectives. Teachers introduce weekly spelling lists through Spelling Shed, incorporating interactive games and activities to reinforce patterns and rules. Pupils access Spelling Shed both in class and at home to consolidate learning, with differentiated tasks available to meet individual needs. Regular formative assessment is conducted using Spelling Shed’s tracking tools, enabling teachers to monitor progress and identify areas for intervention. This consistent approach  promotes engagement, improves spelling accuracy, and builds confidence in written communication across all key stages. 

Handwriting 

We encourage our children to be proud of their handwriting and take care in their handwriting style. We follow a whole school approach to teaching handwriting using the scheme ‘Letter Join’. 

Handwriting is a basic skill that influences the quality of work throughout the curriculum. By the end of Key Stage 2 all pupils should have the ability to produce fluent and legible joined-up handwriting at an appropriate speed.  

Handwriting is taught in each year group as a discrete lesson where teachers carefully model correct letter formation and joining. All teaching staff are encouraged to model the printed or cursive style of handwriting chosen for each year group in our school in all their handwriting, whether on whiteboards, displays or in pupils’ books.