Writing at St Michael’s

Intent

At St Michael’s, we want every child to become a confident, creative and purposeful writer. We aim to give children the skills to communicate their ideas clearly, express their feelings and viewpoints, and write effectively for different audiences.

Our writing curriculum is built around carefully selected, high-quality texts that spark curiosity, introduce rich vocabulary and reflect a range of cultures, experiences and perspectives. Children explore stories, poetry and non-fiction, developing their understanding of how writers inform, entertain, explain, persuade and discuss.

Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, children build on previous learning and develop increasing independence. We combine creativity with secure foundations in spelling, handwriting, grammar and punctuation. In keeping with our vision, “Rooted in Faith, Growing Together,” children also discover how their words can show empathy, challenge injustice and inspire positive change.

Implementation

Our long-term writing plan provides a clear progression from Year 1 to Year 6. Each unit identifies a writing outcome, purpose, audience, key language features and tone, helping children understand both what they are writing and why.

• High-quality texts: Engaging books provide a starting point for writing. Children explore how authors use vocabulary, structure and language to create meaning and engage their readers.

• Purposeful outcomes: Children write in a wide range of forms, including stories, letters, instructions, reports, explanations, biographies, journals, persuasive speeches and poetry. Outcomes include writing for families, other classes, the school community and wider audiences.

• Speaking before writing: Oral storytelling, discussion, rehearsal and performance help children organise their ideas and develop confidence. Planned opportunities include podcast scripts, news reports, speeches and poetry performances.

• Progressive teaching: Children revisit and apply previously taught skills while learning new ones. The curriculum moves from accurate sentence construction and basic punctuation towards cohesive paragraphs, varied sentence structures, precise vocabulary and deliberate choices for effect.

• Growing independence: Modelling, shared writing and structured support help children develop their skills. Support is gradually reduced as children draw on prior learning and make their own decisions as writers.

• Support and challenge: Teaching is adapted so that all children can access meaningful writing opportunities. Planned challenges encourage children to deepen their thinking, explore alternative viewpoints and make increasingly sophisticated language choices.

• Meaningful curriculum links: Writing draws on learning in subjects such as science, history and geography. Children use their knowledge to explain processes, communicate information and explore issues such as pollution and caring for our world.

Children are supported to plan, compose, reread and improve their writing, considering whether their choices achieve the intended purpose and meet the needs of their audience.

Impact

We aim for children to leave St Michael’s as confident, independent writers who can communicate effectively across the curriculum and beyond school.

As they progress, children will:

• Write for a range of purposes and audiences, choosing appropriate forms, language and tone.

• Apply their knowledge of spelling, handwriting, grammar and punctuation with increasing accuracy.

• Organise ideas clearly and use an expanding vocabulary to communicate meaning and engage readers.

• Draw on their reading and wider learning to develop imaginative and informed writing.

• Reread, evaluate and improve their work with growing independence.

• Use their voice to express opinions, demonstrate empathy and contribute positively to their community.

We evaluate the impact of our curriculum through children’s writing, classroom assessment, discussions with pupils, work scrutiny and moderation. We consider both the quality of finished pieces and how independently children apply their learning. This helps us identify next steps, provide appropriate support and challenge, and recognise each child’s progress as a writer.