At Alford Primary School, our writing curriculum is sequenced to develop the acquisition of knowledge and skills through a mastery approach. We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children take pride in their writing, can write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style for a range of contexts. We want to inspire children to be confident in the art of speaking and listening and the use of discussion to stimulate their imagination and develop their ideas for writing.

Our teachers strive to promote a love of writing and seek ways to inspire and encourage pupils to see themselves as authors. By the end of year 6, we aim for all children to be able to:

• appreciate the importance of audience and purpose and write in a variety of forms

• develop strategies to communicate effectively through the written word

• acknowledge that writing can be a collaborative effort

• understand a range of spelling strategies to progress towards the conventions of the written word

• apply vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling accurately and confidently for a range of contexts and audiences

• recognise that drafting, evaluating and editing are vital parts of the writing process

• experience ‘pride’ in precise, well-presented written work

Our implementation of our writing intent breaks down writing into key components. These components together form ‘Alford’s Writing Road’. The components are briefly summarised as follows:

· Handwriting – Starting with the Wandle (phonics linked) approach, moving into the Letter-join approach. The required progression is clear and methodical. Skills are built up slowly and systematically, and revisited to ensure high quality fluency and presentation.

· Spelling – Spelling is implemented through Little Wandle Phonics for pupils at an earlier stage, and through Sounds and Syllables for other pupils. These are systematic, methodical approaches. Spelling Policy

· Grammar & punctuation – Using the Active English approach in Y1-Y5, and a more tailored approach in Y6. This is linked to the

· Writing sessions – these build from the Active English grammar and punctuation, and use the Pathway’s to write keys, with additional layers and expectations to build writing skills and outcomes. Writing Policy