Writing at Granard

At Granard Primary School, we aim to create a love for writing and strive to ensure that every child, by the time they finish Primary School, can write in a manner which is clear, grammatically correct and engaging.  As writing is a key skill, we promote daily writing opportunities so that children can successfully write for a range of audiences and purposes.

How we teach writing

At Granard, children are immersed in a topic each half term.  Throughout the school, English lessons are taught daily with a core text specially chosen to be engaging and thought-provoking. We draw on a variety of authors and poets as well as utilising a range of non-fiction texts.  This results in children developing their skills through a whole range of different text types and ensures they are exposed to many different examples of writing. 

The texts are linked to our carefully selected Topic units and this, therefore, allows our children to delve deeper into a unit of work and gain a better understanding.  After a supported planning session, children are required to write two assessed pieces of independent writing a half term.

In class, teachers use a variety of strategies to ensure writing lessons are creative and produce high quality outcomes.  We do this via techniques such as modelled writing, shared writing and peer editing.

Children will encounter the same grammar skills across the school to ensure they have mastered the concepts thoroughly and are introduced to increasingly complex grammar concepts as they progress each year. 

In lessons, children are encouraged to use their English resource packs which contain key word banks and reminders, enabling them to become independent and resourceful writers.  From EYFS to KS2, children are exposed to high quality vocabulary, which improves their writing, comprehension and oracy skills. 

Handwriting lessons and spelling tests take place weekly and children are expected to present their work to a high standard.  Children craft a piece of writing over a series of lessons; this helps children to build their writing stamina, gives them sufficient time to create a quality piece and avoids cognitive overload.  In addition to this, children engage with the Bedrock and Accelerated Reader weekly to accelerate the progress they are able to make with regards to reading and vocabulary acquisition.

Writing at Granard is celebrated and supported with a range of learning opportunities, such as sharing pieces of work in a whole school achievement assembly.

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