At Newbottle and Charlton, we teach writing by following the Writing roots from Literacy Tree. 

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The Literacy Tree (writing roots) is a whole school approach which we adopt from Key Stage 1. Within Reception, children will engage with some of the suggested Literacy Tree texts, alongside others which link to their individual interests and curriculum themes. Within the summer term in Reception, children will follow more of the Literacy Tree units of work in preparation for effective transition into Key Stage 1.

 

​Writing Roots, based around Literacy Tree's Teach Through a Text pedagogy, embeds all National Curriculum requirements and places audience and purpose at the core. Literacy Tree’s primary focus through its book-based pedagogy is to motivate children to write for a range of audiences and purposes using high-quality, diverse children’s literature by significant authors. The programme immerses children in a range of literary worlds and themes, heightening engagement and creating curiosity through process drama, discussion and debate. This allows them to see themselves represented, and also explore the lives and experiences of others.

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We grow literary knowledge and develop skills by using whole books, rather than extracts, promoting a love of learning and an eagerness to engage with similar texts. Some of our texts links to aspects of other curriculum subjects, leading to deeper thinking and further discussion. 

 

The writing opportunities we provide are meaningful with a clear audience and purpose. Our children will be given real reasons to write, whether to entertain, describe, reflect, recount, explain, persuade, inform or instruct. They will write using a range of genres with grammatical skills embedded throughout our teaching. We aim to deliver an inspiring and engaging English curriculum through high quality teaching and exciting lessons. 

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Using a range of quality texts as a starting point, children engage in a wide variety of writing tasks, with grammar, spelling and punctuation objectives being taught in context within the books studied.

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Our aim is that all pupils have the necessary knowledge and skills to communicate in writing, confidently, coherently, and creatively and for a range of purposes and audience.

 

We aim to:

• Deliver an engaging, book-based writing curriculum that enhances our thematic curriculum

• Teach essential spelling and grammar knowledge and skills in a purposeful context.

• Develop our students as writers with a clear understanding of writing process including drafting and editing

• Scaffold and challenge our students to ensure that all children fulfil their potential.

• Provide real, exciting and purposeful reasons for children to write.

 

How do we achieve these aims?

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Engaging writing curriculum

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All classes use the Literacy Tree unit plans as the central spine of our writing curriculum. This provides an engaging consistent and systematic approach to the teaching of writing with many aspects (eg grammar splat or role on the wall) being repeated and developed throughout the school. All national curriculum writing objectives are taught, and revisited purposefully. All units are based around high quality texts that enhance the learning of our thematic curriculum and enable every child to see themselves reflected as authors, poets and main characters. We immerse children in a range of literary worlds and themes, heightening engagement and creating curiosity through process drama, discussion and debate. This allows them to see themselves represented, and also explore the lives and experiences of others. Plans are adapted to meet the needs of our pupils

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Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar

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In Early Years and Key Stage 1 our rigorous phonics programme 'Essential Letters and Sounds ' forms the basis of spelling lessons up to Year 2.

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Spelling Seeds complement the Literary Curriculum by providing weekly, contextualised sequences of sessions for the teaching of spelling that include open-ended investigations and opportunities to practise and apply within meaningful and purposeful contexts, linked (where relevant) to other areas of the curriculum.

 

The objectives and spelling words match the Literacy Tree text being covered to make for purposeful application as well as including coverage from the phonics and spelling elements of the curriculum. The common exception words are regularly assessed and individual lists are created with key errors and are practised at home and in school. 

 

Punctuation and grammar is taught at the point of writing.  Discrete grammar lessons or revisiting of grammar objectives are taught when needed. 

 

Writing Process

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The writing process is developed throughout a unit of work with short application tasks leading to an extended final writing outcome. The teacher is the expert in the room, constantly modelling process. We are developing staff and pupil knowledge of the different forms of editing from proofreading for errors to revising for cohesion.

 

Support and challenge

Plans are adapted to account for the needs of all pupils. Where appropriate, interventions are planned for, in addition to the English lessons. All children are given a  personal writing target after their first piece of independent writing and these are updated after every piece to improve the quality of their own writing. 

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Progression Maps for Purpose and SPAG

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