Writing and Communication Policy

Date:

October 2015

Review Date:

October 2016

Writing and Communication Policy

Contents 1. Rationale

Page 3

2. Spoken Language

Page 4

Talk for Writing 3. Writing

Page 4 Page 8

Composition

Page 9

Stimuli

Page 9

Strategies for teaching writing

Page 10

Teaching and learning of Grammar

Page 11

Transcription

Page 12

Spelling/phonics

Page 12

Handwriting

Page 13

4. Layout and Presentation

Page 17

5. Assessment

Page 18

Sparkle Writing

Page 18

6. Professional Development

Page 20

7. Specific Groups

Page 21

Appendix 1: Pie Corbett’s Games

Page 22

Appendix 2: Overcoming Barriers to Writing

Page 39

Appendix 3: Editing Code

Page 44

Appendix 4: Handwriting Cards

Page 45

Appendix 5: Phonics Sound Cards

Page 48

Appendix 6: Writing layout posters

Page 50

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Writing and Communication Policy This policy needs to be read alongside other school policies including: • • • • • •

Reading Policy Effective Learning Feedback (ELF) Policy Assessment Policy SEN Policy Learning and Teaching Policy Topic Webs

1. Rationale At Coldean Primary School we believe that effective communication is key to successful learning across the curriculum. The National Curriculum in England: Key Stages 1 & 2 (DfE, 2013) clearly states that teaching the English language is an essential role of a primary school. At Coldean English teaching is a priority and we recognise that this is essentially cross-curricular and a constant through-out school life and beyond. It is part of the ‘essential knowledge’ (DfE, 2013, p.6) that is needed in society: 
 ‘Teachers should develop pupils’ spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary as integral aspects of the teaching of every subject. English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching; for pupils, understanding the language provides access to the whole curriculum. Fluency in the English language is an essential foundation for success in all subjects.’ (DfE, 2013, p.10) 
 Coldean is an inclusive school and we set high expectations for all pupils. At our school we recognise the importance of accurate and regular assessment in order to support individuals at every part of their learning journey and in whatever circumstances. To ensure all children excel we use one to one support, small groups and cross-phase work to help with this. We plan teaching opportunities to help those for whom English is an additional language and those with disabilities outlined in the SEN code of practice. We agree with the statement of the National Curriculum, that ‘pupils... who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised’ (DfE, 2013, p.13).

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2. Spoken Language The National Curriculum states that pupils should be ‘taught to speak clearly and convey ideas confidently in Standard English’ (DfE, 2013, p.10). They should: • • • • • • • • •

Justify ideas with reasons Ask questions to check understanding. Develop vocabulary and build knowledge. Negotiate. Evaluate and build on the ideas of others. Select the appropriate register for effective communication. Give well-structured descriptions and explanations. Speculate, hypothesise and explore ideas. Organise their ideas prior to writing.

Provision to support this EYFS In the EYFS we provide a language rich environment that encourages positive relationship building. Children have the opportunity to become involved in practical experiences promoted through play. Adults join in with this play both talking with, and listening to the children, taking into account their interests and previous experiences. The children are exposed to the correct grammatical structure of sentences through consistent modelling by adults and the children are encouraged to extend their vocabulary through forced alternatives. The frequent use of stories, songs and games provide the children with an opportunity to explore and build confidence in language. KS1 and KS2 Talk For Writing Talk for Writing is the developmental exploration, through talk, of the thinking and creative processes involved in being a writer. It is an integral approach utilised at Coldean Primary School in order to cultivate spoken language and writing skills in KS1 and KS2. It contains 5 main strategies: 1. Book Talk: An extended opportunity to use talk to explore children’s personal and collective responses to a text as readers. Book Talk is a 3-step process: 1. Eliciting Response 2. Extending Responses 3. Encouraging Critique Key Points: • Teacher models before class tries 4

Writing and Communication Policy • • • • • •

Personal response, not a barrage of comprehension questions Developing confidence to ‘have a go’ Open prompts / questions / invitations Critical and evaluative thinking Can’t be wrong – but should be prepared to change / adapt / amend in response to others Building group dialogue

Teaching points: • Children develop their own ideas • Children do the majority of the talking • Conversations between children • Teacher intervention for effect, “That was interesting what John said. I wonder...” • Small bursts of Talk partners ‘Have a quick buzz’ 2. Writer Talk Writing talk is … • Talk that helps children think and behave like a writer • Reading as a writer • Writing as a reader • Focused on the purpose and audience for the writing Key Points: Teacher models before the class tries at all stages verbalise and make explicit the reader’s / writer’s thinking – “I think that ...”, “The writer is showing...” • • • •

Not just about ‘spotting grammar’ Key Question: what effect is the writer creating? Key follow-up: how is he/she achieving this? Identify key features that could be used (appropriate for the teaching group)

3. Storytelling and story-making Children develop an imaginative world of images that can be drawn upon and daydreamed to invent new stories. The storytelling and story-making approach involves: • • • •

learning and repeating oral stories building the confidence to develop them through telling extending this development into writing creating 'new' stories orally as a preparation and rehearsal for writing.

Through storytelling children internalise: •

Story patterns that are revisited, such as ‘quest’ or ‘journey’ stories; in this way, basic plots can act as blueprints for the imagination; 5

Writing and Communication Policy • • •

The building blocks of narrative – common characters, settings, events etc; The flow of sentences, the syntactical patterns; The vocabulary – especially connectives that link and structure narrative such as ‘once upon a time’, ‘one day’, ‘so’, ‘next’, ‘but’, ‘finally’ etc.

Key Points: • The development of storytelling is built through a 3-step sequence: Imitation Innovation Retelling of • Substitution learned stories • Addition • Alteration • Change of viewpoint /genre • Recycling the plot

•

Invention • Use a theme, plot pattern or simple story idea • Draw and decide • Tell and retell • Work on aspects over a few days • Shared to independent writing

Storytelling and story-making are often best if first done communally, gradually working towards greater independence through group, paired and finally individual approaches.

4. Word and Language Games Talk games and activities can be used to: • stimulate and develop vocabulary (e.g. word associations); • ‘warm up’ the imagination and tune children in to more creative thinking (‘Crossing the river’; ‘Box of stars’); • orally develop a character (‘Tell me more about...’); • orally develop a setting (‘Painting the picture’). More can be found in Appendix 1. 5. Role Play and Drama In KS1 role play areas are established in each classroom and in both KS1 and KS2 role-play and drama activities, such as ‘hot-seating’ and ‘conscience alley’, are regularly used at various stages of the reading–writing teaching sequence. More examples of drama activities can be found within the Teaching and Learning policy.

Additional strategies used to develop spoken language include: • • • • • • • • •

Peer teaching, modelling and assessment Immersion of phonics teaching in all subjects Reading aloud and sharing work Adults modelling the correct grammatical structure Think it- say it – repeat it writing strategy Talking is supported with topic and vocabulary word mats Debates and discussions Use of talk partners Ability and mixed ability group work 6

Writing and Communication Policy • • •

Discrete teaching of questioning skills Use of planning tools to scaffold speech Explicit teaching of verbal reasoning

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3. Writing   The National Curriculum (DfE, 2013) states that pupils should: • • • • •

Develop the stamina and skills to write at length. Use accurate spelling and punctuation. Be grammatically correct. Write in a range of ways and purposes including narratives, explanations, descriptions, comparisons, summaries and evaluations. Write to support their understanding and consolidation of what they have heard or read.

At Coldean, we encourage children to write in creative and imaginative ways developing confidence and independence alongside a ‘love’ of words. In pursuit of this aim we believe that children should experience a range of purposes and forms of writing. They are supported in the exploration of all writing genres. Progression and Continuity • • • •

• • •

CLLD plans in the Foundation Stage ensure that writing opportunities are both taught and available in the environment; Weekly Literacy plans from Y1 to Y6 provide a progression of word level, sentence level and text level skills throughout the school; Children’s writing is moderated termly across the school to ensure consistency of levelling, which supports accurate tracking of pupil progress; Learning objectives and targets are taken directly from the Writing Assessment Criteria (WAC) sheets and are shared with the children at each stage of the learning journey towards the final writing outcome; Staff are mindful of possible barriers to each stage of learning and strive to overcome them (see Appendix 2); Phonics/Spelling trackers provide a detailed picture of the progression in phonics and spelling; A cursive script is developed throughout the school;

The 2013 Curriculum (DfE, 2013) divides writing skills into two dimensions: • •

Composition (articulating ideas in speech and writing). 
 Transcription (spelling and handwriting).

At Coldean we recognise that both these elements are essential to success and we support the acquisition of both sets of skills through various methods. We recognise that these areas are clearly linked to the other aspects of English learning: speaking and listening, reading, grammar and vocabulary.

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Composition Stimuli Across the school, from Nursery to Year 6, the children are exposed to a wide variety of first-hand experiences to engage, inspire and stimulate their imaginations. We believe that these rich experiences provide children with “…stuff to write about!” These experiences can take a multitude of forms of, some of which are: an educational visit or visitor, a Stunning Start (usually in fancy dress!) a problem to solve drama-based activities e.g. interviewing a book character; finding a dragon’s egg etc. practical activities e.g. cooking to support writing instructions Texts (books, web-based, brochures, leaflets, podcasts etc.) are also extensively used to hook children into writing tasks. They not only provide a stimulus for writing but also act as exemplars for the writing genre itself.

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Writing and Communication Policy Strategies for teaching writing Teaching strategies for shared writing with the whole-class/group include modelling and demonstration as well as collaborative writing. Teacher modelling shows children the writing process in action in the hands of an effective writer, usually in 'real time'. Demonstration also shows the writing process in action but the teacher has a dual role during writing – the 'writer' and the 'teacher'. This allows the 'teacher' to comment on aspects of the process as it takes place: Why did I do it that way? How did I decide which word to use next? Here's what I was thinking when I chose to begin with a preposition. This is how to do it … This usually slows the writing process down and allows a tighter focus on the writing objective. Collaborative writing is a small step closer to independence as the children make their own contributions and the teacher selects from their suggestions. Quick burst writing allows the children to try out what has been demonstrated or discussed in very small steps, for example using an individual dry-wipe board or a writer’s notebook to list some possible words or draft the next sentence. Guided writing uses different teaching strategies. It is not simply shared writing with a smaller group. The teaching identifies and addresses the group’s key areas of weakness in a more refined way. Although teacher modelling is used, the children’s involvement is more closely scaffolded as they apply the strategy and the teacher is able to adapt or refine the rest of the session accordingly. Individual teaching/tuition is an option for the teacher when a child has reached an obstacle to learning that is very specific and is not easily addressed during group teaching. The use of the “remember, model, try, apply, secure” process supports the individual child. This would be time-consuming for all children but it is a highly effective pedagogical approach for target children to follow through on a learning gap and allows them to move quickly back into the shared and guided sessions. Individual teaching is not the same as guided writing with one child. Directed writing focuses on one very specific step in learning, uses strategies that will work most effectively for the individual child and is flexible during the session to move forward, track back, repeat a step more than once or break the learning steps into even smaller stages if necessary. Independent writing gives children the chance to apply all that they have been taught. It is essential that children know for what purpose they are writing and how they will know if they have been successful. The development and use of success criteria/REMEMBER TOs enable children to focus on the learning objectives for the 10

Writing and Communication Policy lesson. Assessment of writing is the responsibility of practitioners, peers and the children themselves. A copy of the Writing Assessment Criteria (WAC) at the stage that the child is working on is in individual English/Writing books and is used by practitioners and children to assess attainment and provide ‘next step’s in learning. This assessment should be undertaken in the plenary of the lesson whenever possible. Practitioners may also make reference to it in their feedback. Each objective’s achievement is dated the same as the writing that bears the evidence. Teaching and learning of grammar The National Curriculum (DfE, 2013) gives a clear developmental programme for the introduction and acquisition of knowledge about grammar and punctuation. During lesson warm-ups and writing sessions children are explicitly taught the areas of grammar appropriate for their particular age (again targets are taken from a child’s WAC sheet). Children are encouraged to use the appropriate terminology during lessons e.g. adjectival phrase, subordinate clause etc. All practitioners in the school model the correct grammar in their spoken and written language. Children should be corrected whenever appropriate. Feedback and marking of grammar Correction of grammar errors should take account of the needs of the child or children in the group. In the early stages of writing development it is more important to support the child to construct and write a full sentence whether it includes incorrect grammar or not e.g. Last night I readed my book. The practitioner should continue to model the correct sentence back but not undermine the child’s confidence by ‘correcting’ the language. This is most likely to happen in a 1:1 situation e.g. ECaR lessons. In shared and guided writing lessons, the practitioner can use children’s grammatical errors as key teaching points. When marking and providing written feedback, grammatical errors should be corrected.

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Transcription – Spelling and Handwriting Teaching and learning of Phonics and Spelling Within Pre-School and Nursery the children are taught Phase 1 of “Letters & Sounds: Principles & Practice of High Quality Phonics” [DfES (2007) DFES-00281-2007] Phase 1 of “Letters and Sounds” concentrates on developing children's speaking and listening skills and lays the foundations for the phonic work which starts in Phase 2. The emphasis during Phase 1 is to get children attuned to the sounds around them and ready to begin developing oral blending and segmenting skills. Throughout the school from Reception to Year 6 the children receive a daily phonics/spelling input. In KS1 at the beginning of each session all children are exposed to an input that covers the age related spelling rules/expectations of their particular year group. For the remainder of the session the children are grouped according to ability and complete tasks that relate to differentiated spelling lists. In KS2 the children are grouped by their spelling needs and complete differentiated tasks that relate accordingly. On a weekly basis the children take their differentiated spelling lists home to learn. They are then tested on these words and scores are recorded on the weekly spelling tracker kept in the teacher’s RPS file. In order to establish the phonic/spelling level of a child and track their progress, diagnostic tests are carried out at the end of each term. The results of these tests are recorded on a phonics/spelling tracker which is saved in the English file on the assessment drive. An up to date copy of the tracker is also kept in the teacher’s RPS file, along with the children’s completed test sheets. Spelling within writing sessions Children are taught to spell words appropriate to their Phonic/Spelling phase using the ‘Look-Say-Cover-Write-Check’ approach. They are provided with relevant word banks to support their writing (word banks may contain both functional vocabulary such as adverbs or conjunctions as well as content specific words e.g. Stone Age vocabulary.) Words banks should reflect current learning needs and should not become wallpaper. As children develop their knowledge and understanding of spelling they are encouraged to ‘have a go’ in the course of their writing. This may involve the use of a practice page, whiteboard or rough paper to support the child in making plausible attempts at spelling unknown words. Children are taught dictionary skills and expected to use these when editing their writing. When using ICT children use spell-checking tools, however they are also taught to read through and check their writing as these tools are not fool proof. Feedback and marking of spelling in English books Children are expected to apply their phonic knowledge to correctly spell words using the 12

Writing and Communication Policy graphemes from the Phonics Phase that they are secure in i.e. if a child is working in phase 4, they are expected to correctly spell all words from phase 3. This includes the “Tricky Words’ within phases. When giving learning feedback, practitioners will indicate (underlining if written feedback) these spelling errors. Children write the corrected spelling above their error. Where appropriate, children will practice these words using ‘Look-Say-Cover-WriteCheck’. In Key Stage 2 any display whose primary purpose is to celebrate writing achievement should have no spelling errors: this also applies to displays in main corridors. (See also Learning Feedback Policy) Handwriting Aim The school aims for each child to develop a clear and legible cursive style of handwriting. Objectives The children are taught to: • use a comfortable and efficient pencil grip (using the ‘pinch & flick’ method of picking up a pencil) • produce a controlled line which supports letter formation • write letters using the correct sequence of movements • practise handwriting in conjunction with spelling and independent writing ensuring correct letter formation and proportion • ensure consistency in spacing between letters and words • build up handwriting speed, fluency and legibility • know when to use a clear neat hand for finished presented work • use a range of presentational skills e.g. print script for captions, subheadings and labels/capital letters for posters, title pages and headings, a range of computergenerated fonts and point sizes This is achieved through: • Modelling correct formations and joins by all practitioners at the appropriate Stage • Whole school attention to cursive style of letter formation • Attention to each child’s individual development • Constant practice using good models in appropriate script i.e. Stage 2 simple letter formation, Stage 3 cursive Teaching and Learning The correct formation of letters must be given the highest priority. The first handwriting lessons are vital and the most important issue is to ensure that the children we teach learn to form the letters of the alphabet with the correct sequence of strokes from the beginning. The correct formation of letters needs to become automatic and there must be frequent opportunities for all children to practice. Handwriting is taught as a discrete lesson in Key Stages 1 and 2 and as part of Reading Basket activities. 13

Writing and Communication Policy

Stages of Handwriting Development Nursery & Reception Within the Foundation Stage, where this stage begins, the children are given opportunities to explore handwriting patterns and mark making in a widening range of situations and to practise and extend their range of skills. They have the opportunity to explore, enjoy, learn about, and use handwriting patterns and mark making in a range of situations. The patterns may include: early pencil skills, clockwise and anti-clockwise circles. Children will experience a range of activities designed to develop their manipulative, gross and fine motor skills. Fine motor control is developed through games, creative work, manipulative and constructional toys and activities Emergent writing is encouraged through role-play and use of a writing table. Formal activities of tracing names and pictures and practising initial handwriting patterns prepare children for cursive script. Year 1 and 2 As soon as children show good control with mark making implements they should be introduced to simple letter formation. Handwriting must be modelled by practitioners to ensure correct letter formation. Letter formation should be taught in the following sequence: • anti-clockwise turn: c, a, o, d, g, q, s, f, e • start at the top, descend and back up: n, m, r, p, b, h • i, j, k, l, t, u • v, w, x, y, z Once secure in the formation of letters the children progress to writing on lines with ascenders and descenders in the correct place. Resources for use at this stage; • “A Hand for Spelling” (Charles Cripps, LDA) • Penpals for Handwriting (Cambridge University Press) • Simple script formation sheets (see Appendix 4) Years 3 & 4 As the children’s control and letter formation, proportion and orientation of their writing improves they will then be ready to begin to join their writing. Our chosen style for joining letters is where every letter starts on the line and every letter joins with the exception of capitals. The letters are taught in the following groups and order: • Straight: i, l, t, u, y, j • Stick first: n, h, m, b, p • 2 o’clock: c, a, d, g, qu, e • Top joiners: o, r, v, w, v • Others: x, z, f, s, k 14

Writing and Communication Policy

The first words a child should learn to join are his or her name. Children are taught to use Handwriting Books whose 4-line feint helps to ensure consistency of letter size and height of ascenders and descenders. Handwriting is taught as a discrete lesson, to the whole-class or smaller groups. Often new patterns and joins will be introduced in this discrete lesson at the beginning of a week with children given opportunities for independent practise in other lessons e.g. Reading Basket. Resources for use at this stage; • Penpals for Handwriting (Cambridge University Press) Handwriting Exercise Books • A4 Handwriting paper with 4-line feint • Cursive script sheets (see Appendix 4) Years 5 and 6 To refine their handwriting skills, the children practise the correct formation of basic joins, revising diagonal and horizontal joins learnt in the previous stage. They are encouraged to be consistent in the size and proportion and the spacing between letters and words. Speed, fluency and legibility are ensured through regular practice. The children use cursive script in all writing except when other special forms are required. They are able to distinguish between formal, neat handwriting for presentational work and informal writing for everyday work e.g. rough drafting. It is essential to build up speed of writing for note taking, drafting and list-making. The children are encouraged to use a range of presentational skills e.g. • Printing for captions, sub-headings and labels; • Capitals for posters, title pages, headings; • A range of computer-generated fonts and point sizes. Considerations for the teaching of handwriting include: • Ensuring a good seating position with chair tucked in, correct posture and page turned on the appropriate diagonal; • Seating left-handed pupils to the left of right-handers; • Ensuring the correct pencil grip; • The teachers acting as a role model modeling the appropriate script on the whiteboard, displays, labels, marking etc. The full range of pupil attainment Planning for the teaching & learning of handwriting provides for the full range of prior attainment within each class or set. Throughout the lesson the teacher will have these needs in mind and will direct support and provide activities to cater for this range. In addition to the average attainer, it will normally be satisfactory to think in terms of three broad levels of understanding and to plan accordingly. Able pupils Able pupils will normally work on the same handwriting skills as the rest of the class, but activities must be planned to stretch their abilities. Lower attaining/Target pupils Lower attaining pupils will normally work on same handwriting skills as the rest of the class, but activities must be planned to enable them to succeed. A fine writing hand gives a boost to the self-esteem for these lower attaining pupils. 15

Writing and Communication Policy

Special Needs Those children with an Individual Education Plan/Provision Map should have specific targets each term for handwriting where appropriate. Assessment Points 1. Is the writing generally legible and pleasant? 2. Are the letters correctly shaped and proportioned? 3. Are the joins made correctly? 4. Are the spaces between letters, words and lines appropriate? 5. Is the writing properly aligned? 6. Are the writing standards achieved by the majority of pupils in line with level descriptors?

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4. Layout and Presentation Within the Primary phase, children write on lined paper in their literacy books. In Key Stage 1 the children use A4 books with 15mm feint on half the page. The children are taught to write on each line. By the end of Year 2 it is expected that children will write the full date on the left-hand side at the top of each piece of writing and a title in the form of a “Can I..?” statement two lines below this. In Key Stage 2 children are expected to: • • • • • •

Write on pages with 8mm feint; Write from the margin; Write the date in full on the left-hand side of each new piece of writing; Write a title in the form of a “Can I..?” statement two lines below the date and centred; Write on every other line to facilitate feedback from practitioners, peers and for self-editing; Use guidelines when writing on plain paper;

Writing layout posters can be found in Appendix 6. Writing to be displayed In addition to correct spelling and grammar (see above) writing to be displayed should be presented on paper without pre-printed lines and with a border. This can be achieved using guidelines underneath. When publishing from a PC border-art can be used. Writing should also be mounted in line with the school’s Display Policy.

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5. Assessment Assessment In order for children to make progress with their writing it is essential that they and all practitioners are aware of their current attainment and their next steps in learning. When giving learning feedback, practitioners will use the school’s learning feedback policy. Pupils and practitioners will use the school editing code to support self and peer assessment of their writing (see Appendix 3) Writing Assessment Criteria (WAC) for the child’s current stage should be stuck inside the front cover of each child’s English/Writing book. This allows the child and any practitioner to work together to assess the child’s writing and identify ways forward. At the end of each term the practitioner highlights any WAC targets they know the child is confident in so that termly progression can be clearly identified (Autumn = orange, Spring = green, Summer = blue). At the end of each year WAC sheets are passed forward to the child’s next teacher so that targets completed in the previous year can be highlighted in pink on the child’s new WAC sheet. Sparkle Writing (independent assessed writing) Sparkle writing aims to provide teachers with a way to assess and track progression in writing throughout a child’s school life. Every child will be issued with a ‘sparkle writing book’ in reception and this book will follow the child in their journey up the school. A new writing book will be attached to this book in Year 3, with writing lines more suitable for Key Stage 2. It is expected that every child takes part in four ‘sparkle writing’ sessions per term (approximately every three weeks) and all of the writing featured in the book will be completed independently by the children. Sparkle Writing Sessions Sparkle writing sessions should be different to a regular English lesson. A ‘sparkly’ atmosphere should be created through the use of calming music, lighting and sparkly props. Even the books that the children write in sparkle! Lesson Content Sparkle writing sessions are stand alone lessons which provide the children with an opportunity to apply their knowledge of a text type previously studied. They should not match the text type being covered in that week’s English lessons but instead could be the text covered 2 weeks or so prior to the sparkle writing session. The theme of the writing reflects each year groups current topic e.g. Y3 children studying the ‘Circus Circus’ topic may be asked to write a diary entry of a circus performer. It is expected that over the year a range of text types will be covered in sparkle writing sessions. Lesson Structure All lessons from YR- Y6 follow a similar structure. They begin with a word or sentence level warm up related to the subject/text type at hand. The Can I? is shared with the children and unlike most English lessons is general and relates to the text type e.g. Can I use a range of skills to write instructions? rather than focussing on a specific skill. The context of the writing is introduced and expectations are agreed with the children and recorded as remember to’s e.g. use time adverbials, headings, paragraphs etc… The 18

Writing and Communication Policy teacher may discuss with the children features of the particular text type but does not model writing it. The children can then be given 10 minutes of independent planning time if deemed appropriate and this is followed by no longer than 45 minutes of writing time for years 2-6 (exact writing times are down to the discretion of the teacher). A timer is displayed on the IWB and the teacher should encourage the children to check through their work during the final 5 minutes. There is no specific time limit for children in reception and year 1. The children complete the writing independently and in silence. Presentation The children present their writing in the same format as they would in their regular English books. Writing support tools During sparkle writing lessons children can have access to any writing tools that they would normally use in English lessons. This could include anything from a phoneme card to a thesaurus. However, it is up to the children to select and use these resources. WAC sheets and other checklists should not be utilised by the children in these lessons. Assessment At the end of each sparkle writing lesson the children must assess their learning against the self-assessment triangles, which they record next to their Can I. Opportunities for peer assessment should also be provided in some Sparkle Writing lessons. It is expected that the teacher assesses each piece of work in the Sparkle Writing book against the children’s current WAC sheet (removable from their English book). The appropriate targets are triangled, dated and asterisked (*) to indicate that the target was achieved during a sparkle writing session. Teachers also provide ‘tickled pink’ and ‘green for growth’ feedback at the end of the piece of writing, however the children are not expected to respond to this within that particular piece of writing. Instead, at the beginning of the next sparkle writing session the children are given the opportunity to read their feedback from last time and use this as a target for their next piece of sparkle writing. E.g. Well done Zoe, you used time adverbials and conjunctions. Next time use adverbs in your writing e.g. quickly. Sparkle writing books are brought along to termly writing moderation staff meetings. These meetings ensure the consistency of levelling across the school, which supports accurate tracking of pupil progress.

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6. Professional Development Continuing professional learning (CPL) for all staff is identified and met in a number of ways: Book Scrutiny A selection of writing and sparkle books from each class are taken and checked by the English leaders on a termly basis. It is checked that they adhere to the Writing and learning feedback policies. The books are then returned with a checklist which informs the practitioner with which objectives they are meeting and what needs to be improved. Writing Moderation As mentioned above writing moderation occurs on a termly basis. Practitioners have the opportunity to assess with others ensuring consistency of assessment throughout the school. Observations and Triangulation The need for whole-school observations and triangulations are decided by SMT in accordance with the school’s performance data and changes to policies. Practitioners are provided with detailed feedback in with which how their teaching can be improved. Lesson Study As a school the lesson study approach is used as a form of continuing professional development. A lesson study defined as a group of professionals with shared goals and a strong level of trust and respect collaborating to improve their lesson-delivery skills through talking, researching, planning, observing and sharing feedback. The lesson study timetable is decided by SMT in accordance with the school’s performance data, strategies for improvement and changes to policies.

Staff meetings and Twilights Staff meetings are delivered when a whole staff training need is identified or when new innovations are being put into place.

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7. Specific groups At Coldean Primary School we constantly strive to ensure that we ‘close the gap’ between all significant groups in the school. Every child, regardless of gender, race or ability will have equal access to the writing curriculum at all times. Provision is carefully considered by all practitioners in order to achieve this. During the termly pupil progress meetings gaps are identified and strategies are discussed and put into place. Gender As previously mentioned, the children are exposed to a wide variety of first-hand experiences which engage, inspire and stimulate their imaginations. Writing tasks are topic based, involving exciting subject matters such as; Superheroes, Giants, The Ancient Egyptians etc. which have a broad appeal. SEN Wherever necessary, specialist provision will be made for those pupils who require it. Please see the SEN policy for ways in which children are supported in English if SEN. EAL At Coldean Primary School we ensure that EAL pupils develop their spoken and written English by: - Providing the children with both personalised and topic based word mats. - Through weekly support from trained bilingual assistants when necessary. - Ensuring that there are effective opportunities for talking and that this is used to support writing. - Providing a range of reading materials including bilingual books when needed. - Through regular communication with parents so that children’s experience of language at home can be built upon. Pupil Premium (PP) In pupil progress meetings during a discussion between the SLT, SENCO and class teacher appropriate interventions are decided on in order to ensure the progression of PP children.

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Writing and Communication Policy

APPENDIX 1 Pie Corbett: Games to establish a creative mood Every teacher wants to have children who are cognitively alert - with lively, enquiring minds that are active and fully engaged. This can be developed through expanding children’s experiences so they meet and create new ideas. Provide new experiences and get into the habit of exploring and expanding their capabilities. They need to engage in playful behaviour, actively participating in fresh activities… ‘variety is the spice of life’. Cognitive fitness uses both parts of the brain. The right side flourishes with images; intuitive, holistic and pattern seeking, it explores, plays and dreams new ideas, making imaginative and spontaneous connections. Feed this with playful games, a broad variety of fiction, poetry, dramatic plays, music and nonlinear engagement with ideas. The left side likes to observe, record and enriches what it is doing through puzzles, activating logical, reasoning and verbal thinking. Feed it with regular sudoku type puzzles, quick crosswords, and games like chess that force thinking. A brain positive classroom is one where everyone is excited about learning - trying for optimal performance, with activities that develop the whole person - where everyone has a passion and commitment to trying hard and getting better at writing. These sorts of quick-fire games are a useful basis for writing and brain development with spin offs across the curriculum. Creative Connections Play this game often - just give them a word and ask them to write down as many words as they can think of that are associated with it. Time them - a minute only, and then see who has written the largest number of words. Play this many times so that they get used to generating words and ideas rapidly. This is a fundamental creative writing skill. If the children find this difficult, then you need to play it as a whole class. Provide a focus such as a picture, photo or object. Then, as a class, brainstorm as many words and ideas as possible. Ink Waster To warm up the brain and get into a creative mood - give the children a topic and ask them to write as much as they can in say, one minute. Time them and ask them to count the number of words then try again with another topic. They should write as rapidly as possible. This limbers up and frees up the mind. Video Writing Use the ink waster technique and see how much can be written in a few minutes. Turn down the sound and play a film clip. The children use this as a basis for writing as rapidly as possible - the action - the dialogue - a description - or just anything that the images trigger. It has to be fast with no pauses. If they get stuck - just look up at what is happening and try again. There is no right or wrong. The only wrong thing is if you stop writing. Who can write the most words down? Pattern Spotting 22

Writing and Communication Policy Looking for patterns is an important brain activity. As human beings, we exist through patterns of behaviour that help us cope with the world. Try any game where children have to find a pattern or spot where it is broken. This might be a list of words that rhyme then spotting the one that doesn’t. Put on a timer and try and do it within 10 seconds: Rough, tough, enough, bluff, cuff Through, duff, dough, fluff, gruff, stuff Identifying the underlying patterns in sentences is important and quite demanding. Try listing three examples that follow the same pattern and then ask the children to imitate and come up with the same pattern themselves, e.g. Before Donni sang, everyone hoped he would keep in tune. While Donni was singing, everyone put their hands over their ears. After Donni finished singing, everyone cheered with relief. As with all things - start simply, e.g. Angrily, he stormed out of the room. Happily, she whistled a tune. Gleefully, he ate the donuts. Unfortunately, she had one too many! Then as the children become more proficient, try using just one sentence that children write out and then, directly below, imitate it, e.g. As they came to the last tree in the row, where the field ended, Mrs Wentleberry halted, wondering whether she should climb all the way to the top. As they reached the corner shop, where the road curved left, Mr Snaggletooth stopped, hoping there would be some jelly babies left. As he ran down the hill, where the stream trickled, Jonson paused, expecting there would be at least one tunnel into the hillside. New Experiences The brain is stimulated by new experiences - it makes us curious and generates language. First-hand experience makes brains grow! Each weekend, try looking for something curious that you could take into the classroom - photos, a mirror, a key, a picture of a Salvador Dali, an old watch, a gnarled piece of bark… Use these for rapid drawing and writing. To write, you could just brainstorm words and ideas as a whole class or in pairs. What does it look like, remind you of, what do associate with this? What might it be used for? Invent 5 new things you could use it for? What might a Martian think it was? Playful Writing The brain develops when it has to play hard at working. Being playful with ideas and language engages the prefrontal cortex and develops our highest cognitive functions. Novelty and innovation are important for brain growth - whilst routines help to organise, regiment and make sure that children feel safe and confident, they also need new experiences and to develop creative thought. This demands training the brain to think in 23

Writing and Communication Policy different ways so that it can generate ideas and possibilities, moving beyond the expected clich? The old magic box game is great fun and never ever fails. Use Kit Wright’s poem The Magic Box. All you have to do is imagine what might be in there - the poem is a great model for stimulating ideas. It can help to discuss what might be in a box forest. Then make a class list (the quicker and the longer the better) or things that would be impossible to have in a box - sunsets, a universe, a star, a rhino, a playground, a dream, a memory, a lie, a kangaroo, a rainbow, a scream, etc. Now just make an embellished list: In the box of impossibilities you will find A sunset of crimson and gold, a universe of whirling minds, a shivering star, a charging rhino with skin of metal, a playground rumour a daydream that comes alive, a memory of a moment that was cold, a lie like a nettle sting… Use poetry anthologies and find poems that have the playful element.

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Writing and Communication Policy Pie Corbett: Writing games The Simile Game Look at the list of common similes below and ask the children to explain to their partner the story behind the simile. Try inventing new similes and listing them. Collect the best from scanning poems and novels. Make class lists. Discuss why a simile works - is it just a visual similarity? Create a simile alphabet in pairs or small groups within a few minutes. • As brave as a lion • As busy as a cat on a hot tin roof • As cunning as a fox • As deaf as a post • As dry as dust • As happy as Larry • As happy as a rat with a gold tooth • As hungry as a bear • As hungry as a wolf • As innocent as a lamb • As mad as a hatter • As patient as Job • As poor as a church mouse • As proud as a peacock • As scarce as hen's teeth • As silly as a goose • As slippery as an eel • As slow as a tortoise • As sly as a fox • As stubborn as a mule • As thin as a toothpick • As timid as a rabbit • As tricky as a box of monkeys • As welcome as a skunk at a lawn party • As wise as Solomon Dead Metaphors Dead metaphors are clichés - they are the ones that everyone knows and have been used so many times that they are just a part of everyday language, e.g. • Stone cold • A heart of stone • Apple of my eye • Boiling mad • Steer clear • Bear fruit • Hatch a plan • Difficult to swallow

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Writing and Communication Policy Of course, the first time these were used, they would have been arresting - something new and apt. Now they have become stale - and have little fresh impact. They are part of our clichéd language - they communicate but not as powerfully as something freshly minted. Collect as many as possible from reading and noticing each other's speech. Make a list. Use these for a writing game by taking them literally, e.g. I felt stone cold My arms were rock And my legs were granite. She was the apple of my eye But someone took a bite Out of my sight! My teacher was boiling mad Steam came out of her mouth! I hatched a plan It is only just able to walk And needs bottle-feeding daily. This sort of language play helps children look anew at language that they may just be using without really thinking about its meaning. Inventing Metaphors First of all, identify something that you want to create a metaphor around - for instance - the stars. Now think of something that is like the subject or something to do with the subject - they shine, glitter, are like tin-tacks, like diamonds, like jewels, like fiery eyes. Now use an idea to make a metaphor, remembering not to use the word 'like', e.g. The stars are shiny glitter. The stars tin tacked to the night. The diamond stars shine. The jeweled stars. The fiery stars eyed the world Notice how one simple way is to: 1. Generate a simile - the stars are like diamonds. 2. Omit the word 'like' - the stars are diamonds. 3. Move the noun in front of the image - the diamond stars. Dylan Thomas uses this technique in his writing! Extending the Metaphor This is much easier than you may imagine. Take a simple simile, e.g. My teacher is like an... eagle. Turn this into a metaphor by removing the word like. Now think about what eagles do and just extend the sentence further, e.g. My teacher is an eagle swooping around the room, hovering over his students, diving down on innocent prey and demolishing them with the terrible grip of his talons. The Word Waiter Brian Moses once write a poem along this line that involved a 'word waiter' who could serve up only a certain number of words. This can be used for short burst writing, haiku, 26

Writing and Communication Policy letters or news items. The randomness of the selection adds a challenging edge that often forces creativity beyond the predictable. The word waiter might serve up a character, place and dilemma for storytelling. Here are some possible starters - but ask the children and add many more ingredients! Character woodcutter farmer princess adventurer heroine Billy Jo teacher

Place hairdressers station bus stop cinema castle kitchen old bridge chip shop wooden tower

Dilemma gets lost is chased steals something is trapped sees a fight finds a cave loses money finds an alien

Poetry Doors The writer Stephanie Strickland says that, 'poems are words that take you through three kinds of doors: closed doors, secret doors, and doors you don't know are there'. Make a list of doors that poetry is.... Just be inventive - have some fun. It doesn't have to make sense. Indeed, logic and sense will probably lead to dull writing. Poetry Poetry Poetry Poetry Poetry Poetry Poetry

is a is a is a is a is a is a is a

closed door. secret door. door that you did not know was there. door of foxes, as a sly as sunlight. door of dreams where thoughts hide. door of disasters, where stories crumble. door of kittens playing.

In the City of Rome We used to play this old game in the back of the car on long journeys. It is ideal for building descriptions of settings. Think of a place and identify one thing that you can see (a park bench). Then say, 'in the city of Rome is a park bench'. The next person has to repeat what you have said and add in something else, e.g. 'In the city of Rome is a park bench and under the bench is a sleeping dog.' A list of prepositions helps. Pass the line on, with each child adding something else they can see or hear. Try playing the game in groups and pairs until the children can visualise and describe a scene in their own mind. Instead of 'in the city of Rome', play the game using the setting in their story, e.g. 'in the haunted house'. Show children how to sketch the scene and annotate, adding in similes. Then practise turning the scenes into mini paragraphs. Disasters 27

Writing and Communication Policy Children - indeed, most humans, - are fascinated by disasters. But what might be a disaster for superman or an ant? 5 Disasters for Superman. • His tights are in the wash. • The colour in his boxer shorts washes out and now they're pink. • His Mum says to be in by 8.00 and in bed by 9.00. • His Dad tells him not to start fights. • His Gran gives him Kryptonite pants for Christmas. April Fool's Day • Write a list of April Fool's day tricks and jokes? • Put plastic bottles outside instead of milk bottles. • Put onions in Wendy's bed. • Wrap up a stone to make a big parcel. • Stick a penny on the path. • Put salt into a pot instead of sugar. • Hide John's trousers. • Stick a cup to a saucer with superglue. The Writing Box Keep a 'writing box' in the classroom. Each week put in a new object that the children have to write about. They can take any angle that they wish. Steven, 7 yrs, wrote this short piece about an old watch that I popped in: The silver watch The back is smooth and round. It has hinges to open it. It has a gold wheel that spins round. It has springs. The spring beats out and in like a heart. It has a silver plate with patterns. The patterns are curls. The best part I like is the gold colour inside. The time is quarter past six. That is all I know of the silver watch. Deborah, 8 yrs, wrote about the box itself and the unicorn that it contained. What has the box ever held? A diamond? A ring? A heart of rubies? Or a unicorn with a sapphire collar? The inside of the box is as black as ebony. The unicorn can never feel happy or sad. The unicorn is trapped between both, never will he move again. The person who owned the box was a merchant who staggered around. The merchant rode a golden camel. The box was his favourite possession. Yet only he knew what it contained. He passed on the secret to me. Inside the box was a key, a key to let the soul of the unicorn out into the world... Creating Potions With one class we had been reading Terry Nation's book Rebecca's World. We wrote magical potions to cure Grisby's bad feet: Potion to cure bad feet. Take three drops of verruca cream, add corn plasters with a pinch of bunion powder and a squirt of foot cream. Mix it together and heat it up in a stained saucepan. It is called 'Footcure'. - Matthew, 9 yrs 28

Writing and Communication Policy Later on in the story Rebecca nearly falls prey to 'Bad Habits'. Potion for curing bad habits. Take six bitten nails, Five sucked thumbs, Ten chewed pens And a bag of humbugs. Mix them to make 'Habitcure'. Julie, 9 yrs For Sale With that class we fell into the habit of selling things (see Creative games from stories). I think the idea came when one day someone put up a 'for sale' notice in the staff room trying to sell off some disruptive year 6 pupil! In my class we tried writing notices to sell off pesky younger brothers and then we moved on to selling historical artefacts such as 'Pyramid for sale - genuine offer!' Dream Jars In Gulliver's Travels there is a good description of what he has in his pockets. This idea led into making lists of the contents of Mrs Thatcher's (the ex-Prime-minister) handbag and I seem to recall that one witty lad wrote a list of what was found in Emu's beak Michael Parkinson's finger! Other stories often lend themselves to writing ideas. The BFG can be used to create Dream Jars. You could write about the contents or how to use the contents. In the red nightmare jar Is a drop of blood from the sword that killed St Thomas, Is a drop of paint from the letterbox in King's Lane, Is a traffic light's eye from the High Street, Is a red card from the referee's collection. Invented Insects As a child I had a much prized copy of the Observer's Book of Birds. One year when I was working in a village school, I decided we would invent flies and create the Observer's Book of Invented Flies! We looked at several bird entries to get the gist of how to write our fly entries, drew invented flies and then wrote about them: Red-backed Fly So named because of the red stripes on its back. Flies between April and June. Eggs are seven and found underneath cars. Young found in sewers. It has scent glands on its head that give a pungent smell when alarmed. Nancy, 9 yrs The large-winged bird-eating fly. This fly is the largest specimen of the bird-eating flies. The male has a small sting at the bottom of his abdomen which enables him to poison the bird. They lay over a thousand young but only about five survive. The female grows so heavy when she is pregnant that she can't fly and that is why the male makes the nest. Their legs are so powerful that 29

Writing and Communication Policy they can carry a fully-grown eagle. They live in small areas of the mountains. William, 9 yrs Dragon's menu Dragons are always popular with primary age children. The book Eragon by Christopher Paolini is a cracking good read. Each child could make their own dragon passport. An alphabet for a dragon's menu might also be fun: A is for an angler's boot. B is for a bull's horns. C is for a car's back seat. D is for dirty dish cloths... Excuses Excuses are always needed. When I was a child I was endlessly late and homework was a mystery to me! Make a list of excuses - the more exaggerated the better. Here are some year 4s in full flight... This morning I was late for school because there was a knock on my door and I opened it to find that the local farmer had just dumped a lorry load of horse manure on my doorstep. I had to dig myself a route to the front gate. This morning my head teacher was late for school because his Lotus Elan was jammed at the lights when star performers from Sir Serendipity's Travelling Flea Circus had escaped. They had to be hunted down and recaptured before the traffic could move... The Trout Fishing Game This game came from an idea in a Richard Brautigan poem that I have adapted. Richard Brautigan wrote Trout Fishing In America - hence the title of the game. To play the game, make a long list of possible subjects for writing, e.g. worries, bicycles, recipes, trout, clouds, bees. Choose one or two to work on as a class. Decide whether the subject is beautiful or ugly and write your opening line using this pattern: A bee is not a beautiful thing. Now make a list of contrasting subjects, using the following pattern: A bee is not a beautiful thing; It's not like a kingfisher hurrying in its flashy coat of blues and scarlet. It's not like a dandelion Shaking its golden mane. It's not like a Siamese cat's eyes Of Egyptian sapphire. A Nuisance of Nouns Ask the children to explain the collective nouns in the alphabet below and then create their own alphabet - this might best be done in small teams, dividing the alphabet up between them. An abandonment of orphans A ballet dance of swans A crush of rhinoceroses A dose of doctors An elephant of enormities A fidget of school children 30

Writing and Communication Policy A glacier of fridges A hover of hawks An inquisition of judges A Jonah of shipwrecks A knuckle of robbers A lottery of dice A misery of bullets A number of mathematicians An outrage of stars A prayer of nuns A quake of cowards A roundabout of arguments A swelter of duvets A tangle of tricksters An upset of horoscopes A vein of goldfinch A wonder of stars An xray of soothsayers A zeal of enthusiasts

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Writing and Communication Policy The Room of Stars This game follows on from the invention of collective nouns. There are many possibilities. Split the class in two. One half has to rapidly make a list of places, e.g. room, town, city, village, mountain, river, star, sun, kitchen, alleyway, lawn, garden, castle, etc. The other half has to make a list of nouns and abstract nouns, e.g. memories, love, doom, sparklers, curtains, sunsets, wisdom, jealousy, disasters, grass, hedgerows, teapots, certainty, etc. Then put children into pairs and they match the words listed exactly in the order they write them down, e.g. The room of memories. The town or love. The city of doom. The village of sparklers. The mountain of curtains. The river of sunsets. The star of wisdom. The sun of jealousy. The kitchen of disasters. The alleyway of grass. The lawn of hedgerows. The garden of teapots. The castle of certainty. As well as places you could try vehicles, or 'the moment of...', or time, e.g. 'the day of...', 'the week of...', 'the month of...', the year of...'. You could leave this just as a list of surprising and interesting combinations. Interestingly, many seem to have a power of their own. Show the children how to take one of the ideas that seems to have promise and extend it. I find this easiest by taking on with an abstract noun. For instance, if you take the 'kitchen of disasters', you could list all sorts of disasters, e.g. The kitchen of disasters is where The kettle's spout melted, The teapot shattered into splinters, The fridge shivered all night, The sink sunk! The city of doom could be a list of things that have happened that are doom-laden. Try a different pattern by using 'in', e.g. In the city of doom The streets are awash with dead starfish And the windows have wept tears of ice, The shops are empty as silence...

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Writing and Communication Policy Pie Corbett: Sentence games Many schools have found that quick-fire daily sentence starters can have an impact on children’s writing. I think that the ability to rapidly construct and vary sentences almost without thinking about it - is one of the basic skills of writing. If children are labouring over sentence construction this must interfere with the flow of imaginative composition. The difference between a Level 3 and a Level 4 writer is the ability to construct and vary sentences. Many children benefit from daily sentence practice. When introducing new sentence patterns remember to start orally - so they hear the pattern and then say it. This can be followed by using cards or a washing line so that they see and move the words around and physically manipulating the sentences - good for all children but especially the kinaesthetic learners. Finally, they can begin to move into writing on mini white boards. Keep the session speedy - the idea is to become automatic at writing, not something laboured. Push the more able to develop sentences. Be ruthless on full stops! One handy tip is to say to children, 'Don't show me until you have checked'. The idea is for the children to think, write and then re-read, checking for quality and accuracy. Link the sentence types to a text type and to what will help children make progress. Immature writers should conquer the simple sentence, after this; ensure that the compound sentence has been accomplished. Then begin moving into the complex sentence. Practise sentence games and use the same sorts of sentences in modelled and shared writing. Make sure children use the sentence types in their own writing. This is vital - try working on a sentence (or paragraph) that then has to be 'dropped' into a longer piece of writing. Store good sentences in writing journals for future use. Here are some games to get you going: Random words Choose a book. Ask for a number - this gives you a page to turn to. Now ask for a number - this gives you the line. Then ask for a small number - this will select a word. The children then have 15 seconds to write a sentence using the selected word. Then use the same sort of process to randomly select two or three words - can they make a sentence using the words... Be ruthless on capital letter, sense and full stop. Noun and verb game Ask for a list of nouns (engine, ruler, pencil, tree). Then make a list of verbs (sipped, stole, rushed, wished). The game is to invent sentences that include a noun and a verb from the lists. This can be fun if the nouns and verbs do not match in any sensible way you will get some quite creative solutions! The engine sipped... The ruler stole... The pencil rushed... The tree wished... Now complete the sentences preferably choosing unusual ideas, e.g. 33

Writing and Communication Policy The engine sipped from a cup of silences. The ruler stole a tongue of ideas. The pencil rushed down the stairs and into the garden. The tree wished it could turn over a new leaf. Join Provide two short, simple sentences. The aim of the game is for the children to join them to make one sentence. They will need to use some form of connective and t can be useful to suggest a way of joining them. For instance: The camel ate the cake The cake was full of dates. You could ask the children to join the two sentences above using the word 'which': The camel ate the cake, which was full of dates. This game is vital for children who are Level 3 writers and need to begin using a variety of ways (beyond 'and then') to link sentences, gaining flow in their writing. So, play this often!

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Writing and Communication Policy Animal game Make a list of animals. The children have to write a sentence about each one - as playful as possible. Put in certain criteria, e.g. use a simile, use two adjectives, use an adverb, use 'after', use 'when', etc. Alliterate Use the animal list to create alliterative sentences - one per animal, e.g. the tiny tiger tickled the terrified terrapin's two toes with torn tinsel. Improve Provide a list of dull sentences that have to be made more detailed or interesting or powerful, e.g. • The worm went. • The man got the drink. • The dog came along the road. • The woman ate the stuff. • The man looked at the stuff in the shop. Check it Write up some sentences or a paragraph with errors for the children to check. Build n the sorts of mistakes that the children often make so they get used to identifying and correcting their own errors. These might include - spellings, punctuation mistakes, changes in tense, slang, etc. • He runned down the lain. • She was dead frightened. • I just jumpt over the wall. • I ran home, Lucy just walked. Shorten If children overwrite or write poorly formed, clumsily sentences, write these up and ask them to shorten the sentences or clarify them. The robbers who were being chased ran down the road till they could run no more and then they decided that they would go into the cave and then they would hide in there and wait. Change the ending Provide a short sentence and ask the children to extend it by adding a chunk on at the end. Provide a list of ways, e.g. use a connective, add on an 'ing' chunk, add on a chunk using 'who, which, that when, while, where, before, after', etc. Teddy closed the curtains. This might become: • Teddy closed the curtains when the fireworks started. • Teddy closed the curtains while everyone was juggling. • Teddy closed the curtains before the milkman came. • Teddy closed the curtains, hoping it would keep out the sunlight. Change the opening 35

Writing and Communication Policy Provide a simple sentence and ask the children to extend it by adding a chunk on at the beginning. Build up a repertoire of different ways to vary the opening to sentences, e.g. use an adverb (how), a time connective (when), an 'ing ' or 'ed' chunk, one word, a simile, a prepositional phrase (at the end of the lane - where), an adjective, etc. Bertie dug a deep hole Might become: After tea, Bertie dug a deep hole. In the garden, Bertie dug a deep hole. Carefully, Bertie dug a deep hole. As fast as a ferret, Bertie dug a deep hole. Hoping to reach Austrailia, Bertie dug a deep hole.

Drop in Provide a simple sentence and ask the children to 'drop in' a something extra, e.g. adjectives, adverb, a phrase or clause. Be wary of children dropping in too much! Of course - you could add to a sentence by attaching a bit either end as well. Bertie dug a hole. Might become: • Bertie dug a deep hole. • Bertie rapidly dug a hole. • Bertie, the farmer's dog, dug a hole. • Bertie, hoping he would soon see a kangaroo, dug a hole. Copy This final game is an important one. Look carefully at the text type that you are teaching. Are there any particular sentence types that the children will need to be able to use in their writing? Look at the stage they are and decide what sorts of sentences they need to be able to write, in order to make progress. Model several of one type on a board - then ask the children to imitate the pattern, substituting different words. For instance, here are several 'adverb' starter sentences: Carefully, Pie at the donought. Angrily, Jerry kicked the football. Gently, Maisha held the sandwich. Create several more together and then use a bag of adverbs to help the children begin writing their own similar sentences, using the same underlying structure. Pie Corbett: Creative games from stories Imitate Read a short poem or paragraph to the class. The game is for them to listen carefully and then as soon as you have finished write down as much as they can remember - filling in gaps if they need. In pairs, they can compare results and then listen to the original. This develops memory but is also interesting because different people remember different sections - or everyone remembers the same piece - why? Interviews 36

Writing and Communication Policy Children work in pairs - one in role as the poet or author and the other is about to interview them. Read a poem or paragraph. The interviewers then ask questions and role-play an interview. Hear some in front of the class. Questions can be about the poem - but also any other aspect that the interviewer deems interesting! Story Sale Choose an object from a story and write a For Sale notice, e.g. For Sale - The Minotaur's Horn. Straight from the labyrinth, the genuine article... Likes, dislikes, puzzles and patterns Put children into pairs to make a list about a story or poem of likes, dislikes, puzzles and patterns. Or, each pair makes a list of 5 questions they are curious about. Later on, list these as a class and see if other pairs can provide ideas or answers. Story Poem Stop at a vivid moment in a story. Use a simple frame (I heard., I saw, I touched., I wondered.) to write a senses poem in role as a character in the story, e.g. • I heard the distant rumble of the Minotaur's hot breath. • I heard the dark hooves scraping the sandy floor. • I heard the heavy beat of my heart as it drew nearer. • I saw the sudden sharp flash of its red eyes glinting in the darkness. • I saw the ragged hair and the flared nostrils. • I touched the cold walls for comfort. • I touched the thin string of Ariadne's hope. • I wondered if my fear would turn into dust

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Writing and Communication Policy Exploring feelings in a poem or story a. Choose a key object from a story - something which made you feel something (happy? sad? bored?) and explore why: The ball of string made me feel sad because. b. Work in role as a selected character, explaining how he/she/it felt at that moment in the story. Present as a monologue: I am weary because "What if" re-telling Think of a "what-if" moment in a story when events could take a different turn. Make a list of these key moments - usually at a crossroads where decisions are made. Make notes or draw events and prepare to tell what happens next in your new version. This works best if you can give examples, e.g. Theseus drops the ball of string and cannot find it in the darkness. Dialogue Choose a favourite moment in a story and write some dialogue for that moment, either as part of a play, as a duologue for a pair to perform or as a piece of story writing. Discuss with the class possible scenes. Phone a Friend a. Choose a specific moment in a story. In role as a character, phone a friend, another character or a member of your family, explaining what has happened, how you feel and what might happen, e.g. imagine you are the Minotaur in the labyrinth. Phone your Mum! b. Or, phone an agony aunt for advice. Personal Does anything in the story remind you of something that happened to you (e.g. a time of surprise, a time of fear, a time of shame, a time of violence, a time of fun)? Tell or write the anecdote. Miming scenes Prepare to mime a scene from a story, a poem or extract from non-fiction. Will the rest of the class be able to guess which scene? Meetings Prepare to hold a meeting, e.g. to discuss in role as local people what is happening in a story or poem or to debate a piece of information or viewpoint. Gossip Between characters or about events. These could be main characters or bystanders. Thoughts in the head Work in pairs - choose a place to stop in the story. In role - say aloud what the different characters might be thinking - is it the same as what they are saying? Or draw a cartoon and thought bubble for a character in a story or poem. 38

Writing and Communication Policy APPENDIX 2 Overcoming Barriers to Writing Difficulties with remembering sentences Action to Overcome Barrier

Resources

Talk for Writing

Oral rehearsal Actions to help Reciting other writers’ sentences Story Maps Repetition of stories/sentences/actions Paired work using whiteboards, reading each other’s sentences, taking turns to write a sentence. Think it, Say it, Write it, Read it t:drive > English > Writing Counting words on fingers, checking against final sentence. Child says sentence aloud and counts number of words. Draw lines and add initial sounds for each word in the sentence e.g. A d_____ t__ i_ u__ th_ sh_____ . Child to write their sentence as they speak, not necessarily grammatically. Teacher to model correct grammar in conversation in order for children to be able to structure their sentences correctly. Daily/weekly dictation of sentences related to genre being taught in order for the child to learn relevant vocabulary, sentence structure and style.

‘Letters & Sounds’

Visualising sentences in different ways e.g. close your eyes; can you see your sentence? Throw your sentence across the room; can you see it on the wall?

Poor fine motor skills Action to Overcome Barrier

Resources

Opportunities to play with resources that require fine manipulation e.g. threading, pegs, sand/water play, beads, malleable materials. Cutting and puzzles to aid in fine motor development. Large and small mark making tools – inside and outside – to practice using one handed tools and equipment. 39

Writing and Communication Policy Draw lines and circles using gross motor movements. Begin to use anti clockwise movement and retrace vertical lines in a range of materials e.g. sand, shaving foam, etc. Begin to form recognisable letters, using appropriate pencils – support in correct way to hold pencil Trace over letter templates. Lack of language experience Action to Overcome Barrier

Resources

Provide rich experiences through educational visits, themed days, etc. Word banks – provide children with word banks to extend their vocabulary on display and for personal use. Use SYM writer when possible.

SYM writer High frequency word cards Phonic cards Visual dictionaries

Reading quality texts – daily reading to the children with carefully chosen texts.

Brilliant books!

Engage children in speaking and listening games

Talk for Writing Resources SENCo

Storytelling and role play – Planned opportunities for children to listen to stories that are read, recited and acted out by teachers Children are given lots of opportunities to tell stories and role play

Role-play corners & resources

Providing opportunities to encourage home school partnership: Parent workshops for EYFS Phonics, Reading. Give parents opportunities to help their children through take home tasks / topic overview

Book bags, reading cards, home phonic activities

Circle time – regular circle time throughout the school encouraging speaking and listening skills Nurture groups and speech and language intervention to develop pupils’ confidence, vocabulary and ability to vocalise thoughts SEN support and feelings. Modelling by class teacher and peers

Lack of knowledge on how to be a writer (structure) Action to Overcome Barrier

Resources

Activities involving talking, including conversations about their learning/ play, home school reading book. This develops children’s ability to structure ideas, thoughts and feelings in order to communicate them effectively. 40

Writing and Communication Policy Talk for Writing: See Writer Talk section of main policy Identify common features of different writing genres e.g. How do we know that this is a fairy tale? Because it has “Once upon a time…” Modelling the use of language and conversation Providing key words, topic vocabulary, word banks, visual props

SIM writer Phonic cards High Frequency words

Talk partners: Think-Pair-Share strategy Using sentence starters e.g. ‘I know this because…’ Paragraph planners / starters / scaffolds

Narrative packs – Who, What, Where, When, Why Story Hill

Think it, say it, write it, read it Opportunities for free writing – toolboxes, role play Mind maps Experience of different genres and styles of writing – emersion Writing frames Break down stories into sections – focus on writing one section e.g. the end or introduction. Time Action to Overcome Barrier

Resources

Spend more time on each genre (cover less genres in more depth in years 1-4, revisit everything in years 5 & 6). Teach writing as a sentence based activity building up to connecting sentences and paragraphs. More differentiated expectations. Children fully aware of the ‘Can I…’ statement which they are working towards as a group or class. Children use the assessment criteria in the front of their English/Writing books to identify their individual ‘next step’.

t:drive > English > Writing > Assessment Criteria for Writing (Full Set).doc

Give children more time to plan. Teach them to plan effectively (in same tense as final outcome) and how to follow plans.

Sue Palmer’s Skeleton Books (PPA Room) t:drive > English > Resources > Interactive Skeleton books

Self-initiated targets Emphasis on quality over quantity. 3 good sentences are better 41

Writing and Communication Policy than 3 rushed paragraphs. Don’t overload the children (too many expectations)

Overwhelmed by task and lack of clarity Action to Overcome Barrier

Resources

Teacher to clearly differentiate tasks according to the needs of all the children, leading to the specific writing outcome. Differentiated success criteria. Children and teacher to create success criteria collaboratively. Children to be aware of stepping-stones needed to complete task. Stepping-stones to be displayed in an accessible way. Teacher to clearly model the process throughout each task and carry out mini-plenaries. Ensure writing tools are accessible. Teacher to model use of resources (pen, word bank, dictionary, phoneme chart etc). Teacher to speak with a range of prompts (saying the same thing in different ways). Check children understand verbally before they start. Constant encouragement, praise and positivity. Planning ensures small achievable targets building towards the final writing outcome Breaking down learning into timed ‘chunks’ of challenge i.e. You have 5 minutes to… etc. Needs to be differentiated. Mixed ability groupings to provide aspiration for all children (sometimes) Visual cues to aid retention of the task; ‘Now – Then – Next’ cards supported with pictures Expecting children to repeat task back to an adult or friend to aid internalisation of the task Systems of assistance well established within classrooms i.e. What do I do if I am stuck? Displays/ rehearsals of processes Giving children sufficient time to think/ processing time Supporting to ‘get started’ with the initial sentence and then leaving children to work independently. Children should be given the various skills required to write in a certain genre before they have to apply them to a final piece of writing (once they know the rules of the game they can be more creative with the content)

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Writing and Communication Policy

Spelling Action to Overcome Barrier

Resources

Children are grouped by ability for Phonics and Spelling lessons. Interactive word displays ‘Try it’ paper approach; children attempt to spell word independently and adult affirms attempt (spelling journals)? Practice use of dictionaries (for competent spellers). Limit to 2/3 corrections per piece of writing, with particular focus on high frequency words, according to child’s phonic phase. Give the children time to learn from the corrections. Using large HFWs to support spelling acquisition. Phoneme charts Train children to use learning environment Reinforce ‘segment-blend’ phonics approach Use of whiteboards to attempt independent spelling Encourage children to visualise spelling in head Modelling spelling processes to children that are ‘stuck’ HFW word banks with pictures to support independence ‘Clicker 5’ to remove emphasis on spelling Topic specific word banks with pictures Encouraging reading as a means to improve spelling Adult to ‘draw’ spellings as child writes; child associates word and spelling with picture cue Standardised mnemonics for HFW and ‘tricky words’ (taught and displayed e.g. big elephants can always understand small elephants) across the school. Correcting articulation through modelling back.

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Writing and Communication Policy

APPENDIX 3 The following code will be used when adults are correcting Literacy work. These cards will be available for children to use appropriate to their ability.

t:drive > English > Writing > Appendix IV Editing Cod

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Writing and Communication Policy APPENDIX 4 Handwriting Script: Simple letter formation

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Writing and Communication Policy Handwriting Script Years 1 & 2

Years 3 & 4

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Writing and Communication Policy Years 5 & 6

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Writing and Communication Policy

Phase 2 Sound card

APPENDIX 5

Phase 3 Sound cards

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Writing and Communication Policy

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Writing and Communication Policy

APPENDIX 6 Year 1 writing layout

Writing Layout Poster

M onday, February 28 th 2014 Can I set my writing out correctly?

The date and learning question are written by my teacher or pasted into my book.

When we write in our English books, we always use our neatest handwriting.

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Writing and Communication Policy

Year 2 writing layout

Monday, February 28 th 2014 Can I set my writing out correctly?

Firstly, we write the date on the top line of the page (on the left). Next, we write the title underneath (or sometimes our teacher will do this for us). We make sure this is centred. When we write in our English books, we always use our neatest handwriting. 51

Writing and Communication Policy

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Writing and Communication Policy KS2 writing layout

Monday, February 28th 2014 Can I set my writing out correctly? 1. Firstly, we write the date at the top next to the margin. 2. Next, we write the title two lines below the date and centred. 3. We underline the date and title with a ruler and in pencil. 4. We always miss a line out to help write corrections above. Although we leave two lines

between paragraphs. 5. When we write in our English books, we always use our neatest, joined-up handwriting.

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