Writing at Holy Trinity allows children to express themselves, communicate with others and demonstrate the skills they develop across the curriculum. Mrs Coxon leads writing across the school.

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What? ​

At Holy Trinity, we believe writing is a personal, expressive and essential life skill. We aim to nurture confident, enthusiastic writers who take pride in their work and understand the power of their words.

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Through high-quality texts from a range of authors, cultures and time periods, children learn that writing always has a purpose and audience. They develop the confidence to write independently across a range of genres, choosing appropriate language and style.

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Our children:​

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• Build a rich and varied vocabulary

• Develop secure grammar, punctuation and spelling skills

• Learn to plan, draft, edit and improve their work

• Understand that writing is a process

 

We place great importance on proofreading and editing so that children can reflect on and improve their work. Alongside this, we develop fluent, legible handwriting so children can write with pride and confidence.

  

How? ​

Writing in the Early Years (EYFS)

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In EYFS, we focus on helping children understand that writing carries meaning and is a way to communicate.

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Children develop writing through:​

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• High-quality interactions with adults

• Talk, storytelling, nursery rhymes and rich texts

• Play-based and exploratory learning in continuous provision

• Physical development to support writing (core strength, posture, shoulder and hand control)

• Developing a comfortable and effective pencil grip

 

We teach handwriting through Kinetic Letters, alongside opportunities to practise writing through play.

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Children are supported to meet the Early Learning Goals in writing:

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• Letter formation – recognisable letters, mostly formed correctly

• Spelling – using sounds to write words

• Composition – simple phrases and sentences

• Phonics – applying phonics knowledge in writing

• Independence – beginning to write simple sentences independently

 

Little Wandle phonics supports early spelling and writing development.

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This strong foundation ensures children are ready and motivated to write as they move into Key Stage 1.

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Writing in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

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From Year 1 onwards, children continue to use high-quality texts as a stimulus for writing. They are explicitly taught spelling, punctuation, grammar and composition skills, and develop increasing independence.

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Our approach provides:

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• A coherent and consistent model from Year 1 to Year 6

• Strong teacher modelling of sentence construction and vocabulary

• A focus on oral rehearsal and planning before writing

• Opportunities for extended writing

• Time to draft, edit and refine work

• Integrated spelling instruction

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Talk is central to our approach, enabling children to develop ideas, practise language and build confidence before writing.

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We also ensure that writing is applied across the curriculum, giving children regular opportunities to use and develop their writing skills in a range of meaningful contexts beyond English lessons.

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Our Writing Teaching Cycle​

Writing is taught through a clear and consistent cycle that builds skills, supports independence and develops high-quality outcomes. A typical cycle lasts for 2 weeks, with an extended, independent piece of writing produced at the end of it.

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Phase 1: Engagement and Immersion

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Hook Lesson
Children are immersed in the text through engaging activities that build interest and motivation. They explore the audience for writing and the purpose for writing, and discuss how this will impact upon the choices they make in terms of vocabulary, grammar and structure.

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WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like)
Children explore a model text, paying particular attention to...

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• Key features of the genre

• Audience and purpose

• Tier 2 vocabulary

• Discussion and response to the text

 

This stage helps children understand what successful writing looks like before they begin writing themselves. They discuss and appreciate authorial intent, craft and technique. They discuss how and why the writing makes them feel a certain way and begin to make initial choices and think of ideas for their own piece of writing inspired by what they have read and discussed.

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Phase 2: Skill Development

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A series of skills-based lessons focusing on spelling, grammar, punctuation, vocabulary and composition.

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Children...

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• Identify features in model texts

• Practice skills at sentence level

• Apply them in short pieces of writing

• Revisit and build on prior learning

• Make clear links to the final piece of writing

 

These lessons ensure that grammar is taught explicitly, but always applied within purposeful writing.

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Spelling is taught and applied throughout the unit, linked where possible to the writing.

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Phase 3: Planning and Writing

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Planning
Children...

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• Talk through ideas

• Magpie vocabulary and structures

• Refine their thinking with support

• See teacher modelling of how to begin writing

 

Extended Writing (Hot Write)
Children write independently for a clear purpose and audience and have opportunities to...

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• Apply the skills they have learned

• Receive live feedback from staff

• Build stamina and confidence

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Phase 4: Editing and Improving

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Proofreading and Editing
Children...

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• Learn how to check and improve their work

• Work collaboratively and independently

• Focus on spelling, punctuation, grammar and composition

• Read their work aloud to support editing

 

Publishing and Celebrating
Children present their writing, often sharing it with others and celebrating their achievements.

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Handwriting

We use Kinetic Letters as our whole-school handwriting programme. This supports children in developing...

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• Strength and control

• Fluent, legible handwriting

• Confidence and pride in presentation

 

By securing handwriting early, children can focus fully on composition and creativity.

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Spelling

Spelling is taught in a structured and progressive way across the school.

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• In EYFS and Year 1, spelling is closely linked to phonics and is taught through the Little Wandle programme

• From Year 2 onwards, we follow the National Curriculum Spelling Appendix to identify age-appropriate spelling rules

 

Where possible, spelling patterns are linked to the writing unit, allowing children to apply their learning in a meaningful context.

 

Spelling is taught both explicitly and through regular opportunities to practise and apply within writing.

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Assessment and Support

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• Writing is assessed formatively throughout lessons

• Teachers provide in-class support and targeted feedback

• We use Local Authority writing journey benchmarks to assess progress termly

 

For children who need additional support, we use approaches such as...

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• Colourful Semantics

• Flash Academy

• 1:1 writing conferencing

• Small group interventions

 

Our aim is for every child to become a confident, successful writer.

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Working Together

We know that parents and carers play a vital role in supporting children’s writing development. We encourage you to take an active interest in your child’s writing and celebrate their efforts at home.

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There is a wealth of information available in the links below, offering tips and guidance on how you can support your child on their writing journey.

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Please note: The resources linked to our Kinetic Letters handwriting programme are password protected due to copyright restrictions. If you would like access to these materials, or further information about any aspect of your child’s writing, please contact school - we are always happy to help.

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So?

Our children develop into confident, thoughtful writers who...

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• Understand that writing has a real purpose

• Take pride in their work

• Adapt their writing for different audiences

• Enjoy sharing and discussing their ideas

 

They are willing to take risks, reflect on their work and continually improve. By the time they leave Holy Trinity, they have the skills, confidence and creativity to communicate effectively and succeed in the wider world.

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