Writing at Gonerby Hill Foot

Vision: Our aim is for all children at Gonerby Hill Foot Primary School to be confident in the application of skills in writing through transcription and composition. Our vision is that children develop into confident writers through quality first teaching, including teacher modelling and metacognitive talk, enabling them to successfully apply grammar and spelling knowledge to write fluent, informative, and enjoyable pieces.

Intent: Through high-quality teaching, our children will learn how to speak clearly, articulating their thoughts and points of view with clarity whilst also thinking about the listener to develop as creative and skilled writers. We provide frequent opportunities for talking through ideas and planning, which further supports children in constructing cohesive texts and applying their skills. Children will be encouraged to develop a handwriting style which is legible and joined, taking pride in the presentation of their work. Writing is taught in a cohesive and progressive way to ensure the development of composition, grammar, and punctuation skills across a range of genres, always writing for a purpose.

Implementation: At Gonerby Hill Foot, we teach writing based on a range of quality texts, which ensures children have a secure knowledge of the contexts they are writing in while reducing cognitive load. New grammar concepts are taught explicitly, and children have regular opportunities to practise and apply previously taught grammar. Lessons are planned to facilitate progress through a sequence that develops the use of grammar and punctuation to improve composition. We support children in articulating and rehearsing their ideas to an adult or peer before writing them down to ensure grammatical structures make sense. Handwriting and spelling are embedded as part of the daily writing process.

For pupils with SEND, we focus on strengths while identifying areas for practice and consolidation. Different groups may be supported through various strategies, such as laptop use for typing, adult scribing, and the provision of scaffolds and supporting resources to encourage independence.

Impact: By the time children leave Gonerby Hill Foot, our carefully sequenced Writing Curriculum allows them to be fluent and confident writers who can successfully and purposefully write across a range of genres. They are critical and evaluative writers who understand the necessity of editing and proofreading. Through regular guided and peer editing sessions, pupils have become increasingly independent in identifying and correcting mistakes to enhance their written outcomes. To ensure high standards and consistency, the impact of our curriculum is regularly evaluated through robust monitoring and validated through cross-school moderation, ensuring that every child is supported to achieve their full potential as a fluent and skilled writer.

Handwriting

At Gonerby Hill Foot CoE Primary School are committed to ensuring that every pupil develops fluent, legible and consistently joined handwriting by the end of Year 6. Strong transcription skills, including handwriting and spelling, are essential foundations for successful writing. Once handwriting is secure and automatic, pupils can focus on expressing their ideas with creativity, purpose and clarity.

Our handwriting curriculum builds confidence, fluency and stamina from the very start of school life. It provides clear progression from early mark-making in Reception to fluent joined writing in Key Stage 2. By the time pupils leave Year 6 they are able to meet the expectations of the National Curriculum and The Writing Framework (DfE, 2025) and they take pride in the presentation of their work across all subjects.