Click here for the Writing Curriculum Overview
At St Matthias, our writing curriculum enables pupils to confidently articulate, structure and communicate their ideas. Through exposure to a wide range of high-quality, language-rich texts, pupils develop their imagination and learn to use their voice with confidence and purpose.
Learning is carefully structured so that pupils build their knowledge and skills over time. We follow the Ready Steady Write programme, which supports pupils to develop as confident, independent writers who can write effectively for a range of audiences and purposes. Grammar, punctuation, spelling and phonics are taught explicitly and applied within the writing process, ensuring pupils produce coherent and accurate writing.
In the Early Years, pupils develop the foundations of writing through phonics, mark making and early composition. Through storytelling, repetition and multi-sensory approaches, children build their oracy, vocabulary and understanding, enabling them to begin writing words, phrases and simple sentences. These foundations are built upon as pupils move through the school.
From Years 1 to 6, pupils write for a range of meaningful purposes, inspired by high-quality texts. They are taught to craft their writing through a range of approaches, including modelled writing, shared writing and regular editing, developing accuracy and independence over time.
A strong emphasis is placed on oracy, which underpins all writing. Through discussion, drama and vocabulary exploration, pupils learn to organise and express their ideas clearly before writing. Writing is also prioritised across the curriculum, ensuring pupils apply their skills in a range of contexts and develop a rich and ambitious vocabulary.
Pupils develop their transcription skills through structured teaching of spelling and handwriting. The RWI Spelling programme supports pupils in understanding spelling patterns and applying their phonic knowledge, while regular practice ensures fluency and accuracy.
You can find the spelling outlines here:
Learning is supported through retrieval practice, enabling pupils to revisit and embed key knowledge over time. Opportunities for self and peer assessment, alongside purposeful publishing, help pupils reflect on and take pride in their work.
Knowledge and skills are revisited and applied across subjects, enabling pupils to become increasingly confident and independent writers.
Through this approach, pupils develop fluency, creativity and a strong sense of authorial voice, understanding the impact their writing can have.
As a result, pupils leave St Matthias as confident and ambitious writers who can write with clarity, creativity and purpose, and who understand the power of their voice in the wider world.
Celebrating our writing stars!
We love to celebrate our children’s effort in their writing, whether that is in handwriting presentation or how creative they have been. Each week a child’s’ work from each class is chosen to be displayed on our writing wall of fame located in the main office, come and have a look at who we are celebrating this week! There is also a writing award that is presented in assembly every Friday someones fantastic work!
