At St. Mary’s, we believe that the ability to write with confidence and accuracy is an essential life skill. We endeavour to enable all of our children to communicate effectively in their spoken language, as well as in using the printed word in a wide range of contexts. We teach this through the ‘Sentence Stacking’ approach.
Writing is a complex process which requires many skills, such as handwriting, spelling, sentence construction, grammar, punctuation and awareness of text structure and organisation. We believe that all children should leave St. Mary’s as confident, fluent writers, with an extensive vocabulary to adequately prepare them for later life.
At St. Mary’s, we have adopted the sentence stacking approach to writing. Core to this approach is quality teacher modelling to demonstrate the key skills and composition of writing expected of the pupils in each year group and across all genres. Within writing lessons, less confident pupils are given the support and tools to enable them to achieve at an age-related standard, wherever possible. More confident writers are given ample opportunities throughout the writing process to demonstrate a greater depth of understanding through carefully planned stretch and challenge elements. In addition, they are given opportunities to write in genres of their choice. To ensure that all pupils are appropriately challenged throughout each writing lesson, teachers and learning support assistants use targeted questioning and effective in-the-moment feedback.
Across the school, we use high quality, language-rich texts which enthuse and challenge pupils, in addition to using high quality video stimulus and embarking on their real life experiences, where possible. This approach gives pupils opportunities to write for a range of purposes and audiences, which inspires them to write. The use of Alan Peat sentence types is embedded from Year 2 to Year 6 to develop sentence structure and text composition. These sentence types are progressive.
Each unit of work begins with an experience lesson to ‘hook’ the pupils into learning. Further experience lessons may be included throughout the unit to sustain engagement. Throughout a unit, key skills are taught and practised in context. Pupils are encouraged to ‘talk’ through their ideas, share their ideas and magpie the ideas of others. Pupils are given plenty of opportunities to self-edit within each lesson as demonstrated in the editing progression document.
After each sentence stacked piece of writing, an application write is planned to allow the children to write independently and apply learned skills.
As a Voice 21 school, we model a high standard of talk and writing to secure high expectations. Pupils are given ample opportunities throughout the curriculum to develop their speaking and listening skills, which in turn has a positive impact on extended writing. Writing is moderated using the CtKCC writing moderation tool.
The importance of cursive handwriting, as outlined in the ‘Magic Link’ handwriting scheme is enforced in all subject areas to promote legibility, neat presentation and self-pride.
Spelling is taught progressively across the school through Spelling Shed, which includes learning of the Statutory Spelling Lists for each year group.
Purposes for Writing
Writing Genre Progression
Exciting Sentences
Throughout the school, we are using a system for teaching writing developed by the educational specialist Alan Peat. We teach children how to use particular types of sentences, which have a handy name, so that children understand what is meant whichever class they are in in the school. The sentence types are designed to help children to write exciting, sophisticated pieces of writing that use the right tone for their purpose. Some sentence types are more appropriate to non-fiction, and others, to fiction writing.
✨ Year 6 – Celebrating Our Young Journalists! ✨
For the past two weeks, Year 6 have been diving into the world of interviews in English. As part of their homework, each pupil interviewed someone special to them, gathering real stories and meaningful memories to inspire their writing.
Today, the children became budding future journalists, proudly publishing their work by inviting their interviewee into school to listen to their finished piece! It was a wonderful opportunity for the pupils to share their writing, build confidence and celebrate the people who inspire them most.
Well done, Year 6 – fantastic speaking, listening and writing skills on display! ✍️🎙️
#oracystm #englishstm #year6stm #writingstm #parentalengagmentstm … See MoreSee Less
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✏️🖍️ The Day the Crayons Quit 🖍️✏️
Before half term, each class focused on the text The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Inspired by the book, the children wrote a letter from the perspective of an item they either overuse or underuse. Today in assembly, an author from each class shared their published piece. From tablets to skates, these personified items had truly had enough.
We were blown away by not only the amazing writing but also the fabulous storytelling – we were on the edge of our seats. A huge congratulations to our budding authors. We are so proud of you.
Check out their fantastic stories below!
#englishstm #oracystm #readingstm #writingstm #year1stm #year2stm #year3stm #year4stm #year5stm #year6stm … See MoreSee Less
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🖋️Young Writers🖋️
A huge congratulations to our budding authors in Year 5! 📚✨
They have been published in the Young Writers poetry anthology. We are so proud of you!
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We are very proud of these boys in St Joseph's class. They have made some brilliant stories up in drawing club of how we can get rid of the big bad wolf! We have written the code r-e-d to help the wolf disappear! #oracystm #englishstm #drawingclub #writingstm … See MoreSee Less
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