Writing

At Leopold Primary School, we believe that writing is a vital tool for communication, creativity and self-expression. Our writing curriculum supports children from Early Years to Year 6 to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to become successful writers.

Our intent is to ensure that children:

• Develop a love of writing and see themselves as authors.
• Become independent, reflective and resilient writers.
• Build strong foundational skills in handwriting, spelling and sentence construction.
• Learn to write clearly for a range of purposes and audiences.
• Understand how vocabulary, grammar and structure work together to create effective writing.

We want every child to leave Leopold as a writer who can communicate confidently, precisely and creatively.

Our Whole-School Writing Approach

Writing is taught consistently across Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 following a clear writing process. This helps children understand how writing is created, refined and polished, and builds progression as they move through the school.

Across all year groups, writing lessons include reading high-quality texts, learning explicit skills, practising them in small steps and producing purposeful final pieces.

Writing in EYFS & Key Stage 1

In the early stages, writing focuses on building strong foundations.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

• Children learn to write through a balance of play-based and structured activities.
  This includes:
• Developing fine motor skills for pencil control
• Learning correct letter formation
• Using phonics to segment and spell simple words
• Writing labels, captions and simple sentences
• Discussing stories and building vocabulary
• Beginning to edit their writing with adult support

Writing in EYFS is closely linked to early reading and communication development. Children are encouraged to see themselves as writers from the very start.

Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2)

In KS1, children build confidence and fluency.

They learn to:

• Write sentences using capital letters, finger spaces and full stops
• Join ideas using simple conjunctions
• Use phonics to spell and apply common spelling patterns
• Start to organise ideas into short pieces of writing
• Begin to understand purpose (e.g. story, letter, recount)
• Use adjectives and adverbs to add detail
• Edit for simple corrections with support

Children in KS1 continue to follow an adapted version of the writing process, with strong scaffolding and modelling from the teacher.

Writing in Key Stage 2 (Years 3–6)

In KS2, pupils develop greater independence, control and sophistication in their writing.

They learn to:

• Write for a wide range of purposes and audiences
• Organise writing into paragraphs
• Use varied sentence structures for effect
• Apply ambitious vocabulary and precise grammar
• Develop narrative techniques such as dialogue, setting and character
• Write clear explanations, reports, letters, arguments and more
• Edit and improve writing with increasing independence
• Adapt tone and style depending on the task

By Upper KS2, children are confident in planning, drafting and revising extended pieces of writing.

Lesson Structure Across the School

A typical writing sequence includes:

• Immersion and Idea Building

Children explore high-quality texts, images or experiences to inspire writing.
This includes talking about ideas, exploring vocabulary and identifying text features.

• Modelling and Shared Writing

Teachers demonstrate how to plan and write effectively.
Children help to compose sentences and see how writing is structured.

• Guided Practice

Short, focused tasks help pupils practise key skills such as grammar, vocabulary choices or sentence construction.

• Independent Writing

Children apply learning to produce a piece of writing for a purpose and audience appropriate to their age.

• Editing and Improving

Pupils develop the ability to edit – from simple corrections in KS1 to thoughtful revisions in KS2.

• Publishing and Celebrating Writing

Final pieces may be displayed, read aloud, typed, or included in class books. We celebrate progress at every stage.

The Writing Process

Across all year groups, children are taught a consistent writing process:

Planning – generating and organising ideas

Drafting – writing a first version

Revising – improving ideas, vocabulary and structure

Editing – checking spelling, punctuation and grammar

Publishing – presenting final writing with pride

This supports pupils’ independence and confidence as writers.

Handwriting, Spelling and Grammar
Handwriting

EYFS: correct letter formation taught systematically

KS1: developing fluency and consistent letter size

KS2: joined handwriting to increase speed and legibility

Spelling

EYFS & KS1: phonics forms the foundation for early spelling

KS2: focus on patterns, prefixes, suffixes and morphology

Grammar & Punctuation

Taught explicitly and embedded within writing lessons

Progressively developed from simple sentences in KS1 to varied, sophisticated structures in KS2

Impact

By the end of Year 6, children at Leopold Primary School:

• Write confidently and fluently
• Use grammar, punctuation and vocabulary purposefully
• Organise ideas effectively for a range of purposes
• Edit and improve their work with independence
• Take pride in presenting writing to a high standard
• Enjoy writing and recognise its value in everyday life

Progress is monitored through teacher assessment, written pieces, discussions and regular opportunities for editing and reflection. All children are supported to achieve their potential.

Supporting Writing at Home

Parents can help by:

• Encouraging children to talk about ideas before writing
• Providing opportunities to write (stories, lists, diaries, letters)
• Reading regularly to build vocabulary and inspire ideas
• Praising creativity, imagination and effort