At the heart of our writing curriculum at Calcot Schools are high quality texts that capture the children’s interest and provide them with real and meaningful contexts for writing. This context gives the children a purpose for writing and gives them an insight into different ways that writing will help them in later life.

Through these texts, children are taught the skills relevant to their year group from the National Curriculum. We have outlined each area below to show you how these are taught at Calcot.

Spelling

 

Nursery, Reception and Year 1 

In Foundation stage and Year 1, spelling is taught through daily phonic sessions where children are taught to read and write words through practical activities. Children will be taught to segment and blend orally first before they begin to do this within their writing and reading. Please take a look at our Phonics page for more information. 

Years 2-6 

Each year group follows a spelling programme that teaches the children a range of spelling rules. Spelling is taught 3 times a week and the children are encouraged to apply this within their written work. The spelling rules for each year group are outlined in the documents entitled "Writing Expectations".  

Common exception words  

Many words do not follow a phonic or spelling pattern. These are called common exception words. Each year group has a given selection of words that must be taught. Click on the attachments below to see a list of the common exception words for your child's year group.  

Handwriting 

At Calcot Schools children are taught handwriting using a cursive script. We teach this using a special patter. In any piece of writing, children are encouraged to use this cursive script and this is taught to the children from Reception. Please click on the document below to view the images and rhymes we use to teach handwriting in the Infant school. 

Punctuation and Grammar 

Every year group has a different set of objectives for punctuation and grammar. These are taught in stand-alone lessons once a week. The taught skill is then applied within writing lessons. It is the expectation that children will apply this knowledge in their writing. Further details of objectives for each year group can be found in the "Writing Expectations" documents.

Composition and Structure 

Throughout the Infant and Junior School, children will learn to write a range of different genres. This will include the following: 

• Newspaper reports
• Diary entries
• Letters
• Stories
• Non Fiction pieces
• Information leaflets and brochures
• Persuasive letters
• Instructions 

These different genres are taught to ensure children experience a broad and rich curriculum. Children also begin to explore different purposes for writing and the different ways writing can be used to inform or tell stories.