English - Writing

WHAT DOES WRITING LOOK LIKE AT ST PAUL'S?

At St. Paul’s, we believe every child is a writer with a unique voice. Our aim is to develop confident, imaginative and articulate writers who can communicate clearly for a wide range of purposes. in English lessons, writing is taught through the Talk for Writing approach, which immerses pupils in high-quality texts, rich vocabulary and clear language patterns before guiding them to plan, innovate and write independently. We consistently promote the value of editing and equip the children with the skills they need to complete the process. The children use purple pen for revisions and improvements, and leave blank pages to give themselves the space they need to effectively rewrite and improve. In our classrooms we know that mistakes are fine and improving them can make for even better writing.

Children follow a progressive writing journey—talking, rehearsing, drafting, editing and publishing—while being supported to develop strong handwriting, spelling and grammatical accuracy. Grammar is embedded within meaningful writing contexts, and key vocabulary is explored and applied throughout each unit. Talk for Writing provides the structure, excitement and modelling that help pupils internalise language and grow into confident, independent writers

Hook

Each writing unit begins with a 'hook' to engage the children. Below, children in Y2 are creating George's marvellous medicine for an instruction writing unit.

Imitation Stage

After the hook, the class create a text map together of a model text and learn it through recital and actions to embed key language patterns

Innovation and Invent stages

Children then alter key elements of the text map, and have lots of opportunity to explore key elements of the genre type, and to play with language through sentence instruction before having a go at writing their own text.

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

At St Paul’s, we believe in nurturing creativity and inspiring a love for writing. Our enrichment opportunities give every child the chance to explore their imagination and develop their skills.

Writing Competitions
We proudly promote a wide range of writing competitions throughout the year. Many of our pupils have had their work published in anthologies, and each year children from all Key Stages take part in lunchtime writing workshops to craft entries for these exciting challenges.

After-School Writing Clubs
From Magical Writers to Grammar Gamers, our after-school clubs, in Spring term, offer something for every budding author. These sessions provide a fun and supportive environment for children to experiment with words and storytelling.

Author Visits and Inspiration
Children also have the chance to meet visiting authors and discover what motivates them to write. These sessions offer a unique opportunity to ask questions about their creative process, explore how ideas become stories, and learn practical tips to improve their own writing craft.

Magical Writers

Our staff got creative, dressing up to spark imagination and inspire a writing stimulus for sentence instruction in an after-school club. Some of the children's sentences are written below. We're sure it's near impossible to figure out who they are....

Curtis Jobling- author and children's animator- came and told us where he gets the inspiration for writing his stories.

SUPPORT FOR PARENTS

Writing is an important skill that grows with practice. Encourage your child to write regularly—short stories, letters, or even lists can make a big difference. Reading together is a great way to spark ideas; talk about the characters and how you might change the ending. Everyday tasks like writing shopping lists or thank-you notes show how useful writing can be. Handwriting practice is also valuable—copying favourite jokes or writing captions for drawings can make it enjoyable. Focus on their ideas and effort rather than perfect spelling, and remind them that writing is a skill that improves over time.

USEFUL WEBSITES:

EYFS

Discover popular nursery rhymes and practise key literacy skills with Hickory and Dickory in the village of Rhymeville.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/games/embed/bitesize-ivor-rhyming?exitGameUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fbbc.co.uk%2Fbitesize%2Farticles%2Fzntdjsg

The following games will help children learn and practise:

• Spelling

• Grammar

• Punctuation

KS1:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbm8scw

https://www.bbc.co.uk/games/embed/small-town-superheroes?exitGameUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fbbc.co.uk%2Fbitesize%2Farticles%2Fzncgvk7

KS2:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbm8scw

For more detailed information about the curriculum in each year group, please visit our Curriculum at St. Paul's page.

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