Writing at Bransty

Our writing curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:
• start to become writers by making meaningful marks, write and form letters accurately and use their phonetic knowledge in the words they write
• are able to confidently communicate their knowledge, ideas and emotions through their writing
• acquire a wide vocabulary, a solid understanding of grammar and be able to spell new words by effectively applying the spelling patterns and rules they learn throughout their time in primary school.
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
• follow the Penpals handwriting scheme throughout the school
• refine and edit their writing over time by developing independence in identifying their own areas for improvement, editing their work effectively during and after the writing process.
At Bransty Primary School, our children begin their writing journey in the EYFS using both Read, Write, Inc and the ‘Talk for Writing’ approach to teach children to be writers.
Talk for Writing was developed by the author Pie Corbett. It is a fun, engaging, creative yet also rigorous approach to develop writers.
The Talk for Writing process starts with enjoying and sharing stories and texts. Throughout the school, we place a strong emphasis on children reading stories and enjoying a range of literature. Through regular reading, we want children to build up an extensive and rich vocabulary for use in their own writing.
During the initial ‘imitation’ stage of Talk for Writing, children learn to tell a story or non-fiction text off by heart. They retell the text with expression and actions and make use of a story map to support their retelling. Once the text is learnt, children are encouraged to adapt it. At the ‘innovation’ stage, children make the text their own, for example, by changing the character or setting. Finally, at the ‘invention stage, children write their own text independently.
The principles behind Talk for Writing continue in Years 1 and 2 where children are introduced to the CUSP materials for our writing curriculum alongside Read, Write, Inc.  From Year 3 onwards, we base our writing on the CUSP materials. These consist of ambitious model texts that children use as a stimulus for their own writing. Specific grammar and punctuation teaching is integrated into the learning sequences and children produce a piece of independent writing at the end of each sequence.