Writing

Intent

Our vision is to create a dynamic and purposeful learning environment where children achieve academic excellence in literacy while developing a lifelong passion for writing. We aim to foster confident, expressive writers who understand the power of language and value the role of writing in communicating ideas, sharing stories, and influencing the world around them.

Implementation

The whole school follows a bespoke, evidence-informed approach to teaching writing. Carefully designed writing units from Literacy Counts, Ready Steady Write ensure full coverage of the statutory curriculum for each year group, while offering rich, purposeful writing experiences grounded in engaging, vocabulary-rich literature. We ensure that high quality texts are used as a central stimulus, providing a foundation for creative exploration and the development of key writing skills. On occasion we select our own books in order to help to ensure that the writing curriculum fulfils the schools ambition to ensure that writing in meaningful and linked to our curriculum projects.

Each class produces a number of extended pieces of writing per year, following the Ready Steady Write structured process of Immerse, Analyse, Plan, and Write. Alongside these extended pieces, pupils also engage in numerous incidental writing opportunities, linked closely to the core texts they study. High expectations for writing quality—including spelling, grammar, handwriting, and content—are embedded throughout the curriculum, with writing often connected to wider class projects to provide added meaning and purpose.

A key element of this bespoke implementation is daily sentence accuracy work, which supports pupils in developing fluency, precision, and confidence in writing. This daily practice focuses on word choice, sentence structure, and punctuation, fully aligned with National Curriculum expectations. Teachers model example sentences explicitly, and for younger children, dictation may be used to further support accurate transcription and sentence construction.

                                                                                                    Impact

Through a carefully designed, bespoke writing curriculum rooted in high-quality literature, pupils engage in purposeful and meaningful writing experiences. Each writing opportunity is designed not only to build technical skill but also to help pupils understand the power of writing as a tool for communication, expression, and influence.

Writing is meaningfully integrated with our curriculum projects, reinforcing its relevance and enabling pupils to apply their skills in cross-curricular contexts. This purposeful approach instils a sense of ownership and pride in their work and helps them see writing as a vital life skill—not just a classroom task.

Pupils learn to write with intent—crafting extended pieces across a range of genres that reflect real-world contexts and authentic purposes. Whether writing to inform, persuade, entertain, or reflect, they develop the ability to tailor their language, structure, and tone to suit different audiences and objectives.

As a result of the clearly and carefully designed writing units, children grow into confident, articulate writers who can express themselves clearly and effectively.

By the end of each year, children at Woodchurch Road Academy demonstrate a deep understanding of how writing can be used to convey ideas, influence others, and make a difference. They leave primary school with a strong foundation in literacy and a clear sense of how to use writing to navigate and shape the world around them—fully prepared for the demands of secondary education and life beyond.