Writing Curriculum Intent

At Darley Dale, we want our children to develop a love for the written word.  Through a book-based approach, children will be immersed in a literary world, creating strong levels of engagement to provide meaningful and authentic contexts for learning.  Through the teaching of English at Darley Dale children will become critical readers, writers and speakers and acquire an authorial style as they encounter a wide-range of significant authors and a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

Writing Implementation

At Darley Dale we will always aim to create writing opportunities that are meaningful; whether short or long and that the audience is clear. The books we have carefully chosen offer this opportunity. We also aim to ensure children have real reasons to write, whether to explain, persuade, inform or instruct and that where possible, this can be embedded within text or linked to a curriculum area. Children will practise writing in role using a range of genres and is key to our approach as is writing a critique of the text and making comparisons – all writing skills that will support children in preparation for their time in secondary school.

Our pupils should be able to:

• To present neatly
• To spell correctly
• To punctuate accurately
• To use sentences appropriately
• To write with purpose
• To use imaginative description
• To organise writing appropriately
• To use paragraphs
• To analyse writing
• To present writing

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Teachers will reinforce and build upon prior learning, make connections and develop subject specific language throughout pupils’ time at Darley Dale.

Characteristics of a Writer

• The ability to write fluently and with interesting detail on a number of topics throughout the curriculum.
• A vivid imagination, which makes readers engage with and enjoy their writing.
• A highly developed vocabulary and an excellent knowledge of writing techniques to extend details or description.
• Well-organised and structured writing, which includes a variety of sentence structures.
• Excellent transcription skills that ensure their writing is well presented and punctuated, spelled correctly and neat.
• A love of writing and an appreciation of its educational, cultural and entertainment values.