How Writing is taught at St Scholastica's

Our writing curriculum is guided by the National Curriculum and is structured around the following domains: Transcription, composition, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation and handwriting.

Transcription focuses on the technical aspects of writing:

• Spelling: Pupils learn accurate spelling, including common words and more complex vocabulary, through systematic phonics and spelling patterns.
• Handwriting: Emphasis is placed on developing legible, fluent handwriting appropriate for different tasks.

Composition involves the creation of written content:

• Planning and Drafting: Pupils are taught to generate ideas, organise them logically, and draft text for clarity and coherence.
• Editing and Evaluating: Revising and improving drafts for grammar, punctuation, and word choice is a critical component.
• Writing for Different Purposes: This includes narrative, non-fiction (reports, explanations, instructions), persuasive writing, and poetry.

Vocabulary, Grammar, and Punctuation ensures pupils can:

• Use a wide and varied vocabulary to enhance their writing.
• Apply grammatical structures effectively.
• Understand and use punctuation accurately to aid clarity and meaning.

Writing Across a Range of Contexts and Audiences emphasises versatility in writing:

• Tailoring tone, style, and structure to the intended audience and purpose.
• Exploring a variety of genres, from stories and poems to formal letters and persuasive essays.

Being a writer at St Scholastica's means:

• having passion writing and an understanding of its importance in education, culture and entertainment.
• being able to write different genres with fluency and detail.
• having a wide and interesting vocabulary.
• showing an excellent knowledge of techniques used to extend writing by using detail and description.
• producing texts that are structured and well-organised which includes a variety of sentence structures.
• over time, developing excellent transcription skills that ensure their writing is neat, well-presented, punctuated and spelt correctly.

Trips, Visits and Workshops

To inspire creativity and contextualise learning, pupils at St. Scholastica’s participate in a variety of enriching experiences, such as:

• Author Visits: Children meet authors to learn about the writing process and be inspired by their journeys.
• Writing Workshops: These sessions provide opportunities to dive into creative writing, explore different genres, and develop editing skills.
• Educational Visits: Trips to museums, cultural sites, or the local community provide pupils with real-world experiences to inspire their writing.

Writing at Home

We actively encourage parents and carers to support their children’s writing journey at home. Here are a few ways we promote writing outside of the classroom:

• Home Writing Projects: Regular assignments encourage pupils to practice writing in creative and structured ways.
• Reading and Writing Links: We emphasise the connection between reading and writing by encouraging pupils to write about the books they read at home.
• Celebrating Success: Pupils can share their work with family through digital platforms like Class Dojo, fostering a sense of pride and accomplishment.

At St. Scholastica’s, we aim to nurture skilled, enthusiastic, and confident writers who are prepared to use their talents to succeed in the next stage of their education and contribute meaningfully to the world. Writing here is not just an academic skill—it’s a lifelong tool for communication and creativity.