Shiney Row Primary School

Writing

Writing Curriculum

At Shiney Row Primary School, we believe that learning to write is a fundamental life skill that enables children to communicate clearly, think critically, and express themselves with confidence. Writing is cognitively demanding, requiring children to draw simultaneously on transcription skills, sentence construction, vocabulary, and composition. The Writing Framework highlights that fluent writing depends on strong foundations, where pupils develop secure handwriting and spelling so that transcription becomes automatic and effortless, freeing up cognitive space for shaping ideas and meaning. This emphasis on automaticity—particularly in handwriting and phonics‑based spelling—is central to our approach from Reception onwards.

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to build these essential foundations through explicit teaching, regular practice, and purposeful application. We ensure that children rehearse key knowledge and skills daily, enabling them to write with increasing fluency, accuracy, and independence. The Writing Framework reinforces that automatic transcription skills, sentence‑level mastery, and oral composition underpin strong writing development across all key stages, serving as the gateway to confident composition and sustained writing.

High‑quality texts are woven throughout our reading and writing curriculum, enriching children’s language, broadening their vocabulary, and providing strong models of effective writing. These texts support children to understand how authors craft meaning, structure sentences, and shape whole texts—strengthening both reading comprehension and writing composition.

Through a curriculum grounded in foundational knowledge, daily practice, and rich literature, we aim for every child to leave Shiney Row Primary School as a capable, motivated writer, equipped with the fluency, confidence, and creativity needed for the next stage of their education and beyond.