English- Writing
Intent
At Hambrough Primary School, we believe that writing is an essential life skill and a powerful way for children to communicate their ideas, experiences and understanding of the world. Our intent is for all children to become confident, fluent and purposeful writers who take pride in their work and can adapt their writing for different audiences, purposes and contexts.
We aim to ensure that children:
· Develop a love of writing
· Understand how writing is used in different situations
· Make consistent progress in transcription (handwriting, spelling and punctuation) and composition
· Leave Hambrough Primary well prepared for the next stage of their education
Implementation
Our writing curriculum is carefully planned in line with the EYFS framework and the National Curriculum for English. Long-term plans clearly set out what children will learn at each stage, ensuring strong progression and continuity from Nursery through to Year 6.
Click here for a copy of our English long-term overview for each year group.
Writing is taught in an engaging, creative and cross-curricular way, often linked to high-quality texts recommended by the CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education). Children read these texts in their reading lessons, building knowledge of language, themes and vocabulary that they use to develop well-informed ideas in their own writing.
Early Writing in EYFS
In Nursery, children develop early writing skills through play-based activities such as mark-making in sand, paint and other materials, using a variety of tools. Activities also support the development of fine motor control and core strength.
In Reception, children build on these skills, progressing from mark-making to forming recognisable letters and writing words and simple sentences as their confidence grows.
Children are taught that writing is a structured process, and they are supported to plan, draft, revise, edit and publish their work.
Across Key Stages 1 and 2, writing is taught through an 8-stage writing process, which helps children understand how writing develops and improves over time.
Our 8-Stage Writing Process (KS1 & KS2)
Each unit lasts 2–3 weeks and supports children to develop ideas, learn from model texts, and improve through discussion and feedback.
Stage 1 – Why Write? (Stimulus & Purpose)
Learning begins with an engaging stimulus (often a core text or experience). Children discuss the Text, Audience and Purpose (TAP) to give their writing a clear context and meaning.
Stage 2 – Discuss (Explore & Immerse)
Children explore the text type through talk, drama or role play, and read high-quality examples (WAGOLLs). They identify key features, structure and language used by effective writers.
Stage 3 – Agree Success Criteria
The class co-construct clear success criteria based on the model text. These provide a checklist for what successful writing should include and are referred to throughout.
Stage 4 – Teach & Model
Teachers explicitly model the writing process, demonstrating how to construct sentences and paragraphs and make effective vocabulary, grammar and punctuation choices.
Stage 5 – Plan
Children plan their writing using shared examples, teacher modelling and planning tools (e.g. frameworks or graphic organisers), gathering ideas, vocabulary and sentence structures.
Stage 6 – Write (Drafting)
Children write their first draft in manageable sections (chunking), using scaffolds such as writing frames, sentence starters and word banks to support independence and success.
Stage 7 – Evaluate, Edit & Refine
Children review their work with peers and teachers, improving clarity, structure and vocabulary, and editing carefully for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Stage 8 – Publish
Children produce a final polished piece, applying all improvements. Writing is shared and celebrated, with at least one published piece each half term.
Impact
Through our writing curriculum, children learn to:
· Write in a wide range of forms, including fiction and non-fiction
· Write for different purposes and audiences
· Use grammar, punctuation and spelling accurately
· Develop fluent, legible handwriting and effective layout
· Choose vocabulary and sentence structures carefully for impact
· Draft, edit and improve their writing thoughtfully