Writing
Subject Leader: Mrs. Louise Figgins
“Writing is the silent conversation we have with ourselves, a dance of ideas that creates symphonies in the minds of readers. – Paulo Coelho
Our Writing Intent
At Porthleven, writing is a fundamental part of learning from Nursery to Year 6. We ignite a passion for writing by giving children writing opportunities and encouraging them to explore language and express their ideas creatively and confidently. Every writing opportunity is designed with a clear purpose, enabling pupils to engage with various genres, different audiences and real-world contexts. Through deliberate practice, children learn to structure, refine, and enhance their work—carefully considering word choice, sentence structure, organisation, and impact. By developing these skills, we empower our pupils to become articulate, thoughtful writers who can communicate effectively and with clear precision.
The Porthleven Way
We refer to the culture of the Porthleven Way by linking its affirmations and principles to the teaching and learning in writing.
We believe that every child should feel safe in their writing journey, knowing they are supported and that pupils can share ideas openly and develop their voice. Through exciting and engaging writing opportunities, we spark creativity and curiosity, build a deeper understanding of the power of words and provide rich and tailored vocabulary. We believe that every child belongs to a community of confident writers.
We teach pupils to be responsible for their writing, refining their work with care and pride, and helping them to learn the skills of spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and redrafting. As they develop their skills, we instruct them through the process of growth, from initial drafts to polished pieces.
With a strong sense of purpose, we ensure that our pupils can communicate effectively, express themselves with confidence, and embrace writing as a lifelong skill.
What will children experience through writing at Porthleven?
EYFS
In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we introduce writing through engaging and interactive approaches that adopt creativity to build confidence. The Drawing Club encourages children to use illustrations as a starting point, allowing them to express their ideas visually before transitioning to written words. Talk Through Stories helps children develop their oral language skills by discussing stories and narratives, which supports their ability to form coherent sentences when they begin to write. Additionally, RWI Phonics (Read Write Inc.) provides a strong foundation in letter sounds and blending, enabling children to confidently spell and write simple words.
KS1 & 2
We have carefully mapped out a yearly overview for writing across the school, ensuring that all genres are taught progressively and systematically. This approach feeds into our Yearly Coverage Overview, which is divided into specific Stimulus (such as hooks, and real-life experiences), End Points (the desired outcomes), and Prior Learning (skills and knowledge that students build upon each year).
Each unit of work focuses on key aspects of writing, including Vocabulary, Text Features, Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling, ensuring that pupils progress through a well-coordinated curriculum over time. Oracy/Spoken Language is also integrated, allowing students to articulate their ideas before committing them to paper.
Our writing curriculum includes strong Cross-Curricular links, where writing is not only taught in isolation but also applied across other subjects. Purpose and Audience are central to each project, encouraging children to write for a variety of real-world contexts, such as to inform, entertain, or persuade.
The class text selected for each project supports the writing focus and reinforces the concepts being taught. We place significant importance on learning outside the classroom, using the local area, the community and visitors offering wider life expertise, to enhance students’ writing experiences.
Curriculum Impact
Our pupils will write with passion, purpose and precision:
- Passion: Pupils are inspired by the power of writing, embracing it as a way to share their thoughts, opinions, and creativity across a diverse range of topics.
- Purpose: Writing becomes a purposeful tool for pupils to express their unique perspectives, communicate ideas clearly, and make meaningful contributions, understanding that their work has value in engaging others.
- Precision: With careful attention to detail and a desire to improve, pupils take pride in refining their writing. They aim to master the written word and convey their ideas with clarity and accuracy.
Through high expectations, we foster ambition in our pupils, knowing they will succeed in and beyond the school, as confident individuals ready to contribute to society.
Further updates are to be added – please check back soon!