Please see below an overview of our writing curriculum and the strategies that have been developed to support all children at Westfield Infant School.

Oracy-rich environment:

Our school creates an oracy-rich environment by placing a strong emphasis on spoken language and communication throughout the day, which directly supports the development of language, understanding, and writing skills. By encouraging children to engage in regular conversations, discussions, and storytelling, they are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary, sentence structures, and ideas. Teachers model effective communication, prompting children to express their thoughts, ask questions, and listen actively to others. This rich verbal interaction helps children build confidence in using language, which in turn enhances their ability to express themselves clearly and coherently in writing. Through oracy activities, such as role play, group discussions, hot seating, and sharing ideas aloud, children not only develop their speaking skills but also internalise language patterns and concepts, which are reflected in their written work. This strong foundation in oracy ensures that children are better equipped to convey their ideas in both spoken and written forms, creating a seamless connection between the two modes of communication. Particularly for children with SEN; oracy helps with their English writing by providing them with the opportunity to verbalise their thoughts and ideas, which supports their understanding of language structures and builds confidence in transferring those ideas into written form.

Dictation:

Dictation is used in our English lessons as a valuable tool to strengthen children' writing skills while reducing cognitive load. By dictating sentences children focus on listening, processing the language without the added pressure of constructing sentences. This helps reduce the cognitive load required to plan and write, allowing them to concentrate on spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Furthermore, dictation exposes children to a wider range of vocabulary and sentence structures, which they can then internalise and incorporate into their own writing. By repeatedly encountering new words and varied sentence forms, children develop a more sophisticated understanding of language, which supports their overall literacy development and helps them become more confident and capable writers.

Story maps:

We use Story Maps in our English Writing lessons to ensure all children, including those with SEND, Pupil Premium, EAL, and those who are looked after, are fully included in the learning process. Story Maps offer a visual and structured approach to storytelling, breaking down narratives into key components such as characters, settings, and events. This visual representation supports children with different needs by providing a clear and accessible framework to understand and engage with the written content. For SEND children, it simplifies complex information, while for EAL learners, it helps build language comprehension by linking new vocabulary to images. Pupil Premium and looked-after children benefit from this inclusive approach, as Story Maps offer additional support to aid their understanding and participation, ensuring they can follow the same curriculum as their peers. Overall, Story Maps cater to diverse learning styles, creating an environment where every child feels empowered to succeed in English.

Widgets:

Incorporating widgets into Story Maps for English in an Infant School plays a significant role in supporting communication print, helping to create an inclusive writing culture for young learners. Widgets, such as symbols, pictorial cues, and visual representations of words, allow children to connect written language with visual representations, making it easier for them to understand the meaning behind words and phrases. This is especially helpful for children with varying literacy levels or those with additional needs, as it provides alternative ways of engaging with and interpreting language. By integrating communication print in this way, children are not only encouraged to develop their writing skills but are also supported in building their confidence and independence in using language for communication.

Additionally, the use of widgets across Story Maps helps maintain a consistent approach to teaching English throughout the school. By utilising a standardised system of visual and symbolic support, teachers can ensure that children are exposed to the same learning tools regardless of their classroom or year group. This consistency provides a sense of continuity and security for children as they progress through their English learning journey. Teachers can use the same set of widgets to reinforce key vocabulary and concepts, promoting a shared understanding of language across the entire school community. This unified approach fosters an inclusive environment where all children can feel supported and capable of achieving their best in English writing.

Live marking:

Live marking is an essential strategy in our writing lessons for infant school children, offering immediate and personalised support. Given the young age of the children, it’s crucial to provide real-time feedback that is simple, clear, and constructive, helping them understand where improvements can be made. Live marking allows teachers to provide verbal feedback as children write, giving them the opportunity to fix and edit their work straight away. This immediate correction helps reinforce learning in the moment, making it easier for children to grasp concepts and apply them immediately. Additionally, live modelling benefits all children by showing them the process of editing and refining writing, providing a visual and verbal example of how to improve their work. For SEND children, this approach is especially valuable, as it offers targeted support that is tailored to their individual needs, ensuring they receive the guidance they need to progress without feeling overwhelmed. Live marking can foster a more responsive, interactive, and inclusive learning environment.

Targeted questioning:

Targeted questioning is a key strategy used in English writing lessons to support all children but primarily; SEND, Pupil Premium, and EAL children by tailoring questions to meet their individual needs and encouraging deeper engagement with the content. Teachers use specific, clear questions that guide children through the writing process, prompting them to think critically about their ideas, structure, and language use. For SEND children, targeted questioning helps break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps, offering them the support needed to process and understand the task. For Pupil Premium and EAL children, these questions are designed to scaffold their learning, ensuring they are exposed to new vocabulary and sentence structures while giving them the opportunity to practice speaking and listening in a low-pressure environment. By asking questions that are tailored to each child’s current level, teachers can provide immediate support, boosting confidence and helping these children make meaningful progress in their writing.

Strengthened activities:

Strengthened activities in English writing lessons are designed to support all children in reaching the learning objective by providing varied levels of challenge (step for depth) and scaffolding (strengthening). These activities, such as sentence starters, visual aids, dictation, and pictoral organisation ensure that every child, regardless of their ability, has the tools and support they need to succeed. For example, SEND children might receive additional prompts or visual cues to help them organise their thoughts, while EAL students can benefit from reinforced vocabulary and contextual clues. Pupil Premium children may be given extra opportunities to practice key skills, and more advanced learners can be encouraged to expand their ideas or use more complex structures. By strengthening and deepening the activities and reinforcing key learning points, all students are able to engage with the content at their level, ultimately helping them achieve the lesson's goals and build confidence in their writing abilities.