We offer all manner of support for improving writing. Visit our pages on grammar, vocabulary and spelling for more details on those particular areas.
The Primary English team has been thinking about ways to plan for writing progression across the primary years. We have recorded a possible model for Year 3, based on the use of our teaching sequences, which was introduced to subject leaders during our autumn 2019 briefings.
Download the model of writing progression document.
Our rationale/process
- We started with the concept that we wanted to fix two sequences per term, one fiction and one non-fiction. These 6 sequences will be a sort of spine to ensure minimum coverage and progression while still allowing teachers the opportunity to choose sequences to target the particular needs and interests of their class.
- As we tried to fix the non-fiction in particular, we started looking at the topics for Y3 to see which would dovetail and link to our English (this will be a much more logical process for teachers/subject leaders to do this in context than for us).
- We considered the challenge in the texts progressing over the year. This is really important in all year groups, but particularly for Y3 and Y5 as they are the first year in a 2-year curriculum phase. (See our texts that teach page for more information on those we have written teaching sequences on.)
- Then we looked at the grammar in each of the sequences chosen and cross referenced with the Y3 curriculum expectations for grammar to check a) we had covered everything, b) there was appropriate progression and c) there were enough opportunities for revision and review.
- Next, we put the topics in across the whole year (very broadly). These we took from a list of common topics compiled from Devon subject leaders’ suggestions at a previous briefing. We’ve just put a topic heading in our example – schools will have far more detail of coverage of the wider curriculum than we have and therefore would know what independent writing opportunities would be available. Some of the sequences will link directly to schools’ topics and some may not because this is about covering the English curriculum in a progressive and sequenced way and considering that English is a subject in its own right, not just a vehicle for delivering the curriculum.
- For spelling, because there is a clear programme with very evident progression built in to our no nonsense spelling used here in the example, there was no need to break it down any further. If a school has not got a clear, progressive spelling programme, what is in use will need to be clearly mapped out.
In schools’ own models, there will be individual school decisions about the level of detail and additional milestones or expectations.
Visit our reading page for an example of a possible reading curriculum plan.
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