Writing at Burton Agnes

Curriculum Intent

At Burton Agnes we want to nurture passionate, confident, and articulate writers who find joy and purpose in the written and spoken word. Grounded in the National Curriculum’s emphasis on composition, transcription, and language development, this curriculum places oracy at its heart—recognising talk as the foundation of great writing. Through rich discussion, performance, collaboration, and reflection, our we aim for children build the vocabulary, confidence, and creativity needed to write with authenticity and audience awareness.

 

Core Writing Sequence: 6 Steps to Writing Mastery

  1. Independent Spark
    Each writing unit begins with a cold task, where children respond to a rich and engaging stimulus without prior instruction. This allows teachers to assess what pupils can do independently, drawing upon their existing knowledge and previous writing experiences.
  2. Ignite Intent
    A creative hook sparks curiosity and introduces a clear purpose and audience for the writing task. Children explore a model text that is pitched above their current level, exposing them to the structures, language patterns, and features they will need in their own writing.
  3. Talk to Write
    Oracy plays a vital role in this phase. Through structured talk, drama, and chotting (chatting + jotting), children rehearse and generate ideas, expand their vocabulary, and explore different sentence structures to deepen understanding.
  4. Model the Magic
    Teachers model the writing process explicitly, using the class’s ideas and reinforcing grammar and spelling content. This shared writing process demonstrates how to shape and craft sentences and paragraphs effectively.
  5. My Own Masterpiece
    Children apply what they have learned to produce their own masterpiece, a`Hot task`. They are encouraged to personalise their work with an element of choice, ensuring the focus is on quality over quantity. The task includes a new stimulus, purpose, and audience, giving them the chance to showcase their growth as independent writers.
    Differentiation and scaffolding support all learners.

 

  1. Refine & Shine

Through peer feedback, self-evaluation, and teacher guidance, children edit and improve their writing. This includes reading work aloud, checking for clarity, grammar, and style, and celebrating improvements.


 

Teaching Non-Negotiables as Back-to-Basics Foundations

At the start of each term, teachers revisit the key writing non-negotiables relevant to their year group as a “back-to-basics” foundation. This ensures that all children consolidate essential skills from previous learning and are secure in these fundamentals before progressing to more complex writing objectives. In mixed-age classes, teachers carefully consider prior year group expectations to tailor teaching and support, enabling confident, steady development and readiness for each next step in writing mastery. The non-negotiables are reinforced regularly though daily dictation sentences and all writing tasks, regardless of the subject and purpose of the writing.

Non-negotiables (Teachers to use previous year group for their starting point)

Reception (EYFS)

  • Use phonic knowledge to write simple words and captions.
  • Attempt to write simple sentences with spaces between words.
  • Use a pencil with correct grip and form letters correctly.
  • Participate in oral rehearsal of stories or sentences before writing.
  • Begin to use capital letters and full stops with adult support.
  • Develop confidence in mark-making as a form of communication.

Year 1

  • Write simple sentences independently, using finger spaces consistently.
  • Use capital letters, full stops, and question marks correctly.
  • Begin to use joining words (and, but, so) to link ideas.
  • Spell common ‘tricky’ words correctly (linked to phonics teaching).
  • Form letters correctly and consistently with appropriate size and orientation.
  • Rehearse sentences orally before writing.

Year 2

  • Use sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command.
  • Correctly and consistently use verbs to indicate time, including verbs in the continuous form.
  • Use a range of punctuation including commas in lists and apostrophes for contractions.
  • Begin to use expanded noun phrases to add detail.
  • Use subordination and coordination (when, if, that, because, or, and, but)
  • Use horizontal and diagonal strokes to join adjacent letters.

Year 3

  • Use simple sentence structures consistently, applying adverbs and adjectives accurately.
  • Use apostrophes accurately for possession and contractions.
  • Use commas after fronted adverbials (e.g., Later that day, …).
  • Begin to use paragraphs to organise ideas clearly. Use the appropriate choice of pronoun/noun to avoid repetition.
  • Use and punctuate direct speech.
  • Consistently join all appropriate letters increasing legibility.

Year 4

  • Use a range of sentence types, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses to include expanded noun phrases and fronted adverbials.
  • Use commas to clarify meaning, including after fronted adverbials and in lists.
  • Use colons to introduce a list.
  • Spell Year 4 statutory words and some complex words accurately.
  • Use paragraphs effectively to organise ideas and for clarity.
  • Use standard English verb forms accurately
  • Use and understand grammatical difference between plural and possessive `s`
  • Know and use all direct speech punctuation accurately.
  • Writing ensuring that the down strokes of letters are parallel are equidistant.

Year 5

  • Use a variety of sentence structures, including complex and compound sentences.
  • Use brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis.
  • Use commas to clarify meaning.
  • Use relative clauses, adverbs and modal verbs accurately.
  • Spell Year 5 statutory words and increasingly challenging vocabulary correctly.
  • Structure writing into coherent paragraphs with clear progression of ideas.
  • Independently edit and revise writing for clarity, grammar, and impact.
  • Write fluently with increasing speed.

Year 6

  • Use sophisticated sentence structures, including varied punctuation for effect.
  • Use precise vocabulary and figurative language to create impact.
  • Maintain consistent tense and voice throughout writing.
  • Use effective paragraphing, including thematic and narrative shifts.
  • Demonstrate mastery of spelling, grammar, and punctuation as expected in the end-of-KS2 framework.

Discrete Teaching of Transcription and Spelling Through Daily Dictation

Alongside the holistic writing sequence, we prioritise discrete, focused teaching of transcription skills—handwriting and spelling—through daily dictation sessions. Dictation provides purposeful practice in applying phonics, spelling patterns, and punctuation within meaningful sentences, reinforcing accuracy and fluency.

  • Daily Dictation supports children in embedding spelling rules, common exception words, and grammatical structures in context, bridging the gap between reading and writing.
  • Teachers select dictation sentences aligned with current phonics and spelling focus, tailored to each year group’s progression and needs.
  • Dictation encourages active listening, attention to detail, and immediate application of transcription skills, fostering automaticity.
  • Regular dictation also provides valuable formative assessment opportunities, highlighting areas for targeted intervention or consolidation.
  • In mixed-age classes, differentiated dictation tasks ensure all children engage meaningfully and build confidence in transcription.

This discrete, consistent practice complements the wider writing curriculum, ensuring that transcription skills underpin children’s ability to write confidently and accurately across all genres.

Assessment and National Curriculum Alignment

Assessment in this curriculum is ongoing, purposeful, and tailored to suit mixed-age group teaching while maintaining alignment with the National Curriculum and the Teacher Assessment Framework (TAF).

  • Cold and Hot Tasks offer measurable entry and exit points for each unit. Teachers assess growth in composition, grammar, punctuation, handwriting, and vocabulary by comparing these pieces. In mixed-age classes, children are assessed against the expectations relevant to their year group, even if accessing shared content or stimuli.
  • Formative Assessment occurs throughout each step of the sequence through verbal feedback, conferencing, pupil self-assessment, and peer editing. These methods support metacognition and immediate improvements.
  • Reception (Early Years Foundation Stage): Assessment is based on the Early Learning Goal for Writing. Children are supported to use their phonic knowledge to write words and simple sentences. They are encouraged to talk about their ideas before writing, build fine motor skills for letter formation, and see themselves as emerging authors. Writing is assessed through ongoing observations and the collection of independent work within continuous provision and adult-guided sessions.
  • Key Stage 1 (Years 1–2): Children are assessed using age-appropriate TAF criteria, with an emphasis on developing sentence structure, punctuation accuracy, and composing for familiar audiences and purposes. Assessments are supported through scaffolded tasks and oral composition opportunities.
  • Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3–4): Assessment focuses on developing coherent writing across paragraphs, expanding vocabulary, and beginning to adapt writing for different audiences. Children begin to show control over tense, sentence structure, and organisational features.
  • Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5–6): Pupils are assessed using the end-of-KS2 TAF standards. They are expected to demonstrate independence, control of tone and style, and sophisticated use of language and grammar. Emphasis is also placed on editing for impact and writing for a wider range of audiences.
  • Skills Progression is tracked through the schools curriculum progression documents and allow teachers to plan progressive next steps. These reflect the National Curriculum and ensure readiness for the next stage of writing.

 

Writing in Nursery

In Nursery, the writing curriculum is designed to establish the fundamental skills that underpin successful early writing development. Provision focuses on the progressive development of both gross and fine motor control, enabling children to gain the physical readiness required for effective pencil grip and controlled mark-making. Daily routines incorporate activities such as Dough Disco and Wiggle While You Squiggle to strengthen core muscles, improve shoulder stability, and enhance dexterity and coordination. These experiences are planned sequentially, beginning with large-scale, whole-arm movements and pattern-making, and progressing to more precise, fine-motor tasks. This approach supports children in developing the stamina and control necessary to transition confidently from exploratory mark-making to forming recognisable letters and early words in Reception.

Alongside physical development, oracy skills are integral to early writing progression. Developing children’s spoken language supports their ability to articulate ideas, sequence events, and build vocabulary, all of which underpin confident mark-making and early composition. Nursery planning incorporates structured opportunities for listening, speaking, and storytelling, based on Little Wandle Foundations. Through activities such as daily story sessions, rhymes, and language-rich interactions, children practice using full sentences, experimenting with new vocabulary, and expressing their thoughts verbally. This strong oral language foundation ensures that when children begin to record their ideas in writing, they do so with clarity, purpose, and increasing independence.

This strong start in Nursery ensures children enter Reception ready to engage confidently with formal writing tasks, supported by the necessary fine-motor control, stamina, and language skills to succeed.