Havering Newsletter

English – Taking stock of writing skills

A snapshot assessment Now is a good time to take a snapshot assessment of where children are achieving and where they will need further support with the transcription and composition aspects of writing. National Curriculum writing objectives First and foremost, we gauge this for the majority of children by measuring what they know and can do against the relevant National Curriculum writing objectives. These objectives set out the expectations for the aspects of writing that must be taught. Learning intentions must be anchored in these objectives. They are the benchmark for ongoing, summative assessments in writing that will inform planning and further teaching that can promptly address gaps in knowledge or skills. Children’s confidence More than ever, teachers and English subject leaders are finding that many of the significant gaps are in the transcription aspects of writing - spelling, handwriting, punctuation and grammar – and they are concluding that this is undermining children’s confidence as writers. ‘Little and often’ With this in mind, a robust approach to teaching these skills is needed. The best combination of methods seems to be a combination of a ‘little and often’ approach to teaching the skills, alongside opportunities to apply the skill soon after. Having effective, pacey and memorable

teaching of the skill, aligned with prompt written practice, allows the teacher to reinforce the learning. A range of examples On the composition side of writing, there is tremendous value in offering and exploring a range of examples of effective writing, some of which may become sources of writing inspiration. Talking about the texts - the audience and purpose, the language and form – has great value for children as it helps them to know how to ‘think as a writer’. Combined with regular writing practice, this will boost confidence and fluency. Revisiting skills Of course, the sharpest aspect of the current challenge is that, although there will be some lapses in knowledge and skill that are common to most, the impact of COVID related absences and disruption is uneven. To counter this, there needs to be revisiting of skills so children have more opportunities to embed knowledge and skills. Learning will need to be reinforced for any children needing this additional support.

Paul Stevenson HSIS Inspector Standards and Effectiveness - English paul.stevenson@havering.gov.uk 01708 434613

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