Writing

National Curriculum Requirements

By the end of Year 1, Barnabas Oley pupils should be able to:

Transcription/Spelling

spell:
- words containing each of the 40+ phonemes already taught
- common exception words
- the days of the week
name the letters of the alphabet:
- naming the letters of the alphabet in order
- using letter names to distinguish between alternative spellings of the same sound
add prefixes and suffixes:
- using the spelling rule for adding –s or –esas the plural marker for nouns and the third person singular marker for verbs
- using the prefix un–
- using –ing,–ed,–erand –estwhere no change is needed in the spelling of root words [for example, helping, helped, helper, quicker, quickest]
apply simple spelling rules and guidance, as listed in Appendix 1 of the National Curriculum
write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs and common exception words taught so far.

Composition

write sentences by:
- saying out loud what they are going to write about
- composing a sentence orally before writing it
- sequencing sentences to form short narratives
- re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense
discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils
read aloud their writing clearly enough to be heard by their peers and the teacher.

Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation

develop their understanding of the concepts set out in Appendix 2 of the National Curriculum by:
leaving spaces between words
joining words and joining clauses using and
beginning to punctuate sentences using a capital letter and a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark
using a capital letter for names of people, places, the days of the week, and the personal pronoun ‘I’
learning the grammar for year 1 in English Appendix 2
use the grammatical terminology in English Appendix 2 in discussing their writing.

By the end of Year 2, Barnabas Oley pupils should be able to:

Transcription/Spelling

spell by:
- segmenting spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly
- learning new ways of spelling phonemes for which one or more spellings are already known, and learn some words with each spelling, including a few common homophones
- learning to spell common exception words
- learning to spell more words with contracted forms
- learning the possessive apostrophe (singular) [for example, the girl’s book]
- distinguishing between homophones and near-homophones
add suffixes to spell longer words, including –ment,–ness,–ful, –less, –ly
apply spelling rules and guidance, as listed in Appendix 1 of the National Curriculum
write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs, common exception words and punctuation taught so far.

Composition

develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by:
- writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional)
- writing about real events
- writing poetry
- writing for different purposes
consider what they are going to write before beginning by:
- planning or saying out loud what they are going to write about
- writing down ideas and/or key words, including new vocabulary
- encapsulating what they want to say, sentence by sentence
make simple additions, revisions and corrections to their own writing by:
- evaluating their writing with the teacher and other pupils
- re-reading to check that their writing makes sense and that verbs to indicate time are used correctly and consistently, including verbs in the continuous form
- proof-reading to check for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation [for example, ends of sentences punctuated correctly]
read aloud what they have written with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear.

Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation

develop their understanding of the concepts set out in Appendix 2 of the National Curriculum by:
- learning how to use both familiar and new punctuation correctly (see English Appendix 2), including full stops, capital letters, exclamation marks, question marks, commas for lists and apostrophes for contracted forms and the possessive (singular)
learn how to use:
- sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command
- expanded noun phrases to describe and specify [for example, the blue butterfly]
- the present and past tenses correctly and consistently including the progressive form
- subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but)
- the grammar for year 2 in English Appendix 2
- some features of written Standard English
use and understand the grammatical terminology in English Appendix 2 in discussing their writing.

By the end of Year 3/4, Barnabas Oley pupils should be able to:

Transcription

use further prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them (English Appendix1)
spell further homophones
spell words that are often misspelt (English Appendix 1)
place the possessive apostrophe accurately in words with regular plurals [for example, girls’, boys’] and in words with irregular plurals [for example, children’s]
use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary
write from memory simple sentences, dictated by the teacher, that include words and punctuation taught so far.

Composition

plan their writing by:
- discussing writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar
- discussing and recording ideas
draft and write by:
- composing and rehearsing sentences orally (including dialogue), progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures –see Appendix 2 of the National Curriculum
- organising paragraphs around a theme
- in narratives, creating settings, characters and plot
- in non-narrative material, using simple organisational devices [for example, headings and sub-headings]
evaluate and edit by:
- assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggesting improvements
- proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary to improve consistency, including the accurate use of pronouns in sentences
proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors
read aloud their own writing, to a group or the whole class, using appropriate intonation and controlling the tone and volume so that the meaning is clear.

Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation

develop their understanding of the concepts set out in Appendix 2 of the National Curriculum by:
- extending the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although
- using the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the past tense
- choosing nouns or pronouns appropriately for clarity and cohesion and to avoid repetition
- using conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time and cause
- using fronted adverbials
- learning the grammar for years 3 and 4 in English Appendix 2
indicate grammatical and other features by:
- using commas after fronted adverbials
- indicating possession by using the possessive apostrophe with plural nouns
- using and punctuating direct speech
use and understand the grammatical terminology in English Appendix 2 accurately and appropriately when discussing their writing and reading.

By the end of Year 5/6, Barnabas Oley pupils should be able to:

Transcription

use further prefixes and suffixes and understand the guidance for adding them
spell some words with ‘silent’ letters [for example, knight, psalm, solemn]
continue to distinguish between homophones and other words which are often confused
use knowledge of morphology and etymology in spelling and understand that the spelling of some words needs to be learnt specifically, as listed in English Appendix 1
use dictionaries to check the spelling and meaning of words
use the first three or four letters of a word to check spelling, meaning or both of these in a dictionary
use a thesaurus

Composition

plan their writing by:
- identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the appropriate form and using other similar writing as models for their own
- noting and developing initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary
- in writing narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings in what pupils have read, listened to or seen performed
draft and write by:
- selecting appropriate grammar and vocabulary, understanding how such choices can change and enhance meaning in narratives, describing settings, characters and atmosphere and integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the action précising longer passages
- using a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
- using further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader [for example, headings, bullet points, underlining]
evaluate and edit by:
- assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing
- proposing changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation to enhance effects and clarify meaning
- ensuring the consistent and correct use of tense throughout a piece of writing
- ensuring correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural, distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing the appropriate register
proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors
perform their own compositions, using appropriate intonation, volume, and movement so that meaning is clear.

Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation

develop their understanding of the concepts set out in Appendix 2 of the National Curriculum by:
- recognising vocabulary and structures that are appropriate for formal speech and writing, including subjunctive forms
- using passive verbs to affect the presentation of information in a sentence
- using the perfect form of verbs to mark relationships of time and cause
- using expanded noun phrases to convey complicated information concisely
- using modal verbs or adverbs to indicate degrees of possibility
- using relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, thator with an implied (i.e. omitted) relative pronoun
- learning the grammar for years 5 and 6 in English Appendix 2
indicate grammatical and other features by:
- using commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity in writing
- using hyphens to avoid ambiguity
- using brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis
- using semi-colons, colons or dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses
- using a colon to introduce a list
- punctuating bullet points consistently
use and understand the grammatical terminology in English Appendix 2 accurately and appropriately in discussing their writing and reading.

Further School Information

The children will learn to write for a range of purposes, with accurate spelling, punctuation and syntax. They are taught to form letters in a clear and legible style. A cursive handwriting is taught during Key Stage 1 and fluency is developed in Key Stage 2. Many different aspects of writing are reflected in our school displays and high standards of presentation are expected at all times.