English – Writing

Our Intent: What we want for our children.

At Barley Fields Primary we are especially proud of our bespoke writing curriculum and the way it supports our children in their progressive journey to become creative and imaginative writers, with a high level foundational knowledge and technical skill.  Our writing lessons are immersive and inspiring, designed to spark imagination and excitement with a clear focus on audience and purpose.

Writing at Barley Fields is never confined to the page — we bring it to life! Our children are encouraged to be storytellers, poets, journalists, and even villains, using their words to entertain, inform, and inspire. We aim for every child to leave Barley Fields as an enthusiastic, confident, and competent writer who understands that writing is a process. Children are given regular opportunities to plan, draft, edit, and publish their work — reflecting our strong growth mindset ethos that celebrates perseverance and progress.

We provide a high-quality writing curriculum so that all children:

• Develop strong spoken language skills to express themselves clearly through writing;
• Are physically ready to write fluently and legibly at every stage of their learning;
• Use their reading and knowledge of texts to compose writing for a range of audiences and purposes;
• Master the technical skills of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Our writing curriculum is research-informed and continually refined to meet the needs of all learners. We draw on guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the National College to ensure our teaching practices are adaptive, inclusive, and effective for every child.

To help children understand what it means to be a writer, we use our curriculum character, Ravi the Writer, who represents the key skills and knowledge needed at each stage of development. Ravi supports children in recognising their own progress and striving towards the curriculum end points with pride and purpose.

Our Implementation: How we teaching writing

Writing at Barley Fields Primary School is taught regularly in meaningful and engaging contexts. Our curriculum covers a wide range of text types based around the four key purposes for writing: to entertain, to inform, to persuade, and to discuss.

We bring writing to life by:

• Using inspiring writing hooks to engage and motivate children;
• Immersing pupils in rich reading and spoken language experiences linked to the writing purpose and audience;
• Exploring high-quality examples to identify features, build “toolkits,” and develop a writer’s voice;
• Modelling writing to demonstrate the thought processes and decisions of an effective writer;
• Providing regular opportunities for children to write independently and apply their learning;
• Encouraging editing and redrafting to refine purpose, accuracy, and effect;
• Publishing and performing written work, often enhanced through the use of technology.

Our approach draws on three key pedagogical models:

• Talk for Writing
• Read, Write, Perform/Publish
• Short Burst Writing

From Nursery to Year 6, children follow carefully sequenced medium-term plans that ensure clear progression in the foundational knowledge and skills of grammar, punctuation, spelling, handwriting, and composition. These are rooted in high-quality teaching pedagogy and designed to help every child become an articulate, confident, and creative writer.

Our Impact: the difference it makes

The impact of our writing curriculum is that children can compose and communicate effectively for a range of purposes and audiences. They understand that writing is a vital life skill — one that supports learning, self-expression, and future opportunities.

Our teaching and learning approach leads to children who:

• Are motivated, enthusiastic, and inspired by the writing process;
• Use spoken language confidently to develop and refine ideas;
• Draw on reading to inform and enhance their own writing;
• Choose ambitious vocabulary and language structures;
• Write independently and accurately, applying grammar, punctuation, and spelling effectively;
• Create well-organised, imaginative pieces with clear purpose and audience;
• Show resilience and pride, revising and improving their work thoughtfully;
• Achieve highly and leave Barley Fields as proficient, confident writers.

We are proud of our children’s progress and achievements in writing. Teachers continuously assess children’s learning against age-related objectives, using this information to plan next steps and provide challenge and support. By the end of each key stage, children are expected to know, apply, and understand the key writing skills and techniques set out in our curriculum.

For more details please see the documents below.