Writing
Writing at Pashley
At Pashley, we nurture children to become confident and creative writers, with a strong focus on fostering a love of writing. Reading sits at the heart of everything we do, inspiring and shaping the writing children create in our classrooms.
We use a variety of fun and effective approaches to teach writing, including Talk for Writing and Power of Reading. Speaking and listening are also a big part of our lessons, helping children build their vocabulary and confidence before they write.
Planning
Our whole-school writing curriculum is carefully planned to give children a range of experiences across the year. Each term brings something different, and every piece of writing has a clear purpose and audience, so children know why they are writing and who they are writing for.
We combine grammar, handwriting, spelling, punctuation, and reading with stories or non-fiction topics to make lessons meaningful and engaging. Children learn to write for lots of different purposes, from stories and letters to reports and poems, and we always give them real reasons to share and celebrate their work.
Handwriting
In Early Years, children concentrate on forming letters with the correct direction and size, while learning about ascenders and descenders. This builds a solid foundation before they progress to more formal handwriting in Year One.
In Year One, children are introduced to cursive handwriting in a structured way, starting with patterns and then learning letters in sets. Handwriting standards throughout the school are high, and children’s progress is carefully tracked.
Grammar
We teach grammar in a way that makes sense for children – always connected to the reading and writing they are doing. Grammar lessons are part of English lessons, short and focused, linked to stories or non-fiction texts.
Children also explore language through word games, rhymes, jokes, puns, and poetry, which makes learning grammar fun and helps them understand how language works. Teachers use the correct terminology in lessons so children learn the right words for talking about writing.
Spelling
We want children to become fluent writers, and spelling is an important part of that. When children know how to spell confidently, they can focus more on writing creatively and clearly.
Spelling is taught in short, lively sessions that introduce new patterns or rules while reviewing those already learned. Children practise high-frequency words, words from other subjects, and words they personally find tricky.
All classes have a “Word of the Week” displayed, focusing on words that don’t always follow regular spelling rules. Children also learn to proofread their writing, linking spelling, grammar, and handwriting skills together.
