English Curriculum: Writing at Mount Stewart 

At Mount Stewart Federation, we prioritise writing as a fundamental life skill, integrated across all subjects to build transferable skills for each educational phase. Our dynamic, diverse curriculum, rich in imaginative hooks and a strong focus on oracy, engages students and enhances their writing for various purposes and audiences. Daily literacy lessons link writing and reading, fostering genre understanding and vocabulary expansion. We ensure inclusivity through tailored support, especially for those with unique learning needs. Our comprehensive approach, underpinned by continuous assessments, equips students with robust writing skills, preparing them for secondary education and beyond.

Approach and Planning:

Mount Stewart Federation focuses on integrating writing as a fundamental life skill across all subjects, with a year-on-year build-up of transferable writing skills.

• Emphasis on writing as a vital skill both in and out of education.
• Progressive development of transferrable writing skills.
• Preparation for secondary Federation through a comprehensive writing curriculum.

Teaching Strategies:

The federation employs dynamic teaching strategies, including engaging hooks and a strong focus on oracy, to enhance writing skills.

• Use varied and engaging hooks to stimulate the imagination.
• Incorporation of oracy to build vocabulary and text comprehension.
• Encouraging writing for diverse purposes and audiences to improve quality and application.

Curriculum Intent:

The writing curriculum aims to make every child proficient in writing, with the ability to apply these skills across different contexts.

• Development of writing as a key skill for life.
• Intent to make writing a transferable skill across all curriculum subjects.
• Focus on achieving full potential in writing for all learners.

Implementation:

Implementation involves daily literacy lessons, integration of writing and reading, and the use of a robust process for writing structure.

• Daily one-hour literacy lessons focusing on age-appropriate writing skills.
• Close linking of writing with reading to enhance genre knowledge.
• High-quality teacher modelling and structured planning approach in literacy lessons.

Inclusivity and Support:

The federation provides tailored support for all learners, especially those not meeting age-related outcomes or on the SEN register.

• Tailored interventions and support for children with varying needs.
• Continuous assessment, adaptive planning and personalised next steps for all learners.
• Specific strategies for SEN students and those below age-related outcomes.

Impact:

The impact of the curriculum is assessed through ongoing evaluations, termly tests, and a focus on age-related outcomes.

• In-depth assessment of writing skills at the end of each unit.
• Termly testing on spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Data from assessments used to inform teaching strategies and next steps.

When students leave Mount Stewart, they will:

Be equipped with strong, transferable writing skills, ready for the challenges of secondary Federation and beyond.

• Have a solid foundation in writing for various contexts and audiences.
• Be proficient in applying their writing skills across different subjects.
• Possess a strong vocabulary and understanding of different writing genres.

Trisha Dayal is our Writing Lead, dedicated to nurturing and enhancing the writing skills of our students at Mount Stewart Federation.