At Birchensale Middle School, we place significant importance on pupils’ writing skills. We want our pupils to be fluent, creative and imaginative writers who understand the audience for whom they are writing and are able to adapt their writing accordingly. We focus on extending cultural capital so that pupils grow rich, extended vocabularies. Our curriculum cultivates a sense of independence in writing, whilst being inclusive and enriching.
In KS2, sequences of learning are developed through units of work which give children opportunities to write in a variety of different forms and for a wide range of purposes. The lessons develop through units of work where children analyse pieces of text, learn key grammatical skills and then plan and draft their work. Finally, pupils edit their writing for improvement.
In KS3, pupils build upon the skills and knowledge gained in KS2. Units of work are planned using quality novels and pupils dive deeply into the context of the books, use literary analysis and critical thinking skills. Links are also made between texts and the world today. Teachers provide opportunities during these learning journeys for pupils to write in a range of styles and formats.