Writing Curriculum Statement
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ASPIRE - LEARN - FLOURISH
The Aspire Learning Federation is made up of two schools - Elm Park Primary School and R J Mitchell Primary School in the London Borough of Havering.
At R J Mitchell we are committed to developing confident, creative, and skilled writers who can express themselves effectively across a range of contexts. At the heart of our writing curriculum is the belief that all children can become successful writers. Through a carefully sequenced and structured approach, we systematically build upon our pupils' conceptual knowledge and writing competencies; as well as revisiting key skills and concepts throughout the year. Therefore ensuring that learning is embedded in the long-term memory, empowering our children to become confident, capable, and adaptable writers.
Our writing curriculum, underpinned by the CUSP (Curriculum with Unity School Partnership) framework, focuses on building a deep conceptual understanding of key writing skills. We believe that a strong foundation in the basics of sentence level writing as well as a focus on spelling, punctuation, and grammar, is essential for pupils to develop the confidence and competence to compose extended and more sophisticated pieces of writing.
Pupils have the opportunity to explore a diverse range of writing genres, from narrative and poetry to non-fiction and persuasive writing. This breadth of experience not only develops their writing skills but also prepares them for the next stage of their educational journey, equipping them with the writing skills needed to succeed across the curriculum.
Throughout their time at R J Mitchell, our pupils engage in a sequenced, repeated learning journey that allows them to master writing skills and apply them flexibly in a variety of contexts.
While our writing curriculum has a strong emphasis on the fundamentals, we also ensure that children are equipped with the ability to communicate their ideas and apply their skills in meaningful, cross-curricular contexts. By making connections between writing and the wider curriculum, we help our pupils understand the relevance and purpose of their learning, fostering a love of writing that will serve them well in their future education and beyond.
We believe in the power of ongoing assessment to support each child's writing development. Our teachers use a range of formative and summative assessment tools, including the CUSP writing indicators and the Teacher Assessment Framework, to monitor progress and identify areas for targeted support or challenges. Through regular moderation within and across our school, as well as our federation, we ensure that our assessment practices are robust and that our children receive the individualised support they need to reach their full potential as writers.
As a school, we are dedicated to providing our children with a rich and engaging writing curriculum that inspires them to become confident repeated communicators. Through our relentless focus on progress, our collaborative approach, and our steadfast commitment to our core values, we are confident that our pupils will leave R J Mitchell Primary as writers ready to take on the challenges of the next stage of their education and able to communicate as active and responsible citizens.