At Summer Lane Primary School, we aim to develop creative, independent and confident writers. Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum, and is split into writing composition, structure and purpose, grammar for writing, punctuation, spelling and handwriting. Through this document, we endeavour to ensure that all areas of the literacy curriculum are given due weight in the planning and teaching of literacy across school. Each year group bases their literacy teaching on their Year on a Page document, which has been tailored to each year group to ensure progressive coverage, high expectations and an exposure to high quality texts across school.

We have tailored the Year on a Page for individual year groups that cover the three main areas: Reading, Writing and Oracy to ensure progressive coverage and high expectations for all.

We use a Gather, Skills, Apply approach to structure out units of writing. This approach provides pupils with opportunities to analyse high-quality texts with a focus on vocabulary, develop new or refine existing skills linked to the text type and apply this writing throughout the sequence. Children are provided ample opportunities to write in ‘Mini Applies’ in which they practise the skills they have been developing.

The Accelerated Learning Cycle, based on the work of Alastair Smith, is applied in all lessons. It stems from the idea of a supportive and challenging environment. The ALC encourages children to know more and remember more through metacognitive elements that make links to previous learning, which is then fed into the new learning of the lesson and is embedded through a variety of independent, collaborative and teacher-led activities.

At Summer Lane Primary we want children to progress by building on their knowledge and skills each year. We believe that children should be able to think critically, creatively and confidently. Our writing curriculum focuses not only on the ‘language’ elements of English, but the ‘literature’ elements also in order to support children in becoming individuals who have the tools to enjoy and analyse the language around them. Our progressive curriculum document reflects this and support our teachers to deliver appropriate lessons for the children they teach.

Within each genre on the Year On A Page, a wealth of skills are included that are delivered progressively throughout a term, and built upon in each subsequent unit of writing. Literacy is taught daily using the Accelerated Learning Cycle, and the learning objective is shared with the children at the beginning of each lesson to ensure that children are being purposeful in, and take ownership of, their learning. Objectives are carefully chosen and sequenced to ensure success and build upon learning. Lessons are planned to be engaging, with a variety of active, collaborative activities used to maintain focus and encourage understanding.

Our curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those children with SEND. Each lesson will involve a main activity in which children can practice and demonstrate their understanding, and we provide scaffolds and challenges that ensure all children can access the learning at their own level.

Curriculum designers and teachers have high expectations of what SEND pupils can achieve and the curriculum is not diluted or unnecessarily reduced for SEND pupils. Every pupil is different and so what works for each pupil varies. Pupil’s individual needs are carefully considered and adaptations are planned to ensure the success of pupils. The way that our curriculum is designed ensures that chunks of learning are sequenced in a coherent way to enable all pupils, including those with SEND, to build on prior knowledge.

Where pupils are identified with having complex needs it may be appropriate to provide a personalised curriculum which will be based on individual needs and will retain ambition for the pupil. Where working memory is an issue for pupils, including those with SEND, we look to reduce extraneous load as much as possible as well as identifying key information when teaching. Adaptations to support individual pupils will be recorded on personal school support plans.

We do not assume that pupils with SEND learn content better through practical work as this can cause distraction and cognitive overload rather than increase clarity or accessibility. Pupils’ specific needs determine the types of adaptations which are required. These adaptations are in how the subject is taught rather than the content pupils are expected to learn. Where appropriate, learning will be chunked into smaller steps and pre learning and consolidation time in planned in to support need. Time is also planned to ensure pupils with SEND are pre taught vocabulary to support their understanding. Adaptations may include supporting pupils to pay attention to key aspects as well as reducing excessive or unhelpful demands on working memory.

At Summer Lane Primary, formative assessment is ongoing throughout each lesson. It judges progress and enables teachers to make flexible adaptions to their planned teaching. Through this regular ongoing assessment, tasks are adapted to meet the needs and abilities of each child through scaffolds, challenged and adult support. We endeavour to provide challenges that are stimulating to pupils whilst enabling them to be successful in their learning.

Daily marking and feedback is highly prioritised in order to ensure children are both challenged and supported effectively in all lesson. All pupils are supported to develop, progress and move their learning forward through support, questioning and feedback. The impact this has on learning is demonstrated through editing and response to teacher comments.

Alongside our formative assessment strategies, summative assessment is conducted termly through the use of trackers. Teachers evaluate a piece of writing according to the objectives on the tracker, which is carefully matched with the curriculum objectives appropriate for that year group. This process allows teachers to not only allocate levels to pupils, but to identify gaps and next steps to be given at targets. Cross moderation occurs across school every term to ensure consistency in our assessments.

We believe that inclusive education means supporting all pupils to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of school life alongside their peers.

In writing, SEND pupils are supported through quality first teaching including; using a range of teaching and learning styles to match the needs of all learners, differentiated learning materials including access to learning aids (visual aids-pictures, books, word banks, working walls, alphabet strips, talking tins, sentence starters, modelled write, whiteboards, prompt cards), access to ICT and Technology, flexible groupings – including small group work and writing specific intervention (handwriting interventions including Write From the Start, pencil grips, Read, Write Inc.) and regular liaison with the SENCo.