Writing

At Lion, a language-rich English curriculum is at the heart of all our learning and is the key to every subject we teach.

Few aspects of the school curriculum are more important than literacy. It serves as the foundation for learning across all subjects and is essential for how our students think and communicate. Literacy enables critical thinking, helping students analyse subjects throughout the curriculum.

Across the school year, children produce independent writing that exemplify the skills taught within a genre. Genres include: 

Fiction

• Short stories
• Suspense stories
• Recounts
• Longer narratives
• Diary entries (some based on real life events)

Non Fiction

• Newspaper
• Non-chronological report
• Scientific report
• Persuasive letter
• Letter
• Poetry

Careful links across the curriculum have been made to build on knowledge already taught in other aspects of the curriculum. Our literacy curriculum connects with pupils' experiences and knowledge beyond school. Through classroom discussion, we address real-world contexts and help pupils recognise the connections between their school-based reading and writing experiences and life beyond school.
For example:

We believe curriculum quality is the strongest factor in outstanding educational provision. We identify our pupils' needs and create a distinctive curriculum that builds on their knowledge, skills, and understanding.

Phonics

We follow the ‘Letters and Sounds Scheme’ and our Phonics sessions start in Nursery where they focus on Phase 1 which develops children’s speaking and listening skills and lays the foundations for the phonic work which starts in Phase 2. The emphasis during Phase 1 is to get children attuned to the sounds around them and ready to begin developing oral blending and segmenting skills. The achievement of Phase 1 Phonics is based on teacher assessment in Phonics sessions. Based on teacher assessment, the children who have achieved Phase 1 are to move onto Phase 2. Typically, most Nursery children move onto Phase 2 within the Spring term.

Handwriting

We are very proud of our pupil’s handwriting and take particular care in our cursive (joined up) handwriting style. We use Letter-join as the basis of teaching handwriting. The aim is to develop a neat, legible, speedy handwriting style using continuous cursive letters. This develops from EYFS to year 6, where fine motor skills are developed and those who have more limited accessibility to do so are supported through other methods such as strengthening, posture or equipment that aids writing. Children are taught to print letters, recognise ascenders and descenders, finger spaces and the size of letters and develop their handwriting to where they are able to write fluidly without excessive linking, looping, or sizing.