English

Curriculum Intent- English Writing

At Willen Primary School, we aspire for our pupils to be captivated by the written word.
‘Words are…our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.’ J.K.Rowling

We want our learners to discover the magic of reading and the power they themselves wield as
writers with their own words. We seek to transport our pupils on adventures to faraway lands; build
empathy with others as they walk in different shoes; and enable their imaginations to flourish.
Intent

English is the heart of our school curriculum. It is a vehicle for creativity, inspiration and success. We
believe that all pupils should be able to confidently express their thoughts, emotions and ideas.
Willen Primary School uses Pathways to Write: a ‘proven methodology which develops vocabulary,
reading and writing skills through the mastery approach’ (The Literacy Company). Using a ‘mastery approach’ to writing allows for a greater development of vocabulary and spelling. We also intend for our children to be able to independently re-read, revise and edit their writing both during and after the writing process.

Our aims are for all children to have fluent and legible handwriting, taking pride in their work and its presentation. Through regular handwriting lessons taught through Letterjoin, we encourage the use of a cursive handwriting style from Year 2 onwards. (See separate handwriting policy for further details.)

We give our pupils opportunities to write for a variety of purposes and audiences and develop asecure understanding of grammar and punctuation.
Implementation

English writing lessons are taught daily across the school and to the whole class, therefore allowing all children to have access to the age-related skills and knowledge contained in the National Curriculum. Where necessary, teachers make adaptations to enable all children to be able to access the content at a level appropriate to them.

Each class studies a different high-quality text every half term which offers children engaging, yet challenging English lessons. Within each unit of work, children are given the chance to participate in drama, spoken language activities and writing for a variety of purposes.

Opportunities are planned for children to use knowledge from other subjects within their English writing and vice versa. Grammar and Punctuation is taught within English lessons, allowing the children to learn skills in a meaningful manner; however, discreet Grammar and Punctuation lessons are also used to enable the children to hone their skills and understanding.

Children are taught many different ways to learn and practise spelling rules. The emphasis of these sessions is on the application of the spelling rules, rather than just learning them for a test. Allchildren have access to spelling mats and word banks during writing tasks. The class’s working wall is a point of reference to support the enrichment of vocabulary and to display words often misspelt.
Children in KS1 receive daily phonics sessions using RWI.

Teaching and Learning
All classes follow the Pathways to Write scheme of work produced by The Literacy Company.
Pathways to Write is designed to equip pupils with key skills to move them through the writing process towards their final outcome. It is built around units of work that follow a mastery approach to the teaching of writing. Clear detailed lesson plans and resources are linked to a high-quality text.
Pathways to Write ensures engaging and purposeful English lessons. Each unit covers a range of areas in the national curriculum:
∙ Mastery of vocabulary, grammar and punctuation skills
∙ Writing a range of genres across a year
∙ Vocabulary development
∙ Using a wider range of reading comprehension strategies as a whole class
∙ Spoken language activities including drama and presentations
∙ Opportunities for practising previously taught genres
∙ An extended, independent piece of writing

The writing process follows three stages:

The Gateway (1-2 lessons)
∙ Begin at the Gateway with a ‘hook’ session to intrigue and enthuse young writers
∙ Use objects, people, images or role-play to stimulate questions about the chosen text
∙ Give pupils the opportunity to predict the text
∙ Establish the purpose and audience of the writing
∙ Revisit previous mastery skills and ongoing skills
The Pathway (10 lessons)
∙ Introduce pupils to three new writing skills from their year group curriculum
∙ Provide opportunities to practise and apply the skill they have learnt through short and extended
writing tasks including character descriptions, poetry, dialogue between characters, fact files or diaryentries in role
∙ Provide opportunities to re-cap and apply previously taught skills
∙ Challenge greater depth writers through a wider range of tasks e.g. changes to form, viewpoint and audience
Writeaway (4 lessons)
∙ Section and sequence texts independently or collaboratively
∙ Create extended pieces of writing over time

∙ Opportunity to apply mastery skills
∙ Time for planning, writing, checking, editing, redrafting and publishing
∙ A fiction or non-fiction outcome will be written (covering a wide range of genres and themes over the year
Impact
The implementation of the writing journey is well-established and taught thoroughly throughout key stages. This allows our pupils to become confident and creative writers with a secure knowledge of grammar and punctuation skills.
Moderation using the Pathways guidance identifies the progress that is being made across all yeargroups. Assessment for learning is ongoing and our staff assess attainment regularly, through both formative and summative methods.
The teaching of writing is monitored by leaders through learning walks, book scrutinies and Pupil and Teacher Voice.
Interventions are in place to support children to progress in English are tracked by subject leaders, the SENCo and SLT. Intervention groups will change based upon the needs of the learners in the classroom.
Assessment
∙ Lessons include elements of assessment for learning in line with the school feedback  policy.
∙ Books/ work is marked regularly, and feedback given to the children to inform the next steps and areas of improvement.
∙ At the start of a unit, pupils are given the opportunity to complete an independent writing task.
Class teachers assess the ‘gateway keys’ to ensure that the children are ready to access the new
mastery keys for the unit. Opportunities to recap on gateway keys may need to be planned into lessons/ interventions to ensure gaps in learning are addressed.
∙ Pupils are given time to respond to comments/ feedback.
∙ Pupils self-assess their work after each lesson.
∙ Moderation of writing takes place with local schools in the cluster group meetings and in
designated staff meetings
∙ In order to assess progress, every half term an independently written task provides evidence which class teachers then use to inform their professional judgements. These are recorded on Sonar Tracker. 
We recognise that AfL lies at the heart of promoting learning and in raising standards of attainment.
The assessment procedures within our school encompasses: - responding appropriately to pupils with feedback during daily lessons ∙ assessing children daily against success criteria stickers inchildren’s books - using knowledge of pupils drawn from our tracking system to guide future planning and teaching SEND Children with SEND are normally taught within the daily English lesson.
 Within the daily English lesson, teachers not only provide activities to
support children who find writing difficult, but also provide challenge for children who are high achievers in writing. Equal Opportunities All children should have equal access to Quality FirstTeaching, irrespective of race, background, gender and capability. In the daily English lesson, we ensure this by supporting children in a variety of ways such as repeating instructions and providing
word banks.
Pan, Zoom, Drop
To support pupils in developing rich, vivid descriptive writing and increasingly developed narrative structures, Willen Primary School uses the Pan, Zoom, Drop writing framework across Key Stage 1and Key Stage 2. Taught weekly as a standalone writing lesson, Pan, Zoom, Drop sits cohesively alongside our Pathways to Write units. Where appropriate, lessons draw upon the rich texts pupils are reading, using their settings, characters, themes and ideas as springboards for further
exploration. This enables pupils to revisit and extend vocabulary and ideas from their reading while also encountering new stimuli and contexts. The structured approach moves pupils beyond surface-level visual description. By systematically
shifting their narrative focus, much like a camera lens, pupils learn to slow down their writing, look closely at a stimulus and make increasingly deliberate choices about what to reveal to the reader.
Through Pan, Zoom and Drop, pupils develop their ability to craft layered settings, develop character and explore thoughts, feelings and experiences, building increasing control over vocabulary,sentence structure and narrative organisation.
When encountering a stimulus (such as a high-quality picture book image, video clip, artefact, text extract or outdoor environment) pupils explore and structure their ideas through three distinct narrative lenses.
Pan – Wide Angle: Setting and Atmosphere
Pupils begin with the wider environment, establishing a sense of place and creating an atmosphere
for the reader.
The focus may include:
● sight, sound, smell and touch;
● weather, light, colour and shadow;
● movement within the environment;
● precise and evocative vocabulary;
● the relationship between the setting and the mood of the scene.
Pupils learn to select details carefully, understanding that effective description is not simply about including everything they can see, but choosing details that help the reader to imagine and experience the setting.
Zoom – Close-Up: Specific Detail and Character
Pupils then narrow their focus to a particular object, character, action or significant detail within the scene.
The focus may include:

● precise nouns, verbs and adjectives;
● small but significant sensory details;
● character actions, expressions and physical responses;
● thoughts, feelings and motivations;
● the relationship between a character and their surroundings.
This encourages pupils to move beyond what a character looks like and consider how actions, reactions and carefully selected details can reveal character and communicate meaning.
Drop – Deep Dive: Memory, Reflection and Meaning
Pupils then move beneath the immediate scene to explore what may lie behind a character, object or event.
Depending on the stimulus and the pupils stage of development, this may provide opportunities for:
● Memory and flashback: Connecting a past event meaningfully to the present.
● Internal reflection: Exploring thoughts, feelings, motivations and decisions.
● Implied meaning: Communicating emotion through actions, physical responses and sensory
detail rather than always stating it explicitly.
● Narrative development: Exploring how past experiences can influence present actions and decisions.
The Drop stage therefore encourages pupils to consider not only what is happening, but why it matters.
Oracy
Writing is built upon high-quality talk. Before pupils write, teachers provide structured opportunities
to explore ideas, rehearse vocabulary and articulate possible sentences.
This may include:
● Vocabulary exploration and Turn-and-Talk: Discussing ambitious and precise vocabulary,including adjectives, verbs and figurative language.
● Oral rehearsal: Speaking and refining sentences before transcription, considering rhythm,vocabulary and sentence structure.
● Role-play and freeze-frames: Exploring character reactions, relationships and sensory responses in context.
● Questioning and discussion: Encouraging pupils to explain, justify and develop their ideas.
These opportunities help pupils to move from an initial observation to a more considered and developed written response.
Teacher Modelling
Effective implementation relies on clear explanation, purposeful questioning and live teacher
modelling. Teachers use an I Do, We Do, You Do approach where appropriate:

● I Do: Teachers model the writing process through live composition, thinking aloud about
vocabulary, sentence structure, punctuation and the effect of particular choices.
● We Do: Teachers and pupils jointly construct sentences or sections of writing, evaluating and
refining possible choices.
● You Do: Pupils apply their learning independently, drawing on the knowledge and
techniques that have been modelled and rehearsed.
As pupils progress through the year groups, teacher modelling increasingly demonstrates how writers can communicate atmosphere, character and emotion through carefully selected detail,action and sensory response.
Feedback, Editing and Refinement
Pupils are supported to improve their writing during and after the writing process.
Teachers provide in-the-moment feedback to:
● address misconceptions;
● support sentence construction;
● develop vocabulary choices;
● deepen ideas;
● challenge pupils to consider the effect of their writing.
Pupils are also taught to read their writing critically, identifying where they have achieved the intended effect and where they can make purposeful improvements. Peer discussion and feedback are used selectively to support this process.
Scaffolding, Progression and Challenge
Pan, Zoom, Drop provides a clear structure for pupils while allowing teachers to adapt the level of support and challenge according to age, prior learning and individual need.
Emerging Writers / Additional Scaffolding
Support may include:
● sentence starters and visual prompts;
● carefully selected sensory vocabulary;
● vocabulary banks organised by sense or purpose;
● oral rehearsal before writing;
● shared and guided construction of sentences;
● structured prompts to help pupils make connections between events.
Developing Independence
Pupils may use:
● a three-part Pan / Zoom / Drop planning framework;
● prompts to develop vocabulary and character responses;
● opportunities to rehearse and refine sentences;

● prompts to develop cohesion when moving between ideas or moments in time.
Scaffolds are gradually reduced as pupils develop confidence and independence.
Greater Depth and Increased Independence
Pupils are encouraged to:
● make increasingly deliberate vocabulary and sentence choices;
● develop fluid transitions between Pan, Zoom and Drop;
● communicate emotion and meaning through implication;
● develop more complex character motivations;
● create connections between setting, character and narrative;
● edit and refine writing for precision, cohesion and effect.
The aim is not for pupils to use every technique in every piece of writing, but to develop the knowledge and control to make appropriate choices for the writing they are creating.
Progression Across Key Stages 1 and 2
The framework develops progressively as pupils build their knowledge and experience as writers.
Phase Pan – Setting and Atmosphere

Zoom – Detail and Character

Drop – Memory,Reflection and Meaning

KS1 Establish a clear setting using appropriate vocabulary and simple sensory details.

Focus on a key object,
character or action and add
relevant detail.

Explore simple thoughts, feelings, memories and character responses.

Lower
KS2
Develop atmosphere through increasingly precise vocabulary, sensory detail
and emerging figurative language.

Develop character through actions, thoughts, feelings and physical responses.

Explore relevant memories, reflections and connections between past and
present.

Upper
KS2
Craft atmosphere through carefully selected vocabulary,figurative language and
increasingly controlled sentence structures.

Develop nuanced characterisation, motivation and implied meaning
through purposeful detail.

Explore memory, motivation, reflection and shifts in time,maintaining cohesion and
narrative control.

Progression is reflected in pupils; increasing ability to select, organise and manipulate language independently, rather than simply in the number of descriptive techniques they can demonstrate.
Pan, Zoom, Drop forms part of Willen Primary School's broader approach to developing confident and capable writers.

The weekly lessons provide regular opportunities for pupils to revisit and apply knowledge from their wider English learning, while the connection with the texts studied through Pathways to Write allows reading, vocabulary, discussion and writing to reinforce one another. By drawing on familiar characters, settings, themes and language as well as introducing new stimuli, pupils are encouraged to transfer their knowledge into different contexts and broaden theirunderstanding of how writers create meaning and effect.
Across the curriculum, pupils therefore have regular opportunities to read as writers, talk as writers and write as writers. Pan, Zoom, Drop provides a focused space in which they can practise the craft of writing, experiment with ideas and develop increasing confidence, independence and control.