At Danesholme Academies, our writing curriculum is designed so that every child will 'Be Ready':

 

Ready to Learn — In Writing, we provide a rich and structured curriculum that builds strong foundational skills. Children are ready to write clearly, use new vocabulary, and express their ideas with growing confidence.

 

Ready for Life — Writing develops communication, resilience, and creativity. Children learn to organise their thoughts, reflect on their work, and use writing for real-life purposes.

 

 

Ready to Contribute — Writing encourages children to share opinions, listen to feedback, and value others’ ideas. They learn how writing can influence, inform, and connect with their community and the wider world.

 

 

Ready to Succeed — With clear progression in handwriting, spelling, grammar, and composition, children are supported to achieve well. High expectations and purposeful practice ensure they are ready for the next stage of their writing journey.

 

Intent 

At Danesholme Academies, our writing curriculum is designed so that every child is ready to learn, ready for life, ready to contribute and ready to succeed. 

Through a carefully structured and ambitious curriculum, underpinned by the Talk for Writing approach, we enable children to internalise high-quality texts and language structures before moving towards innovation and independent application. We believe that talk is the foundation of writing; through oral rehearsal, discussion and shared composition, pupils develop confidence, vocabulary and a deep understanding of how language works. 

Our curriculum ensures clear progression in transcription, grammar and composition. By securing the fundamentals alongside rich vocabulary development, we empower children to write with accuracy, creativity and purpose across the curriculum. 

We are committed to high expectations for all. Through purposeful practice and meaningful outcomes, children develop stamina, resilience and pride in their work. Regardless of starting point, every pupil is supported to become a confident, articulate writer who can communicate effectively and contribute positively to their community and the wider world. 

 

Implementation 

Our writing curriculum follows the National Curriculum for English and is delivered through the Talk for Writing approach. Units are carefully sequenced to ensure clear progression in composition and transcription across the academy. 

Each unit begins with immersion in a high-quality model text. Through oral rehearsal, discussion and shared writing, pupils internalise key vocabulary, language patterns and text structures before moving on to innovate and write independently. 

Grammar, punctuation and spelling are taught explicitly within meaningful contexts, and high expectations for presentation and stamina are maintained. Carefully planned scaffolds support all learners while providing appropriate challenge, ensuring every child can succeed as a confident writer.  

https://www.talk4writing.com/  

Impact  

As a result of our structured Talk for Writing approach, pupils make strong progress from their individual starting points. Outcomes in writing demonstrate sustained improvement across year groups, with an increasing proportion of pupils achieving age-related expectations and greater depth by the end of Key Stage 2. 

Pupils develop confidence, fluency and control in their writing. They draw upon a rich bank of internalised language and apply their knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and text structure independently across the curriculum. 

Children write with increasing stamina and accuracy, can articulate their ideas clearly and respond effectively to feedback to improve their work. By the time pupils leave Danesholme Academies, they are resilient, reflective writers who are fully prepared for the demands of the next stage of their education and beyond.