Writing-At-Parochial (ID 1033)

• Educating for Dignity and Respect through Writing
  Educating for Dignity and Respect through Writing

  Self- and peer-assessment is embedded in Pathways to Write. Pupils learn to reflect on their work and respond with empathy and respect to feedback. By the end of KS1, pupils can discuss their writing and read it aloud confidently. In KS2, they edit and improve their work independently, making thoughtful changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation for greater impact. They develop resilience, creativity and pride in their writing, becoming thoughtful and effective communicators.

• Educating for Hope and Aspiration through Writing
  Educating for Hope and Aspiration through Writing

  At Parochial, we place high-quality texts at the heart of our writing curriculum. Pathways to Write immerses children in diverse and aspirational literature—fiction, non-fiction and poetry—providing models for word choice, sentence structure and authorial style. Pupils learn to analyse these texts and apply techniques to their own writing, developing confidence and ambition as writers.

• Educating for Wisdom, Knowledge and Skills through Writing
  Educating for Wisdom, Knowledge and Skills through Writing

  We use the Pathways to Write approach to develop writing skills progressively from EYFS to Year 6. Children move from Gateway sessions, which hook them into the text through drama, art and collaborative learning, into Pathways sessions where they practise and embed Mastery Keys across different genres. Finally, they apply these skills independently in their final written pieces. Spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence construction are taught explicitly and revisited throughout the Pathways process, building on the National Curriculum and phonics foundations laid in EYFS and KS1.

  In EYFS, phonics is the gateway to writing. Using Read Write Inc., children rehearse sentences aloud before spelling words using their taught sounds and ‘tricky’ words. They practise handwriting daily and compose sentences by drawing on their experiences and stories they know. Role play, props and storytelling help build spoken language, which feeds into early writing. Teachers model writing, and continuous provision offers opportunities for independent mark-making, captions, labels and simple sentences. These foundations prepare pupils to focus on technical writing skills as they move through KS1.

  In KS1, Pathways to Write scaffolds children’s learning, enabling them to adapt model texts and create their own versions. By the end of the process, pupils plan and write independently, applying vocabulary, structure and grammar learned through the unit. In KS2, pupils write for a range of audiences and purposes with increasing confidence. They use rich, ambitious vocabulary, experiment with sentence structures and evaluate their writing for impact and effectiveness. Teachers model high-quality writing, encourage children to magpie vocabulary, and build word banks throughout each unit.

• Educating for Community and Living Well Together through Writing
  Educating for Community and Living Well Together through Writing

  We give children meaningful reasons to write, linking units to real-world issues and the local community. For example:

  • In KS1, pupils write letters from ‘The Last Wolf’ to persuade others to protect trees and write stories with a moral message in ‘Grandpa’s Secret Giant’.

  • In KS2, pupils explore environmental issues by writing persuasive texts about protecting sea life (Big Blue Whale) and recycling (The Paperbag Prince).

  • Debates on conservation and sustainability link writing with science and geography learning.