It is our intent at Maulden Lower School to provide pupils with a high-quality education in English that will teach pupils to speak, read and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others effectively.

To write effectively, children need to develop their skills in two strands of learning:

• transcription (spelling and handwriting)
• composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing)

In our English lessons, we use a variety of quality texts in each year group to provide a solid understanding of good grammar, spelling and punctuation and to extend the children's vocabulary.  We seek to motivate the children to write by providing opportunities for writing in a range of different genres and for different purposes. The development of writing skills is promoted in all lessons across the curriculum and is not confined to English lessons. 

Spellings

Children in Years 1 - 4 complete weekly spelling practice sheets at home and school using the Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check method. They will be tested on these spellings weekly. The spellings are based on phonic or grammatical knowledge required in each year group and are adapted to suit the needs and abilities of different groups of children.

The following documents are the words that children are expected to read and spell independently, according to the National Curriculum 2014:

Year 1 and 2 common exception words for spelling

Year 3 and 4 statutory spelling list

Reception high-frequency words

Handwriting

From Nursery onward, we encourage mark making and independent writing. Children have access to a wide range of activities which develop their fine motor skills for writing such as threading, playdough, cutting and colouring activities. 

In Reception, children are taught how to write the basic letter shapes and good pencil grip is encouraged and developed.

In Year 1, children are taught cursive handwriting in formal daily lessons to prepare them for joining. Click here for a sheet with handwriting rhymes.

From Year 2 onward, joined handwriting is formally taught and encouraged in order to improve the children's speed and fluency.

We have high expectations of children's handwriting in all lessons across the curriculum.

National Curriculum Expectations 

The following documents show what a child in each year group can be expected to achieve by the end of that academic year.

End of Reception

Year 1 writing

Year 2 writing

Year 3 writing

Year 4 writing

Parent Helpsheets

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar glossary by Year Group