Writing

At Ribbon Academy, we believe that writing gives children a voice. It enables them to communicate ideas, share experiences, express creativity and participate fully in the world around them.

Our writing curriculum is carefully sequenced from Nursery to Year 6 to ensure every child develops the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to become a successful writer. Through high-quality texts, meaningful experiences and explicit teaching, pupils learn how authors craft language to entertain, inform and persuade. 

We want every child to leave Ribbon Academy as a confident communicator who can write accurately, coherently and creatively for a range of audiences and purposes.

Strong writing begins with strong speaking and understanding.

From the Early Years, children are immersed in stories, discussion, imaginative play and rich vocabulary. Through carefully planned opportunities to talk, listen and rehearse ideas, children develop the language foundations needed to become effective writers. 

As children progress through school, they continue to develop their vocabulary, oracy skills and understanding of how language can be used to achieve different effects for different audiences.

Across the school, writing is inspired by carefully selected class novels, picture books, poetry and high-quality model texts.

Our writing curriculum is closely linked to the wider curriculum wherever possible, allowing children to write with purpose and draw upon meaningful knowledge. Through exposure to a diverse range of authors, genres and viewpoints, pupils develop both their writing skills and their understanding of the world around them. 

Children regularly write to:

• Entertain
• Inform
• Explain
• Persuade
• Reflect
• Share knowledge and ideas

This ensures they understand that writing is a tool for real communication and not simply a classroom exercise.

We believe that children need a secure understanding of grammar and punctuation to become successful writers.

At the beginning of each academic year, pupils revisit and strengthen key grammatical concepts through our Place Value of Punctuation and Grammar (PVPG) approach. This helps children understand how sentences are constructed and how punctuation supports meaning and clarity. 

Grammar is then taught purposefully throughout the year and applied within authentic writing contexts, ensuring children understand not only how language works but why authors make particular choices.

At Ribbon Academy, we encourage children to see themselves as authors.

Pupils are given regular opportunities to make choices about language, structure and presentation, whilst reflecting on the impact their writing has on readers. They learn to evaluate their work, respond to feedback and continually refine their ideas. 

Through studying the work of accomplished authors and engaging with a broad range of literature, children develop their own style, voice and confidence as writers

Writing is not confined to English lessons.

Children regularly apply their writing skills across the wider curriculum, producing a range of outcomes linked to history, geography, science, religious education and other subjects. These opportunities allow pupils to consolidate their learning, deepen subject knowledge and understand the importance of writing as a tool for communication and thinking

Writing development begins long before children can form letters independently.

In Nursery, children develop the physical foundations for writing through activities that strengthen fine motor control, alongside rich opportunities for communication, storytelling and mark-making. 

In Reception, children begin to apply their growing phonics knowledge to write words, captions and sentences. Through oral rehearsal, shared writing and purposeful opportunities within provision, children develop confidence, independence and enjoyment in writing

Children are regularly given opportunities to publish, perform and share their work with others. Whether through class displays, presentations, performances, digital portfolios or cross-class sharing, we aim to celebrate children as authors and showcase their achievements