Writing
✏️ Writing at Potton Primary School
Our Approach: Essential Writing
At Potton Primary, we are committed to developing confident, creative and purposeful writers.
We teach writing through the Essential Writing approach (HFL Education), which is closely aligned with the Department for Education’s Writing Framework.
We believe that writing is a powerful tool for communication, creativity and self-expression, enabling children to share ideas, explore imagination and engage with the world around them.
🌟 Our Writing Curriculum
Our writing curriculum is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6 and is built around key principles that support all children to become successful writers.
✉️ Writing for Purpose and Audience
Children are taught to write with a clear purpose from the very beginning. They learn that writing is meaningful because it is read, heard and shared with others.
Each unit of work provides real reasons to write, with opportunities to consider:
- Who they are writing for
- Why they are writing
- The impact they want their writing to have
Language choices are always linked to how they affect the reader.
🧠 The Writing Process
Writing is taught as a structured process. Children are supported to:
- Plan and generate ideas
- Draft and develop their writing
- Edit and improve their work
- Proof-read for accuracy
This structured approach helps pupils manage the demands of writing and develop independence over time.
🧩 Grammar in Context
Grammar is taught within meaningful writing tasks rather than in isolation.
Children learn:
- How to use grammar accurately
- The effect different grammatical choices have on the reader
This helps pupils make informed and purposeful decisions in their writing.
📖 Reading as Writers
High-quality texts are used to support writing, not simply as models to copy.
Children are taught to “read as writers”, which means they:
- Analyse how authors craft their writing
- Identify key features and techniques
- Apply these techniques in their own work
This ensures children develop a deep understanding of writing craft.
✨ Choice and Independence
Children are given opportunities to make choices within their writing.
They are encouraged to:
- Draw on their own experiences and interests
- Develop their own ideas
- Express themselves creatively
This helps build confidence, ownership and independence as writers.
🗣️ Speaking and Sentence Development
Oral rehearsal is a key part of writing.
Children are taught to:
- Practise sentences aloud
- Explore ideas through discussion
- Build sentences from simple to more complex structures
This supports pupils to develop fluency and control in their writing.
✍️ Handwriting and Spelling
We recognise that transcription skills are essential for writing fluency.
Children are taught:
- Handwriting through a clear progression
- Spelling explicitly and regularly
- How to apply spelling patterns within their writing
This ensures pupils can focus on composing their ideas with confidence.
👩🏫 Teachers as Writers
Teachers play an important role as writing models.
Across the school, teachers:
- Demonstrate writing through “thinking aloud”
- Model how to plan, draft and edit
- Share the decision-making process behind writing
This helps children understand what successful writers do.
📚 Continuous Professional Development
Our staff receive ongoing training and support to deliver high-quality writing teaching.
The Essential Writing approach provides:
- Detailed, structured unit plans
- Professional guidance and training opportunities
- Research-informed practice
This ensures consistency and high expectations across the school.
🎯 What This Means for Our Pupils
Through Essential Writing, children at [School Name] develop:
- Confidence as writers
- A clear understanding of purpose and audience
- Strong grammar, spelling and handwriting skills
- The ability to plan, edit and improve their work
- Creativity and personal voice
Ultimately, we aim for all pupils to leave primary school as skilled, reflective and enthusiastic writers.
More information on Penpals for Handwriting can be found in the download section below.