You can make anything by writing.
– C. S. Lewis
Vision for Saltburn children
At Saltburn, first and foremost, we believe every child is a writer and has the ability to write extraordinary things. The teaching of writing is paramount within our broad and balanced curriculum and we have the same expectations across all subjects with regards to writing. Our aim is to ensure that every child within our school leaves as a competent writer and with an understanding of the conventions of Standard English and when to use it effectively. This ability to write with confidence for a range of purposes and audiences ensures that children leave Saltburn fully prepared for their secondary education, ready to achieve their aspirations and thrive in their adult life. The writing curriculum at Saltburn encourages children to immerse themselves in different text types, understand the features and impact of these, and realise the importance of them beyond education. A secure knowledge of spelling and grammar and an understanding of how to edit writing is taught throughout the school in a systematic and progressive way. The content of writing lessons is planned to build on children’s previous knowledge as well as introduce new learning in a fun and memorable way. Children at Saltburn develop a deep understanding of different text types and how to construct them effectively with clear purpose.
Aims
Through robust teaching practices, we aim to develop core areas for our children as they engage with writing with enthusiasm and passion:
- As a school, we want to enrich the experiences the children are exposed to and provide real-life opportunities to provide purpose to write through our experience days and wider curriculum events
- We will provide a well-sequenced writing curriculum that is ambitious and engaging
- We want our children to write for both pleasure and informational purposes
- To experience a rich and varied literary heritage through a wide range of stimuli
- To be exposed and to equip them with comprehensive, rich and diverse vocabulary so they can grapple with an array of genres
- We want our children to be able to express themselves through their writing and understand that it is a vehicle for communication, connection and creativity in the world
- We want all of our children to develop handwriting, which is legible and fluid, inline with our school handwriting scheme
- We want to give them the knowledge and the strategies to become confident and accurate spellers.
- For grammatical knowledge to be secure so they are able to write with accuracy and cohesion
- We want our children to write clearly, accurately and coherently in a range of genres, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
- High importance is placed on the effective process of writing and children are taught to plan, edit and evaluate the pieces they create
Place Value of Punctuation and Grammar Overviews
At the start of each academic year, the children at Saltburn work through ‘The Place Value of Punctuation’ prior to embarking on our genre writing journey. This is an approach that is devised by Grammarsaurus, where children are taught the fundamentals to sentence construction through grammatical terms and punctuation knowledge. An approach which provides children with the building blocks and ability to identify, edit, correct and modify sentences before applying this knowledge to extended writing.
Once the PVPG units are complete, and children have been assessed as secure, we then, as a school, complete a non-chronological report, followed by a recount. This allows children to apply their knowledge gained through the PVPG units and produces genres which are predominantly statement based.
Writing Examples
Progression from EYFS
Spelling
Words cast spells. That’s why it’s called spelling. Words are energy; use them wisely
– Anon
At our school, spelling is taught through a morphology-focused approach using the Grammarsaurus scheme, enabling pupils to understand how words are built from meaningful units such as roots, prefixes and suffixes. Rather than relying solely on memorisation, children are taught to explore patterns within words, helping them make connections between vocabulary and spelling. This approach supports both accuracy and vocabulary development, as pupils learn to deconstruct and reconstruct words, apply their knowledge across the curriculum, and understand how meaning and spelling are closely linked. Through regular, explicit teaching and application, pupils become more confident and independent spellers.
To support children’s spelling and vocabulary development at home, we have access to a wonderful ICT game: Morphs.
Morphs is a fun and engaging spelling game that helps children learn about word structure, including prefixes, suffixes and root words. By understanding how words are built, children can improve both their spelling and their understanding of meaning, which supports reading and writing across the curriculum. Children play short, interactive games where they build and manipulate words, earning rewards as they progress. Activities are designed to be age‑appropriate, motivating and easy to use independently. Each child has an individual log in.
Morphs:
- Can be used at home for short bursts of practice
- Reinforces spelling patterns taught in school
- Supports phonics and morphology learning
- Encourages independent practice in a fun, game‑based way
SPARK TRUST SPELLING BEE
Each year, one of our primary schools from the trust hold a much-anticipated event – The Spelling Bee! Each school sends 12 wonderful representatives to compete across the trust. We are extremely proud of our children – their behaviour and conduct was exemplary not to mention their exceptional spelling ability!
Our Writing Assessment
