Writing

Intent
At St Gabriel’s, our writing curriculum is rooted in our mission, “Learning and loving on our journey with Jesus,” with inclusion at its core. We believe every child—regardless of background or ability—should become a confident, capable and enthusiastic writer. Writing is taught as a vital life skill, equipping pupils to communicate clearly, express themselves with confidence and engage thoughtfully with the world around them. Through developing accuracy, creativity and awareness of audience, we prepare our pupils for their future education and for life beyond school, enabling them to use their voice with respect and purpose.

Implementation
Writing is taught through a purposefully sequenced and inclusive approach, beginning in the Early Years with a strong focus on language development, physical readiness and phonics. From Key Stages 1 and 2, the CUSP curriculum supports pupils in developing grammar, punctuation and composition skills, which are applied through regular, purposeful writing opportunities across the curriculum. High-quality texts, structured teaching and ongoing assessment ensure all pupils are supported and challenged to achieve their full potential.

Early Years
The development of writing begins in Nursery and Reception, where priority is given to securing the strong foundations necessary for success. Children first develop gross motor control through activities such as running, climbing and crawling, establishing the strength and coordination required for fine motor skills and handwriting. A language-rich environment underpins all learning, with a strong emphasis on high-quality interactions and spoken communication. Carefully planned, play-based experiences promote purposeful talk and social interaction, recognising that oral language is a prerequisite for writing. Systematic phonics teaching then provides a clear progression from sound recognition to mark-making and early composition, with adults explicitly modelling letters, words and simple sentences, enabling children to build confidence and move towards increasingly independent writing.

Key Stage 1 and 2
From Year 1 to Year 6, writing is taught through the carefully sequenced, evidence-informed CUSP curriculum, securing strong foundations in grammar, punctuation and vocabulary. Pupils progressively develop sentence construction—from simple to more complex structures—and apply these skills in purposeful writing inspired by high-quality texts. Regular opportunities to write, alongside targeted teacher feedback, enable pupils to rehearse, refine and improve their work.

Handwriting
Handwriting at St Gabriel’s is taught through a bespoke, research-informed scheme that is rooted in child development and implemented with consistency and rigour across the school. The approach is systematic and progressive, with clearly sequenced teaching that begins with the development of gross and fine motor skills and builds towards fluent, joined handwriting. Daily practice, alongside targeted activities to strengthen motor control, ensures pupils develop accuracy, stamina and speed. Consistent teaching approaches and high expectations across all phases support pupils in forming letters correctly, improving presentation and embedding strong transcription skills as a foundation for effective writing.

Impact
As a result of our inclusive, carefully-sequenced approach, pupils at St Gabriel’s make strong progress in writing, regardless of their starting points. They develop into confident, fluent and accurate writers who can communicate their ideas clearly and with purpose across a range of contexts. High expectations, consistent teaching and targeted support enable every child to succeed, building independence, resilience and pride in their work. Pupils leave our school equipped with the essential communication skills needed for the next stage of their education and for life beyond school.