How we teach your child to write
Writing at Fairfields
At Fairfields Primary School, we understand the importance of writing and strive to nurture a deep love for the written word in all our pupils. Our approach is rooted in our passion for creating lifelong learners who can express themselves creatively and thoughtfully. To support this, our curriculum is designed to be both engaging and inspiring, making use of high-quality texts that capture the imagination of our children.
Within lessons, we incorporate a rich mix of drama and oracy activities, enabling pupils to bring stories and ideas to life through expressive and interactive experiences. This dynamic foundation not only supports the development of strong writers, but also helps to build confident communicators who are empowered to share their ideas with clarity and flair.
To give our pupils a strong foundation in literacy, we use the RWI phonics scheme, which enables children to become fluent readers and writers in English (please see more details about this on our website). Alongside this, in Foundation Stage we follow the ‘Drawing Club’ approach, which through repetition and oral storytelling activities encourages our youngest learners to develop confidence and enthusiasm as storytellers.
At Fairfields, our English units are carefully planned in cycles. Each cycle is built around five clear stages, giving children a structured journey through the writing process. During a cycle, pupils are immersed in the topic through drama and creative oracy activities, explicitly taught genre-specific writing skills, and given opportunities to practise and refine these skills. They also learn how to edit and improve their work before showcasing their learning in a final independent piece of writing (our Standard Task). This cycle ensures that every child has the chance to develop as a writer, with the skills, creativity, and confidence to succeed.
Writing links:
Spelling at Fairfields
At Fairfields, we recognise that accurate spelling is an essential skill for confident communication and effective writing. We want our pupils to develop not only the technical knowledge of spelling patterns and rules, but also the confidence to apply these in their everyday work.
To achieve this, we use the Read Write Inc Spelling scheme (created by Ruth Miskin) in combination with the Spelling Statutory Requirements set out in the English Program of Study, Spelling Appendix 1 of the National Curriculum. This ensures that all children receive a structured, progressive programme of teaching that builds both knowledge and fluency.
In Year 1, pupils continue to follow the RWI Phonics scheme, giving them a strong foundation in reading and writing through phonetic awareness. From Year 2 to Year 6, spelling is taught through a combination of the RWI Spelling scheme and carefully planned lessons linked directly to the National Curriculum requirements. This approach provides children with explicit teaching of spelling rules and strategies, while also giving them the opportunity to practise, apply and revisit what they have learned.
By combining a systematic programme with tailored teaching, we ensure that every child at Fairfields develops the strategies they need to become confident, accurate spellers who can use their skills to enhance their written work across all areas of the curriculum.
Spelling links:
