INTENT

At Sissinghurst, we are passionate about nurturing a lifelong love of language. We aim for all our children to develop confidence and competence in both spoken and written language, enabling them to communicate clearly and purposefully across a wide range of contexts, audiences and genres.

Through a consistent, progressive approach, we equip children with the tools to become thoughtful, imaginative and fluent writers. We want every child at Sissinghurst to take pride in their writing. We encourage children to see writing as a process — planning, drafting, refining and editing — and to take ownership of improving their work with increasing independence.

We recognise that every child brings their own strengths and starting points. Through careful assessment and responsive teaching, we ensure that all learners are supported and challenged appropriately so that they make strong progress and feel proud of their achievements.

We are particularly committed to providing both challenge and scaffolding to ensure all children – including those with SEND and those not yet working at age-related expectations – are supported to make strong progress.

IMPLEMENTATION

At Sissinghurst, we deliver the English curriculum through a carefully structured English Learning Journey, using high-quality texts to teach reading and writing.

In EYFS, early writing begins with mark making and develops through our Little Wandle phonics programme. As children learn new sounds, they are taught correct letter formation and begin to build words and short sentences. Independent writing is encouraged through engaging provision, supporting early composition skills.

From Year 1 to Year 6, writing is taught through rich texts that support reading comprehension, grammar instruction and a range of writing outcomes. Grammar and punctuation are taught both in context and discretely, with teachers modelling writing, supporting shared composition, and guiding children to plan, draft, revise, edit and publish their work. Children receive regular feedback to support their progress and develop independence in refining their writing.

We provide a language-rich environment, promoting ambitious vocabulary in all lessons and using working walls to support word understanding and usage. Spelling is taught through Little Wandle in Reception and KS1, and through Spelling Shed in KS2. Handwriting is taught explicitly from the start, developing into a fluent, joined style by the end of primary school.

Writing is embedded across the curriculum, allowing children to apply their skills in a range of subjects. Support and scaffolding are in place for those who need it, with resources such as phonics mats and word banks used to aid composition. Targeted interventions and clear progression ensure all children are supported to achieve and become confident, capable writers.

IMPACT

The impact of our English curriculum is carefully monitored through learning walks, drop-ins, book looks and pupil voice discussions. These approaches allow the subject leader to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and the success of any new initiatives. Findings are used to inform future planning and are shared with SLT and staff to support continuous improvement across the school.

Our revised approach to teaching English is clearly strengthening pupils' outcomes. There is visible evidence of progress, sustained learning and the development of transferable skills. Children are becoming increasingly confident and independent in their writing, and by Upper Key Stage 2, most are familiar with a range of genres and can apply their knowledge to write effectively for different purposes and audiences.

Children’s writing achievements are celebrated regularly, including in our weekly Celebration Assemblies, where progress and excellence are recognised. Teachers use a range of assessment strategies to ensure learning is responsive and targeted. Ongoing formative assessment informs daily teaching, while summative assessment, including regular moderation and termly data analysis, helps identify individuals or groups requiring additional support.

Monitoring and evaluation highlight strengths and areas for development, ensuring consistency and high expectations across the school. Staff benefit from tailored CPD based on these findings, supporting their continued professional growth.

As a result, children at Sissinghurst develop into confident, articulate writers who take pride in their work. Their writing shows clear progress across the year groups, including among disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils are secure in their understanding of grammar, structure and genre, and demonstrate the ability to plan, edit and refine their writing with increasing independence and care.