The ability of children to express themselves confidently is vital for their learning in all subjects. At St. Patrick’s we encourage the children to express themselves well in speech and to be able to listen to others. We aim to foster a love of books, both fiction and non-fiction, and reading, Children are taught to read from a core scheme which is supplemented by a range of other material to enhance breadth and balance. We develop the children’s ability to write clearly and legibly and to produce a range of independent pieces of writing using accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation. We strive to make learning as meaningful as possible by making use of appropriate cross curricular links.

Writing

Good speaking and listening skills are vital for the development of children’s writing. In key stage 1 children learn to speak confidently and to listen to what others have to say. They learn to write independently and with enthusiasm, using spoken and written language to explore their own experiences and imaginary worlds. They are encouraged to see the value of writing, communicating meaning in narrative and non fiction texts while spelling and punctuating correctly.

In key stage 2 children learn to change the way they speak and write to suit different audiences and purposes. They learn the main rules and conventions of written English, including grammar, spelling and punctuation and begin to explore how spoken and written English can be used to express meaning in different ways. They develop their skills of planning, drafting and editing to improve their work and sustain their writing stamina in both fiction and non fiction pieces.