Writing
English Statement of Intent
Intent
At ROTJS, our intent is to develop confident, purposeful writers who understand that writing is a powerful way to communicate ideas, inform others, entertain readers, and influence opinions. We teach writing through a purpose‑led approach, helping children understand why they are writing and who they are writing for.
Our writing curriculum reflects our school motto, “Making Learning Memorable,” by giving children meaningful, engaging writing experiences that stay with them. It also aligns with our commitment to No Outsiders, ensuring every child feels welcome, represented, and valued in the texts they encounter and the writing they produce.
We aim to help children connect with the wider world as articulate, confident communicators who recognise the power of language. Our curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Write for clear purposes — to entertain, inform, persuade, and discuss
- Make thoughtful choices about vocabulary, grammar, and structure
- Develop strong drafting, editing, and publishing skills
- Build confidence, creativity, and increasing independence as writers
- Experience a rich range of texts, stimuli, and writing opportunities
- Apply writing skills across the curriculum
We aim for every child to leave ROTJS able to write with clarity, control, and impact — prepared for the demands of secondary school and equipped to express themselves as life‑long learners. Our values — Be Brave, Be Curious, Be Kind — underpin the way children approach writing, take risks, explore ideas, and respond to others’ work.
Implementation
Writing at ROTJS is taught through a purpose‑driven model, with each unit focusing on one clear purpose — to entertain, inform, persuade, or discuss — supported by high‑quality texts and engaging stimuli.
Children learn through:
- Clear teaching of purpose and audience
- Live teacher modelling and shared writing
- The full writing process: planning, drafting, editing, and publishing
- Grammar and vocabulary taught meaningfully within writing
- A consistent lesson structure that builds confidence and independence
- Regular independent writing and short recap units to strengthen skills
- Inclusive support so all pupils have the opportunity to succeed
We make learning memorable by giving children relevant, meaningful writing experiences that link to real contexts across the curriculum. Creative approaches — drama, art, discussion, and real‑life stimuli — help children connect with ideas and write with purpose.
Our values encourage pupils to be brave in their ideas, be curious about language, and be kind when giving and receiving feedback. Writing is celebrated across the school through publishing, performance, and cross‑curricular opportunities, helping children take pride in their achievements.
Impact
Our writing curriculum aims to ensure that children leave ROTJS as confident, capable writers who understand how to communicate clearly and effectively.
Through our purpose‑led teaching, pupils learn to:
- Choose the right purpose for writing
- Adapt their writing for different audiences
- Use grammar and vocabulary with increasing control
- Plan, draft, edit, and publish with growing independence
Across KS2, pupils typically make strong progress, producing writing that is increasingly well‑structured, purposeful, and engaging. Regular independent writing and recap units help them secure and deepen their skills over time.
We strive to ensure all pupils can make meaningful progress through clear modelling, supportive scaffolds, and adaptive teaching. Writing is valued and celebrated across the school, helping children develop confidence and pride in their achievements. Our inclusive ethos — No Outsiders — ensures every child sees themselves as a writer who belongs here and has a voice worth hearing.
ROTJS Purpose-Led Writing Progression Grid
Vocabulary
Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
I choose adjectives and nouns that match the writing purpose. | I select vocabulary using a thesaurus to suit the purpose and audience. | I choose vocabulary that strengthens the purpose (e.g., precise verbs for clarity, emotive words for persuasion). | I intentionally select vocabulary to create a specific effect on the reader. |
I include interesting vocabulary to support my purpose. | I use ambitious vocabulary to shape tone and effect. | My vocabulary choices are thoughtful and relevant to the purpose. | My vocabulary choices are precise, relevant and ambitious, shaping tone and register. |
- | I explain why I choose certain words for the intended effect. | I choose words for deliberate effect. | I choose vocabulary to create emotional impact or influence the reader. |
Punctuation
Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
I use basic punctuation to make my writing clear for the reader. | I use punctuation accurately to support clarity and meaning. | I use punctuation to clarify meaning and avoid ambiguity. | I use advanced punctuation precisely to enhance meaning and control effect. |
I begin to use inverted commas and commas for lists. | I use commas after fronted adverbials and apostrophes for possession. | I use colons, brackets, dashes and commas to add detail. | I use semi-colons, colons, dashes and hyphens to control formality, cohesion and effect. |
Grammar
Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
I use different sentence structures to suit the purpose. | I use varied sentence structures to support clarity and flow. | I use a wide range of sentence structures to shape meaning and effect. | I select grammatical structures that match the purpose, audience and register. |
I use ‘a’ and ‘an’ correctly. | I use fronted adverbials to show when/where/how events happen. | I use relative clauses to add detail that supports the purpose. | I use contracted forms, passive verbs and modal verbs when appropriate for the purpose. |
I begin to use fronted adverbials and correct tense. | I write in standard English and use conjunctions to link ideas. | I use modal verbs to shape certainty and persuasion. | I use verb tenses consistently and correctly to maintain clarity. |
I use conjunctions and prepositions to link ideas. | I begin to use conjunctions to develop ideas. | I use a range of conjunctions to develop ideas effectively. | I use cohesive devices (adverbials, pronouns, synonyms) to build cohesion across paragraphs. |
I use adverbs to support clarity. | I describe nouns in detail when needed. | I use expanded noun phrases and fronted adverbials to support purpose. | I use cohesive devices across the whole text to support structure and effect. |
Composition
Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
I use paragraphs to organise ideas for the reader. | I use paragraphs correctly to show changes in time, place or character. | I organise my writing into paragraphs that reflect the genre and purpose. | I write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting language that shows awareness of the reader. |
I use structural features in non-fiction. | I use structural features to support clarity and purpose. | I use structural features consistently across the whole piece. | I select the appropriate form and draw on reading models to shape structure and effect. |
I create characters, settings and plots to entertain. | I use structural features in non-fiction to inform clearly. | I use genre-specific features to suit the purpose. | I integrate dialogue to convey character and advance action. |
My writing is interesting because I think about my ideas. | My paragraphs have relevant openings and clear purpose. | I use cohesive devices within and across paragraphs. | I control formality and register to suit purpose and audience. |
Handwriting & Spelling
Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
My handwriting is legible. | My joined handwriting is legible and consistent. | My handwriting is neat, accurate and fluent at speed. | I maintain legibility in joined handwriting when writing at speed. |
I spell some Y3/4 words correctly. | I spell almost all Y3/4 words correctly. | I spell most Y5/6 words correctly. | I spell most Y5/6 words correctly. |
I use dictionaries to check spellings. | I use prefixes and suffixes accurately. | I use word parts to help me spell new words. | I use dictionaries confidently to check spellings. |
Planning, Drafting & Editing
Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
I proof-read for simple errors. | I proof-read for errors and clarity. | I proof-read to improve content, structure and effect. | I understand that proof-reading is part of the writing process. |
I begin to edit content based on feedback. | I edit based on feedback. | I edit based on feedback and independently identify improvements. | I edit independently and plan effectively for purpose and structure. |
I plan in enough detail to begin writing. | I plan in detail to know what I am writing about. | I plan each section clearly. | I plan independently with clear structure and purpose. |
This document presents the full purpose-led writing progression for ROTJS.