We aim for all of our children to speak and write fluently so that they can participate fully as a confident, fluent member of society. We understand that through verbal and written English, our children can develop their ability to communicate their ideas and emotions to others. At Woodside, we understand that reading is the key to learning and future success for our children. We are committed to fostering a love of literature and reading for pleasure to develop our children culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. In line with the National Curriculum for English, our intent is that all children:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate

Characteristics of a writer

• A passion for reading
• A command of grammar, punctuation and spelling, and neat handwriting
• An ability to write fluently in all curriculum subjects
• A wide range of rich vocabulary
• Able to structure writing to communicate ideas to the reader
• A love of writing in both education and for pleasure

Aspirations for the future Careers, hobbies and interests

• Journalist
• Historian
• Web developer
• Solicitor/lawyer
• Author
• Playwright
• Screenwriter
• Poet
• News producer
• Teacher
• Professor
• Social media manager
• Marketing assistant
• Proof reader
• Video game designer
• Communications manager

How we teach writing at Woodside This has been developed with reflection upon the National Curriculum (2014) and the Pathways to Write scheme.