From Year 1 onwards, our whole-school approach to the teaching of writing through the Literacy Tree's Writing Roots ensures consistency where children are appropriately challenged and supported to build core and lasting literacy skills. Writing opportunities are based on high-quality texts, which have been carefully chosen to enable children to engage critically and creatively with the curriculum and with the world around them. Higher level vocabulary contained within these texts broadens children’s literacy skills and is woven throughout the Literacy Tree's Writing Roots which underpin the teaching of writing at Helmdon Primary School. Opportunities for exploring vocabulary through drama, oracy and short-written outcomes are thoughtfully interwoven within the context of the texts.

Children are encouraged to revise and edit their writing as part of the writing process, and revising and editing are integral parts of both the National Curriculum and the Literacy Tree curriculum. Teachers model skills, such as planning, drafting, writing, revising and editing, using physical resources (flip-charts, pens, sentences strips) and make use of working walls within the classroom as a live and active teaching tool. Writing is shared and celebrated with real purpose, enabling children to see themselves as writers! English Writing books show progress, care and creativity.

The documents below detail specific curriculum progression: