Writing

“YOU CAN MAKE ANYTHING BY WRITING” – C.S. Lewis

At Cavendish Close Junior Academy, our aim is to nurture confident, thoughtful and creative writers who understand the power of the written word. Writing is a fundamental life skill that enables children to communicate clearly, think critically, organise ideas, and express themselves with purpose and flair. Research suggests that high‑quality writing instruction — including modelling, explicit teaching of strategies, and purposeful practice — significantly improves pupils’ ability to write effectively (EEF, 2021; Graham & Perin, 2007). This evidence‑informed approach sits at the heart of our writing curriculum.

Our approach balances the development of transcriptional skills (spelling and handwriting) with compositional skills (planning, drafting, editing and improving). We ensure that children write for a wide range of audiences and purposes, exploring rich texts and meaningful contexts that inspire them to craft authentic, high‑quality pieces.

We believe that writing is most effective when children see themselves as authors. Teachers model the writing process explicitly, demonstrating how writers think, plan, draft and refine. Children learn and apply sentence‑level skills through direct teaching, guided practice and purposeful application. Vocabulary development is prioritised to strengthen children’s voice and precision as writers alongside exposing pupils to a broad range of genres, purposes and literary styles.

THE ACE CURRICULUM THROUGH WRITING...

Writing helps children to aspire by empowering them to communicate their ideas, ambitions and perspectives with clarity and confidence. Writing enables children to articulate their dreams, develop resilience through the editing process, and produce work they can be proud of. Celebrating writing achievements boosts self‑belief and encourages pupils to aim high.

Writing at Cavendish Close is a collaborative process. Children share ideas, plan in groups and respond to one another’s writing with kindness, respect and constructive feedback. Shared writing, paired editing and whole‑class modelling allow children to learn from each other, refine their thinking and appreciate different writing styles and voices. Through talk, drama and oral rehearsal, pupils learn how to build ideas collectively and understand the importance of communication and teamwork.

Children experience writing in many forms and in many places. They encounter inspiring writing environments such as the library, reading cabin, outdoor spaces and immersive learning experiences linked to class texts. Through meaningful contexts, children develop curiosity, imagination and enjoyment, using writing to explore new worlds, express themselves and connect with others.

Through all of these, our children are able to become ACE writers.