Year 5 Writing Curriculum at West Wycombe School

Introduction At West Wycombe School, we are committed to nurturing proficient and confident writers. Our Year 5 writing curriculum is designed to develop a comprehensive set of writing skills, ensuring that students can effectively plan, structure, and present their ideas. This report outlines the key topics covered, the competencies expected from our Year 5 writers, and the type of writer we aim to cultivate.

Key Topics and Competencies

Planning

Competency: Students are taught to plan their writing to ensure it has a clear structure and flows logically.
Expectation: They should be able to outline their ideas before writing, ensuring coherence and organization.
Milestone: "I can plan my writing, considering its purpose."

Organisation

Competency: Use of paragraphs to organize ideas around a theme.
Expectation: Students should use appropriate nouns and pronouns for clarity, cohesion, and to avoid repetition.
Milestones:
"I can develop cohesion within paragraphs."
"I can link sentences and paragraphs using adverbials of time, place, or number."

Style of Writing

Competency: Use of subheadings and headings in non-narrative writing; descriptive elements in narrative writing.
Expectation: Students should be able to describe settings, characters, and plots effectively.
Milestones:
"I can develop characters, settings, and plots and create an atmosphere that is appropriate for my story."
"I can use presentational devices in my non-narrative writing, such as headings and underlining."
"I can make effective use of dialogue in my narrative writing."

4.Checking and Editing

Competency: Proofreading for grammar and spelling mistakes, and making necessary changes.
Expectation: Students should be able to assess their own work and that of their peers, making constructive suggestions for improvement.
Milestones:
"I can respond appropriately to a teacher’s feedback using a thesaurus to improve my vocabulary."
"I can check my writing to make corrections to vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and punctuation where needed."

5.Punctuation

Competency: Accurate punctuation at the beginning and end of sentences; correct use of inverted commas.
Expectation: Students should demonstrate consistent use of punctuation to enhance readability.
Milestones:
"I can use brackets, dashes, or commas to indicate parenthesis."
"I can use commas to insert clauses and to clarify meaning."
"I can accurately punctuate dialogue."
"I can use colons and semi-colons."

6.Sentence Structure

Competency: Use of a range of sentence types (simple, compound, complex) and conjunctions; use of fronted adverbials.
Expectation: Students should vary their sentence structures to create engaging and dynamic writing.
Milestones:
"I can use relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, what, that."
"I can ensure correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural."
"I can vary the length and structure of sentences."

7.Vocabulary

Competency: Use of adverbs, adverbial phrases, and adventurous vocabulary.
Expectation: Students should enrich their writing with detailed and varied vocabulary.
Milestones:
"I can use imaginative vocabulary and select appropriate synonyms."
"I can make varied use of subordinate clauses in my writing."
"I can use precise expanded noun phrases to add interest and detail."

8.Tense

Competency: Correct use of past tense and present perfect forms of verbs.
Expectation: Students should consistently use the appropriate tense for their writing.
Milestones:
"I can use modal verbs correctly."
"I can ensure consistent and correct use of tense throughout my writing."
"I can use suffixes and prefixes to change word classes."

9.Spelling

Competency: Consistent spelling of alternative sounds, prefixes, suffixes, and Year 5 word list.
Expectation: Students should demonstrate accurate spelling in their writing.
Milestones:
"I can spell all the words on the Year 5 list correctly."
"I can spell words that include silent letters."

10.Handwriting

Competency: Ability to write fluently, legibly, and with increasing speed.
Expectation: Students should develop a clear and efficient handwriting style.
Milestone: "I can write fluently and legibly, with increasing speed."

National Curriculum Expectations for Year 5 Writers The national curriculum for Year 5 writers emphasizes the development of a range of writing skills, including planning, drafting, evaluating, and editing.

Students are expected to:
•    Write for a range of purposes and audiences.
•    Organize their writing into coherent paragraphs.
•    Use a rich and varied vocabulary.
•    Apply accurate grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
•    Develop a legible and fluent handwriting style.

The Type of Writer We Aim to Cultivate At West Wycombe School

We aim to cultivate writers who are:
•    Confident: Able to express their ideas clearly and creatively.
•    Competent: Skilled in the technical aspects of writing, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
•    Reflective: Capable of evaluating their own work and making improvements.
•    Engaged: Enthusiastic about writing and eager to explore different genres and styles.

Our Year 5 writing curriculum is designed to equip students with the skills they need to become proficient and confident writers. By focusing on key topics and competencies, we ensure that our students meet the expectations of the national curriculum and develop into the type of writers who can effectively communicate their ideas and engage their readers.