Mackie Hill School

Writing across school

Writing Across Our School

 At Mackie Hill School, we believe that confident writers are built on strong foundations. We have carefully reviewed our writing curriculum against The Writing Framework to ensure we focus on the essentials of writing: spelling, handwriting and oracy (spoken language).

Our aim is for children to master these foundational skills so they become automatic. This automaticity frees children to focus on ideas, creativity and purpose, helping them grow into confident, capable writers.

We create language-rich environments across the school through high-quality adult interactions, clear modelling of writing, and the effective use of working walls. These support children in learning, remembering and using new and ambitious vocabulary.

How We Teach Writing

• Early Writing & Motor Skills
  Writing begins in Nursery with Wiggle Me Into Squiggle and continues in Reception with Squiggle While You Wiggle. These programmes develop the gross motor skills children need before moving on to fine motor control and formal writing. Reception children also complete daily Drawing Club lessons.
• Phonics
  We use Ruth Miskin’s Read Write Inc. Phonics to provide strong foundations in phonetic understanding, supporting children to read and spell with confidence. Children Nursery-Year 1 are taught phonics daily. 
• Handwriting
  Kinetic Letters is embedded throughout the school. This engaging and systematic approach focuses on the physical movements needed for accurate letter formation, helping children develop fluent and legible handwriting.
• Writing Composition
  We use Pathways to Write across the school. This book-focused programme provides a clear sequence of skills that build progressively over time, supporting children to develop structure, vocabulary and stamina in their writing.
• Spelling
  In Early Years and Year 1, spelling is taught through Read Write Inc. From Year 2 onwards, children use Spelling Shed, which teaches spelling rules explicitly and provides fun, interactive opportunities to practise both in school and at home.
  We also assess common exception words termly to quickly identify any misconceptions. This allows teachers to personalise spelling teaching and provide targeted support where needed.

Oracy: Talking to Write

Oracy is a key priority from Nursery to Year 6. Children are given planned and structured opportunities to talk, rehearse ideas and practise sentences before writing. This ensures every child has the chance to speak confidently every day and helps them organise their thoughts before putting them on paper.

Through this carefully structured approach, we support all children at Mackie Hill to develop the skills, confidence and love of writing they need to succeed.