“Words are the most inexhaustible source of magic” J.K. Rowling
At Florence we are writers! We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and grow up wanting to be authors, journalists, copywriters and teachers!
English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised. National Curriculum (2013)
Bringing Writing Alive at Florence Melly!
We often use the vibrancy of Liverpool as a vehicle to enrich pupils’ time in our school with memorable and unforgettable experiences, trips, lessons and clubs. Here are just a few examples of how we have brought our writing curriculum alive this year:
- Our UKS2 pupils were thrilled to be treated to a reading and writing workshop from published author, Phil Earle. Phil discussed his incredible journey from a reluctant child reader to a published writer. Phil shared that is was when taking on a temporary position in the children’s section of a bookshop and beginning to immerse himself in children’s fiction that he realised he wanted to write for young people and the rest, as they say, is history. Working as a bookseller led to a job in publishing and today, Phil’s time is split between selling books for a publisher and writing his own. The children wholeheartedly engaged in Q & A and creative writing sessions during the visit. Phil left us with these inspirational words, ‘we are surrounded by stories, every day of our lives. All we have to do is keep our eyes and ears open, because even the simplest or most mundane events can spark off a new adventure. An adventure we are compelled to re-tell.’ It is exciting to think that we may have future published authors within our UKS2 classes!
- Pupils were immersed into an inspiring and creative day of writing as they explored ‘Step Inside Your Story’, which allowed them to place themselves at the heart of their own unique and meaningful stories. We teamed up with the British Library and participated in a live-streamed session, in which pupils were given many writing tips and were lucky enough to hear other authors reading their own stories. Pupils were tasked with creating their own concertina styled books and the outcomes were incredible. All of the smiling and proud faces, at the end of the school day, showed us that the day was a great success!
Our Writing subject specific characteristics
Writing subject specific characteristics, which we expect the children to demonstrate, have been developed and shared with all stakeholders. These characteristics underpin all work in writing and form a focal point for display areas and provide a common subject specific vocabulary for staff and pupils.
At Florence Melly, we are Writers. We have…
- The ability to write fluently and with interesting detail on a number of topics throughout the curriculum.
- A vivid imagination which makes readers engage with and enjoy their writing.
- A highly developed vocabulary and an excellent knowledge of writing techniques to extend details or description.
- Well-organised and structured writing, which includes a variety of sentence structures.
- Excellent transcription skills that ensure their writing is well presented and punctuated, spelled correctly and neat.
- A love of writing and an appreciation of its educational, cultural and entertainment values.
Key Writing Documentation
Please use the links below to access our key documentation.
Writing Vocabulary Progression
Celebrating Writing on Social Media
Recent Writing Initiatives/Key Actions at Florence Melly
At Florence Melly, we implement many initiatives to promote writing. This year, these have included:
- The appointment of a new Writing Lead, with a TLR, to drive forward improvements in this area of school life.