Pathways to Write
English – Pathways to Write
At St Gilbert’s RC Primary School in Key Stage 2, we follow a Mastery approach to English through the Pathways to Write programme. Our units are carefully planned around high-quality, engaging texts and are designed to ensure that the National Curriculum objectives for English are systematically covered and revisited across each year group.
Children are given varied and purposeful opportunities to develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and to write for different audiences and purposes. Skills are revisited and developed through repetition within each unit, enabling children to build confidence and achieve greater mastery. Children are encouraged to question, explore ideas and make choices as writers, developing their independence while receiving the support and guidance they need to succeed.
Our Catholic Ethos
Our English curriculum also reflects the Catholic ethos of St Gilbert’s RC Primary School. Where appropriate, the themes and texts explored provide opportunities for children to reflect upon and discuss Gospel values, faith, relationships, compassion, respect, justice and our responsibilities towards others.
These themes encourage children to think deeply, ask questions and engage in meaningful discussions, making connections between their learning, their faith and the wider world. Through discussion and debate, children are encouraged to listen to different perspectives and express their own ideas respectfully.
Through Pathways to Write, we aim to nurture children who are confident, creative, thoughtful and independent communicators and writers, equipped with the vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, oracy skills and knowledge they need to communicate effectively and make their voices heard.
Developing Oracy
Oracy is an integral part of our English curriculum. Children are provided with lots of opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills, enabling them to articulate their ideas, build confidence and develop the vocabulary needed to become successful writers.
Throughout units, children engage in a range of purposeful speaking and listening activities, including hot seating, talk partner work, debates, discussions, role play and questioning. These opportunities allow children to explore characters, themes and ideas before putting them into writing. Children are encouraged to listen carefully to others, respond thoughtfully, justify their opinions and build upon the ideas of their peers.
Our rich oracy provision supports children to think before they write, helping them to rehearse vocabulary, organise their ideas and develop their responses. It also encourages children to become confident communicators who are willing to ask questions, share their thoughts and engage respectfully with different viewpoints.
Grammar and Punctuation
The teaching of grammar and punctuation is carefully integrated within each unit of work. Rather than being taught in isolation, children learn grammatical structures and punctuation conventions in context and are given opportunities to apply them directly within their own writing.
This helps children understand how grammar and punctuation can be used purposefully to improve the clarity, accuracy and effectiveness of their writing and ensures that key National Curriculum objectives are continually revisited and embedded.
Vocabulary Development
A key element of our writing approach is the development of vocabulary. Pathways to Write provides children with regular opportunities to encounter, discuss and use ambitious and interesting vocabulary. This builds upon the extensive work we do across school to develop our children’s rich and varied vocabulary, helping them to express themselves with increasing precision and confidence.
Through our focus on oracy, children have opportunities to hear, discuss, rehearse and apply new vocabulary before using it independently in their writing. This helps vocabulary become embedded and supports children in making increasingly ambitious choices as writers.
Poetry
Poetry is an important part of our English curriculum, with dedicated poetry units providing children with opportunities to explore a wide range of poetic forms, styles and structures. Children encounter and enjoy poetry from a variety of poets and develop an understanding of how language can be used creatively and imaginatively.
Through poetry, children explore rhythm, rhyme, word choice, imagery, repetition and figurative language, while developing their confidence in reading, performing and creating their own poems. Poetry also provides rich opportunities for children to experiment with vocabulary and express their thoughts, feelings and ideas in creative ways.
Editing and Redrafting
Children are taught the importance of editing and redrafting their work. They learn to review their writing, identify areas for improvement and make purposeful changes to strengthen the quality and impact of their finished piece.
This includes checking their use of vocabulary, grammar and punctuation, as well as considering whether their writing effectively communicates their intended ideas. Through this process, children become reflective and resilient writers who understand that good writing develops through careful consideration, revision and refinement.
Through Pathways to Write, we aim to develop children who are creative, imaginative and grammatically accurate writers. High-quality texts inspire children to explore ideas, experiment with language and develop their own unique voice. Through discussion, modelling, writing, editing and redrafting, children become increasingly independent and confident communicators. We want every child to leave KS2 able to express their ideas clearly, creatively and confidently, taking pride in their writing.