WORD - Writing Like An Expert

Writing Across the Curriculum

All subject areas will plan two-weekly opportunities for extended writing specifically related to their curriculum requirements, so students can hone written expression and collate a portfolio of excellence. This is critically marked and assessed under a success criteria applicable to each subject area. A target and student action is set to be completed in response to the marking. All students are expected to engage with the feedback through their student action. This is to help collate the mastery skill of writing like an expert.

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Subject specific extended writing

Students are trained to produce high quality written texts across a range of genres, manipulating language to suit complex purposes, forms and audiences. Teachers have access to high quality models at GCSE through the recall of papers each year, and at KS3 through the sharing of best practice at federation subject strand meetings. Teachers have been trained in the research based strategy of deconstruction and follow a specific process to engage students with modelling and ensure mastery of subject specific writing skills, such as the passive voice in humanities. Extended writing is marked every two weeks using the Academy wide coded marking system and is regularly re-drafted so that students can hone their craft over time. Where there are common spelling misconceptions to be focused on, teachers have been trained in active strategies following the MAD process, employed to ‘Motivate’ students, ‘Activate’ their working and long term memory and enable them to ‘Demonstrate’ their knowledge of spelling over time. Faultless technical accuracy will be expected and teachers adapt their pedagogy to ensure that this is achievable for all students. The emphasis has been on using reading throughout the academy to shape form and purpose of writing in each individual subject area.

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What Writing Looks Like in a Lesson

• Every lesson across the Academy is expected to begin with a Knowledge Retrieval to test the student’s knowledge and ability to write about certain aspects of their learning within a subject area. This allows an opportunity for teachers to address any misconceptions in not only pupil knowledge but the competence of their writing.
• There are several opportunities embedded into lessons across the Academy to ensure maximum impact on writing skills. This includes strategies such as Cornell Notes, Word of the Day, Outcome Tasks and Knowledge Summary. Every teacher is trained and devices a plan to teach various aspects of writing within their lessons.
• At the end of every lesson is an opportunity for students to use their knowledge and understanding of the lesson and produce a piece of writing. This all contributes to the steppingstones on becoming an expert at writing across the Academy.
• The expectation is uniform throughout all key stages in the Academy

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Writing in the Sixth Form

Developing student's reading and writing skills is integral to success at Post-16. Students partake in rigorous extended writing activities which is embedded in each Sixth Form lesson to ensure the development of these vital academic skills.

By placing an emphasis on students’ written ability, students are able to further consolidate the subject content which is established in Lesson Prep. Each lesson incorporates a challenging exam-styled question where students are challenged to develop their subject knowledge and synoptic links between topics.

Our home learning consists of a Lesson Prep tasks, individual research, strengthening tasks focused on prior learning, and exam application. This is set as weekly home learning and displayed on the website under the relevant subject headings. This is further reinforced in class to build on Lesson Prep which allows for further consolidation and improved understanding of written technique.