At Pennine Way Primary School, we believe that every child can become a confident, skilled and enthusiastic writer. To support this, we use the I Am a Clever Writer approach, which provides children with a clear and consistent pathway to develop their writing skills from the moment they start school. Through engaging texts, rich vocabulary and purposeful writing opportunities, pupils learn how to plan, draft, edit and improve their work, enabling them to write with increasing accuracy, creativity and independence.

Our writing curriculum is designed to inspire a love of language while equipping children with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. Using the I Am a Clever Writer framework, pupils are taught how to write for a range of purposes and audiences, developing their understanding of grammar, punctuation and spelling in meaningful contexts. We encourage children to take pride in their writing, celebrate their individual voice and see themselves as successful authors who can communicate their ideas with confidence and imagination.

Below you can find our Writing Overviews from Reception to Year 6, which have been developed by our English Leaders alongside I’m A Clever Writer to include engaging texts, which tie in with our exciting units of learning across the year and develop key skills that pupils need to be ready to progress to the next stage in their writing. 

Reception Writing Overview

Y1 Writing Overview

Y2 Writing Overview

Y3 Writing Overview

Y4 Writing Overview

Y5 Writing Overview

Y6 Writing Overview

Reading

At Pennine Way Primary School, we believe that learning to read is one of the most important skills a child will develop. In the Early Years and Key Stage 1, we teach reading through the Little Wandle  phonics programme. Children take part in daily phonics lessons and read carefully matched books from Little Wandle and Collins Big Cat to help them practise and apply the sounds they have learned. Children read regularly in school with a focus on decoding, fluency and understanding, and books are sent home so that families can continue to support reading. We assess pupils regularly and provide additional support and targeted interventions where needed to ensure every child makes progress and develops confidence as a reader.

As children move through Key Stage 2, they continue to build their fluency, comprehension and enjoyment of reading using a wide range of high-quality Collins Big Cat books and whole-class reading texts. We are committed to ensuring that all children, including those with SEND, receive the support they need to become successful readers through tailored interventions and carefully planned teaching. We know that children make the greatest progress when school and home work together, so we encourage families to read with their child regularly and discuss books at home. We also hold parent workshops and information meetings throughout the year to help families understand how we teach reading and phonics and how they can support their child's reading journey. Alongside our reading curriculum, we actively promote a love of reading through our library, author events, World Book Day celebrations and other exciting reading opportunities across the school.