Achieving Excellence in Writing at Hadrian

At Hadrian Academy, we believe that every child can become a confident and capable writer. Our aim is to inspire a love of writing while giving pupils the skills they need to express their ideas clearly, creatively and with purpose. We strive to ensure all children—whatever their starting point—are supported and challenged to do their very best. Through rich texts, exciting experiences and opportunities to write for real audiences, we help children develop their voice, imagination and confidence as writers.

In Writing, we have worked hard to build a bespoke Writing Curriculum, loosely based on Pathways to Write but adapted to ensure the breadth and challenge in writing that our children deserve.

Writing is taught through a clear and consistent approach used across the school: 

• Immerse

• Analyse

• Skill

• Plan

• Write

• Review 

Children are immersed in high-quality texts and experiences that spark ideas and build vocabulary. They explore how authors write, learning how language and structure are used to engage the reader. Key writing skills are taught and practised before children plan and write their own extended pieces. Time is given to reflect, edit and improve work, helping children to take pride in what they produce. From Year 2 onwards, pupils use notebooks to collect ideas, vocabulary and reflections, encouraging them to think and behave like real writers. Teachers carefully support and challenge all learners so that every child is able to make progress and work towards achieving excellence in writing.

Spelling and Handwriting

Spelling
Spelling is taught through a structured and engaging approach using SpellingShed. This programme supports children in learning spelling patterns, rules and strategies appropriate to their age and stage. Lessons are interactive and allow pupils to practise and apply their spellings both in class and at home. By building strong spelling knowledge alongside writing, we help children develop accuracy and confidence.

Handwriting
We believe that clear, fluent handwriting is an important life skill and plays a key role in successful writing. In Reception and Year 1, handwriting is taught through Little Wandle, helping children form letters correctly and develop good early writing habits.
From Year 2 onwards, children learn cursive handwriting using the Letter-join programme. This supports the development of joined, fluent and legible handwriting, enabling pupils to write more efficiently and take pride in the presentation of their work as they progress through school.

The Importance of Reading in Supporting Writing

Reading plays a vital role in helping children become successful writers. Through regular reading, children are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary, sentence structures and writing styles, which they can then draw upon in their own writing. High-quality texts help children develop an understanding of how language works, how ideas are organised and how writers engage the reader. Reading also fuels imagination and gives children ideas to write about, increasing their confidence and enjoyment of writing. By reading often at home and in school, children build the language knowledge and creativity they need to express themselves clearly and work towards Achieving Excellence in writing.