1. Arngask Primary and Nursery Scho ol Writing Policy

2. A key outcome of our School Improvement Plan for 2013-2014 was to raise pupil attainment in writing. We aimed to give pupils skills and knowledge to set personal targets to progress their learning by: Providing opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning and identify next steps Increasing pupils’ ability to self-assess and provide quality peer feedback Meeting individual needs through class differentiation All classroom and school environments supporting and celebrating learning, and demonstrating high levels of expectations and aspirations (Class Star Writer awards, monthly Wonderful Writers’ assemblies and school displays of Wonderful Writers’ work).

3. Aims To offer all pupils a writing programme of high quality, in which they will experience a range of activities including: Enjoyment and choice – within motivating and challenging contexts, develop an awareness of the relevance of texts in our lives Tools for writing – using knowledge of technical aspects communicate effectively in writing within and beyond school Organising and using information – consider texts to help create short and extended writing for different purposes Creating texts – applying the elements writers use to create different types of short and extended texts with increasingly complex ideas, structures and vocabulary

4. What we have achieved A whole school ethos in which writing is highly valued. Raised levels of attainment/achievement in writing throughout the school. Pupils given a structured writing programme in order to allow them to make progression in their writing skills, to enable them to write effectively in a variety of genres. Pupils given opportunities to express feelings, ideas and thoughts through appropriate contexts for writing including real-life writing skills. Equipped pupils with technical skills necessary for accuracy in writing. Pupils given opportunities to order, clarify record and reflect on experiences. Pupils involved in evaluating own/peers writing.

5. Learning intentions and success criteria teachers set learning intentions distinguishing between what pupils will do in the lesson and what they will learn. Success criteria based on the learning intentions Devised with the pupils provides the pupils’ focus while they are working provides the key focus for all feedback and assessment

6. methods for marking and giving feedback ‘ 2 Stars and a Wish’ – where the teachers or pupils highlight two positive aspects of their writing and a focus for their next piece. Highlighting writing using coloured pens – pink for good areas (‘Tickled Pink’) and green for areas of improvement (‘green for growth.’) Pupils peer assess each other’s work before redrafting. Pupils highlight their writing to assess their use of VCOP using different colours. Feedback is discussed with pupils and pupils add their own star and wish. Teacher and pupil write feedback together. Class lessons use pieces of prior writing to highlight good writing/spelling/use of VCOP. Pupils are given four pieces of writing and feedback to match the writing with the feedback using only the Success Criteria. Pupils are asked to ‘Step up’ a sentence or sentences in their writing to improve its content using one of the VCOP targets.