The teaching of writing in Year 2 to Year 6 is planned using a ‘loops journey’ approach. Each journey is carefully crafted to ensure that there is a clear written outcome towards which the children will work. Each journey begins by ensuring that the children have a strong connection with, and understanding of the carefully chosen stimulus, be this a piece of high-quality children’s literature or film.

At Whiteoak the Year 2 to Year 6 writing sequence begins with exploration, where teachers introduce the text, build context and connect it to pupils’ prior knowledge.  This is followed by analysis of high-quality models or WAGOLLs so children understand the features and structure they are aiming to replicate. There is more emphasis placed on this as pupils move through KS2.  Alongside this, SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) is taught discretely but in context, and then reinforced through sentence-level work, where pupils practise and then apply these skills with increasing independence, addressing misconceptions and building accuracy through repetition and transcription.

The sequence then moves into short writes, allowing pupils to apply specific skills in manageable tasks that build confidence and stamina before tackling longer pieces. This leads into planning and drafting, where children organise ideas (e.g. through graphic organisers or story maps) to reduce cognitive load and support independence. There is a greater emphasis on this in KS2.  During the writing phase, teachers model key elements, scaffold learning, provide opportunity for oral rehearsal and gradually ‘hand over the baton’ as pupils produce extended pieces over time. Throughout the writing sequence opportunities to teach proofreading and editing take place, with children learning to refine their work—first correcting surface errors, then improving clarity and quality. This is supported by modelling, structured steps and opportunities for peer collaboration. Where appropriate, children are given opportunity to publish their work for real audience and purpose.