Handwriting

Intent

Handwriting is a skill that, like reading and spelling, affects written communication across the curriculum. Children must be able to write with ease, speed and legibility. Handwriting skills should be taught regularly and systematically.

Implementation

Handwriting Style

At Netheravon All Saints, handwriting is taught using the Letter Join progression. Children are initially taught to form their letters using a print, using the school's pronunciation guide.  As letters are introduced they are displayed as part of ‘letter families’ that form the basis of future handwriting practice. The letter families are as follows:

As they move through the school, children subsequently learn the appropriate joins (horizontal, diagonal or none) between adjacent letters.

Early Years

Children take part in activities to develop their fine and gross motor skills, following the Kinetic Letters progression. They develop a recognition of and ability to replicate pattern. They are given many and frequent opportunities for independent mark-making. Children learn how to hold a pencil correctly using a tripod grip. They learn how to use a pencil effectively to form recognisable letters. By the end of Reception the majority of children are expected to be forming letters correctly using print.

Key Stage 1

Children build on their correct letter formation, by learning how to leave finger spaces, sit their writing on the line and to form capital and lower case letters of the correct size relative to one another and with the correct orientation. Children have separate handwriting books, and handwriting is taught discretely daily. Children write in pencil in KS1. 

Key Stage 2

In Lower KS2, children are taught how to 'lead in' and 'lead out' of letters so that they can join letters using the diagonal and horizontal strokes. Children are not expected to produce consistenyl joined handwriting until all of the joins have been taught.

In upper KS2, the target for children is to produce a fluent, rapid and consistently formed style of cursive handwriting that enables them to communicate their ideas across the curriculum with ease. To achieve this, children continue to have discrete handwriting sessions four times a week. For this purpose, each child has a handwriting book, and it is expected that this handwriting is consistent across all curriculum areas. In KS2, children are given the opportunity to write in pen in discussion with the teacher. They may then make a choice about which medium they prefer to write with. 

Children in KS2 are taught the value and pride in presentation and handwriting, so that they are intrinsicly motivated to write neatly and legibly.

When handwriting is a challenge

Some children find handwriting difficult and as a result do not make progress in line with the steps detailed above. In all such instances, school will seek to find the cause of the difficulty and put strategies in place to support the child as much as possible. This process will be carried out in line with the school Identification of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) process and strategies may include exercises to improve fine motor skills, implements such as pencil grips and writing slopes, or referrals to external professionals.

Impact

Through high quality first teaching, all children will meet the requirements of the National Curriculum in handwriting, writing fluently, legibly and confidently.