Writing at Nansloe
The Nansloe Writing Sequence
At Nansloe, we teach writing through our Nansloe Writing Sequence, which incorporates key principles from Talk for Writing while being carefully adapted to meet the specific needs of our pupils. Our approach follows the Nansloe Learning Cycle, ensuring a consistent structure that supports children to build skills progressively over time.
A core element of our writing curriculum is the use of high‑quality, language‑rich texts. These texts provide strong models for vocabulary, structure and style, as well as purposeful opportunities for children to apply taught spelling, practise handwriting and embed grammatical knowledge and prior learning within meaningful contexts.
Throughout the sequence, we place emphasis on teaching children to self‑assess, edit and improve their own writing independently. This helps to develop reflective, confident writers who understand the writing process and take pride in producing their best work.
Explicit Grammar and Punctuation Teaching to Support Writing
In the Autumn Term, Year 1 through to Year 6, use Grammasaurus to teach the 'Place Value of Grammar and Punctuation'. These lessons focus on developing children’s understanding of sentence structure, teaching them how to accurately use punctuation and how to build increasingly complex sentences over time. This structured, systematic approach establishes strong foundations at the start of the year and is then reinforced throughout the remaining terms, with regular practice embedded within the Nansloe Writing Sequence.
Writing in the Early Years
In our Early Years settings, we focus on developing the essential physical skills needed for writing, while nurturing children’s enthusiasm and excitement for mark‑making and early writing. Children learn to write individual letters, their names, lists and captions, gradually progressing towards writing short sentences. From the earliest stage, there is a strong emphasis on establishing good habits and teaching accurate letter formation. These fundamental skills provide a secure foundation that enables children to continue developing as confident, capable writers as they move through the school.
How we Teach Spelling
From Nursery through to Year 1, spelling is taught through our Read, Write, Inc. programme. Children learn to spell phonetically alongside learning to read, with a focus on blending sounds for reading and segmenting sounds for spelling. As part of their daily phonics sessions and daily writing sessions, they are also taught to spell tricky words (red words) through repeated practice, helping them recognise and remember words that cannot be decoded phonetically.
From Year 2 onwards, we teach spelling using the Grammasaurus approach, with a strong focus on helping children understand the etymology (where words come from) and morphology (how words are structured). Spelling is taught daily at the start of writing lessons, ensuring it becomes an integral part of children’s literacy learning. The words introduced each week are carefully linked to the current writing units, giving pupils meaningful opportunities to apply their new spelling knowledge in context.Please see the below parent guide and presentation to help you better understand how we teach spelling and how you can support with spelling at home.
How we Teach Handwriting
In Early Years, we place a strong emphasis on physical development to build the dexterity children need for confident writing. Any children in Year 1, or beyond, who struggle with the physical aspect of writing are supported with additional intervention.
Across the school, we teach pupils to sit with proper posture and to hold their pencil correctly, identifying and supporting any children who are not yet using the correct grip. Handwriting is taught daily, and we follow the Morrells Handwriting Scheme to ensure consistency, clear progression and the development of neat, fluent handwriting from the very beginning.
Please see the below guide to further support your understanding.
Reading at Nansloe
Early Reading
At Nansloe, we believe that strong early reading skills open the door to all future learning. From Nursery through to the end of the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme, we provide a highly structured, systematic approach that ensures every child develops the foundations needed to become a confident, fluent reader.
In Nursery, the focus is on developing children’s early language and listening skills, which are essential precursors to reading. Through songs, rhymes, stories, talk‑rich interactions and high‑quality play, children learn to tune into sounds, develop vocabulary and understand how language works. In the Summer Term, children begin their RWI journey to support their transition into school.
From Reception onwards, children are taught early reading through the Read Write Inc. (RWI) phonics programme. This systematic approach teaches children to:
- Recognise sounds (phonemes) and link them to letters (graphemes)
- Blend sounds to read words
- Segment words into sounds for spelling
- Develop reading fluency, accuracy and expression
Children are grouped according to their reading stage to ensure teaching is closely matched to their level of development. Regular, half-termly, assessments help us track progress and quickly identify any children needing additional support. Daily RWI lessons also include handwriting, spelling and comprehension activities, helping children to secure all the essential components of early literacy.
Take a look at the link below to give you further information about Read, Write Inc.
Transitioning from RWI
Once children can read with accuracy and fluency, they move off the Read Write Inc. programme. At this point, we use Accelerated Reader to support continued progression. This system ensures children choose books that are appropriately pitched for their reading ability and helps us monitor comprehension through short quizzes completed after reading. The transition from phonics to independent reading is carefully supported, ensuring children continue to develop confidence, stamina and a love of reading.
Reading for Pleasure
At Nansloe, we promote a strong culture of reading for pleasure. Daily story time, access to high‑quality texts, inviting book areas and positive reading experiences ensure that children not only learn how to read, but also develop a genuine enjoyment of books.