handwriting policy september 2016 · this is followed by ccw cursive 22, which builds on the...

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Batley Parish CE (VA) J, I & N School Handwriting Policy

September 2016


The Governors and staff of Batley Parish School affirm its foundation to be rooted in a strong Christian base and belief and a loving Christian environment, providing an ideal context for growth and for delivering a rich, broad and balanced curriculum and entitlement both individually and collectively, which reaches into community life.

At the heart of the 'ethos' at Batley Parish School lies the Christian Faith and from that the importance attached to nurturing and developing in our youngsters, the skills and objectives that will enable them to develop into tolerant caring adults with an inner spiritual contentment to guide them through, and along, the various stages of life

Our Vision

At Batley Parish Junior, Infant and Nursery School we recognise that every child is unique and that our core purpose is to facilitate the best possible growth and development for each individual. We understand our place at the heart of our locality and will endeavour to grow our position as a central pillar of the Batley community. We will develop the social and technological needs of our learners to help to prepare them for life in 21

st century Britain. Our school family will create a home

from home, which includes fulfilling many roles traditionally seen as parental responsibilities and supporting our families whenever help is needed. We will ensure that all Batley Parish children are safe and healthy in body and mind. Our children will be confident, independent and aspirational, driven by our Christian values and the ability to decide what is morally right. Our curriculum will focus on deepening understanding, using real life experiences to arouse young minds animated by inspirational teaching and learning environment.


Aims:

For all children to be able to write in a neat and legible cursive style.

For all children to develop fluency and confidence when writing.

Achieved by:

Having a common and consistent approach to handwriting teaching and learning.

All teachers and teaching assistants modelling the appropriate style of

handwriting.

By using the school’s handwriting style in the “environmental print”

around the school building.

Raising the profile of good handwriting and presentation around the

school.


Teaching and Learning

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): Communication, language and literacy

Children will be introduced to pre-cursive and cursive scripts at the

earliest stages of writing.

Children in the Foundation Stage should be writing in the school pre-

cursive script to enable an easier transition in Year One into the cursive

script. However, the expectation is that in the Summer term of Reception

Class pupils will begin to learn and use the school cursive script

depending on their skill and ability.

Displays in both Nursery and Reception should include models of cursive

script.

Implements such as chunky triangular pencils, large chalks and chunky

pens etc are used by pupils to rehearse skills on paper, chalk boards,

pavement etc in line with our usual Early years practice.

Key Stage 1 & Key Stage 2

Within KS1, handwriting will be entwined with effective phonics learning.

Here will also be two additional 10 minute handwriting sessions each

week.

Within KS2, every class will have two 15 minute handwriting sessions per

week.

Handwriting sessions will have lots of interaction between the teacher

and children. They are not typically silent copying out sessions. Teachers

and/or teaching assistants will model the letter, family of letters; join

type or pattern that children will reproduce. Care should be taken to

point out the small features that it is intended children will learn.

Lessons can progress to the application of the previous points into whole

words or sentences. Lessons can be linked to current learning in phonics

or spelling.

Children will begin to learn a cursive script in the landscape handwriting

books. In Year Two children will use the small red handwriting books until they reach Upper Key Stage Two, where 8mm lined books will be

used.

There is no formal planning expectation for teachers, however teachers

will need to be able to demonstrate the progress their children have

made by reference to the following table:


Progression In Handwriting

Early Years

Recognise lower case letters in school style Outcome

Recognise upper case letters in school style All children can form precursive script correctly. Most children can successfully join letters for example when writing their name.

Form lower case precursive letters

Write sounds and words by combining precursive lower case letters

Write words by combining an upper case letter with lower case

precursive letters

Write words by combining an upper case letter with lower case

cursive letters.

Year One 8 I can write my first name with upper and lower case

letters

All children can form letters of a regular size.

All children can join the majority of words in their writing.

9 I can form most letters correctly (size and shape may be

irregular) 10 I can always leave spaces between words 11 I can make my letters a clear size and shape

(ascenders and descenders/use upper case and lower

case correctly) 12 I can show some control of letter shape, size and

orientation)

Year Two 9 I can form my lower case letters correctly and they are

the same size.

The vast majority of children are writing in a joined and legible style.

10 I can form letters with ascenders/descenders correctly. 11 I can write capital letters and digits of the correct size 12 I can use some of horizontal/diagonal joins needed to

join letters.

Year Three 9 I can usually join my handwriting. All children have

a pen licence. 10 I can write neatly, legibly and accurately, mainly in a

joined style.

Year Four 6 I can write neatly and legibly usually maintaining a

joined style.

Size, spacing and joining is consistent for all children.

Year Five 5 I can write neatly, legibly and accurately in a flowing

joined style.

Neat, cursive writing is evident across all books

for all children. Year Six

6 I can write neatly and legibly in a joined personal style A personal style rooted in the school style is evident.


Posture

Chairs and desks within classrooms are matched to children’s age and

height.

Children’s backs should be straight and feet resting on the floor. A right-

handed child should have their book slanted to the left. For a left-

handed child the book should be slanted to the right.

Always make sure that the hand which is not holding the pencil or pen

holds the paper.

Implements

Children use a standard HB pencil, well sharpened.

Children will use a blue manuscript pen if they have been awarded a

penl Licence or a blue fountain pen for advanced licence holders.

A pencil is always used within maths regardless of whether children

have a pen licence.

Pen Licences

When a teacher and a child agree that they have met the aim of

writing in a neat and legible cursive style, they can apply to the

headteacher for a pen Licence. Children will need to demonstrate that

they can apply this style consistently in their work in all books.

When a penlLicence is awarded, children will receive a certificate and

school pen in the weekly family assembly.

Pen Licences can be awarded from Year Two onwards.

For children who have become highly confident and competent writers,

an advanced licence can be awarded. These children will receive the

advanced certificate and a fountain pen in the weekly family assembly.

Resources Our school have purchased three fonts for use on our computer network that can be used to prepare handwriting resources. They are identified as:

CCW Precursive7 CCW Cursive 22 XCCW Joined 22a and XCCW Joined 22b

CCW Precursive 7 and CCW Cursive 22 are available on Miscrosoft office programs. XCC Joined 22 can only be used through a special template that opens when the Joinit C22 icon is opened. Important note: When using XCC Joined 22 time needs to be spent swapping between the a and b font to achieve a consistent join. A joins


from the bottom line,B joins from the middle of the line (top of lower case small letters).

Use of ICT At Batley Parish we believe that the skill of handwriting is a kinaesthetic skill that cannot be replicated in the virtual world. Therefore ICT resources are limited to the tools used to present the skill to children for example interactive whiteboards.

Equal opportunities and Special needs All children must have the opportunity and the encouragement to reach their full potential regardless of race, creed or sex. Children with Special Educational needs, where necessary, will be provided with specialist equipment such as pencil grips or wider ruled lined paper. Intervention is available for children who experience significant difficulties to practice pre-writing skills and fine motor coordination Assessment, Monitoring and Moderation Children in the EYFS are assessed on an ongoing basis through observation, handwriting informs part of this. Within Key Stage One and Key Stage Two, handwriting is assessed as part of children’s writing assessments on a half termly basis. Handwriting books will not be formally marked, however it is expected that evidence of teacher or teaching assistant intervention, guidance or support is evident in these books.


Families of letters

The backward curve c family:

a c d e g o q s

The forward curve ) family:

p b s

The top curve family: h m n u

The bottom curve family:

u y

The pointy family:

v w

The tall family:

b d k h l f

The quite tall family:

t j

The dangle family: f g j p q y

The awkward family:

i k r s x z


CCW Precursive 7 is our introductory font. It has no lead ins It is intended for

use for emergent writers in Nursery and Reception. It can also be used for

children who are not ready to use a joined script.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz



ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV WXYZ



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This is followed by CCW Cursive 22, which builds on the

precursive font by introducing lead ins. Children start to use

this style in Reception class. They will make the transition to a

joined script so that the majority of children are joining by the

time they enter Year One.








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Children move on from the unjoined cursive script to the joined cursive script. This

is known as XCCW Joined 22a and XCCW Joined 22b. 22a has joins from the

bottom line, whilst 22b has joins emerging from the top of small letters






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As children gain confidence a more personal style can be encouraged by sloping the

handwriting style.






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