Handwriting

Handwriting Overview

Here at Baden Powell and St Peter’s Junior school, we follow the National Curriculum as a guide when teaching handwriting. There are expectations for lower key stage 2 (years 3 and 4) and upper key stage 2 (years 5 and 6). The National Curriculum aims are incorporated within our school handwriting progression.

Each year, the children can work to earn a bronze, silver or gold award for their handwriting. They are awarded yearly, as the expectations for handwriting are different for each year group.

Lower Key stage 2:

Handwriting

Pupils should be taught to:

· use the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined.

· increase the legibility, consistency and quality of their handwriting, [for example, by ensuring that the downstrokes of letters are parallel and equidistant, and that lines of writing are spaced sufficiently so that the ascenders and descenders of letters do not touch]

Notes and guidance (non-statutory)

Pupils should be using joined handwriting throughout their independent writing. Handwriting should continue to be taught, with the aim of increasing the fluency with which pupils are able to write down what they want to say. This, in turn, will support their composition and spelling.

Upper Key stage 2:

Handwriting and presentation

Pupils should be taught to:

· write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by:

· choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices and deciding whether or not to join specific letters.

· choosing the writing implement that is best suited for a task

Notes and guidance (non-statutory)

Pupils should continue to practise handwriting and be encouraged to increase the speed of it, so that problems with forming letters do not get in the way of their writing down what they want to say. They should be clear about what standard of handwriting is appropriate for a particular task, for example, quick notes or a final handwritten version. They should also be taught to use an unjoined style, for example, for labelling a diagram or data, writing an email address, or for algebra, and capital letters, for example, for filling in a form.

Presentation

Clear and careful presentation across the curriculum is considered very important; taking the time and making the effort to create a piece of work of which the children can be proud is strongly encouraged.

Quality presentation is not just about having the neatest handwriting but is about how carefully the work is set out on the page -

• Have they used a handwriting pen?
• Have they underlined the title in pencil?
• Have they coloured in their pictures beautifully?
• Have they used a sharp pencil and ruler to draw margins?
• Are they following the non-negotiables? (see above)

Children who have taken the time and made the effort to present work to the best of their ability will be awarded with a presentation rosette - an award to be celebrated. Look out for these next time you get the opportunity to browse through your child's books!