Handwriting

At All Saints Multi-Academy Trust, we teach discrete handwriting lessons using Nelson Handwriting. This is used when modelling handwriting to children and incorporated into as many lessons as possible, not just within English lessons. We take great pride in presenting our work to a high quality and have handwriting competitions and prizes, each term for every class, within our school devotions. Children’s work is displayed around the school and within their classrooms, to congratulate children on their hard work and inspire others to get their work displayed around school.

Intent

It is the aim of this school that every child should be enabled to develop a fluent legible style of handwriting. Capital and lower-case letters should be used appropriately, and the letter size should be consistent. We will provide opportunities for children to develop, practise and perfect skills and provide targeted support to any child experiencing difficulty.

Implementation

All Saints Multi-Academy Trust’s Handwriting will be a discrete lesson taught every day. It is vital that teachers model Nelson font to the children, and explicitly teach letter formation and joins in each of these sessions. Children will practise their handwriting in their handwriting books and then revisit the handwriting taught that day in their literacy book as a discrete revisit session.

Impact

Using the progression document, we build on knowledge of handwriting ‘families’ and increase legibility and consistency in handwriting. Using Nelson resource sheets, children who need further support are given scaffolded steps to reach the same fluency. Our children take pride in their work, understanding that the standard of handwriting should be appropriate for the purpose of their writing. They are exposed to different fonts and displays, ensuring their knowledge of letter formation is transferred across different platforms and recognisable to them within the context of the real world. Children are aware of when quick note taking is appropriate, dictation and accuracy, or when it is appropriate for a final written draft version of their work.