Handwriting is an essential skill. It has been linked to improved academic success and self-esteem. Regularly practising our handwriting ensures that our work is legible and that we can write fluently for sustained periods. Handwriting requires frequent, discrete and direct teaching. It is a taught skill that develops at different rates for individual children. All the teachers in the school put a priority on teaching handwriting and have high expectations for handwriting across the curriculum. Our school uses Penpals for Handwriting which provides us with a consistent approach enabling us to teach and secure the development of handwriting throughout the school.

In addition to teaching handwriting during our regular handwriting lessons, we have high expectations that what is taught and practised in handwriting lessons will be applied in other writing activities. We believe that handwriting is integral to a child’s personal development and know that children’s engagement and self-esteem can be improved by their satisfaction and pride in good quality presentation.

In the "Penpals Scope and Sequence" document below you will be able to see the sequence that handwriting is taught across the Federation.  The correct formation for letters, numbers and joins at our school is in our "Penpals Messages for Parents" document.