Marking

At Hatfeild we believe that regular and timely assessment provides teachers with key information to improve teaching and learning. 

Our children are given regular feedback on their learning so that they understand their next steps. This allows us to adapt lessons based on a detailed knowledge of each individual child's needs. 

Parents are given regular updates on their child's progress, so that we can work together with parents to raise standards and ensure that every child is the best that they can be. 

Through marking, we ensure:

• It informs children and teachers of what has been done well and what will make the learning even better
• It is utilised in future planning and informs the teacher of the learning needs 
• Children are given time to reflect on and respond to marking
• Verbal, in the moment feedback is given whenever possible
• Effort is acknowledge alongside achievement
• Consistency in marking codes so that all children and staff can quickly understand the feedback that has been given
• Spelling corrections are identified where appropriate. 

Handwriting

A cursive style is used when teaching handwriting at Hatfeild. Our aim is to ensure that all children are able to write legibly, fluently and at a reasonable speed. 

In Nursery and Reception, our children are given the skills for pre-writing. Lots of activities are planned for the children to build muscle memory and develop gross and fine motor skills, such as finger painting, threading beads, scribbling, picture making and tracing simple patterns. Following on from this, children in the foundation stage are taught how to develop the correct pencil grip and posture for writing.

With the support of our ‘Read Write Inc’ phonics programme, children then learn how to form the 26 initial letters with correct orientation with lead out strokes.

When the children are secure with the basic formation of the 26 letters with lead out strokes, they should then be introduced to the lead in strokes and the basic joins. Many children will naturally make the joins for themselves. Children will reach this stage of handwriting at different times.