Handwriting
At Woodloes Primary School, we place a high value on the quality of our pupils’ handwriting and take particular care in developing a consistent, fluent cursive style. We use Letter-join as the foundation of our handwriting policy, as it fully supports the requirements of the National Curriculum and provides a structured progression for handwriting development.
Handwriting is a fundamental skill that underpins learning across the whole curriculum. By the end of Key Stage 2, all pupils are expected to write with fluency, legibility and increasing speed, and to understand how handwriting style may vary depending on purpose and audience.
To ensure pupils consistently use correct letter formation, we will continue to implement the Letter-join handwriting scheme, with adaptations to ensure that handwriting is taught explicitly in class. Children will be supported to secure correct formation of basic letter shapes before progressing to pre-cursive and cursive handwriting.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2), handwriting will be taught using a non-cursive approach during regular sessions across the school week, led by class teachers. Although some pupils may begin pre-cursive writing, it is essential that all letters are formed correctly first in order to develop clear, fluent handwriting. Introducing cursive handwriting too early can detract from the focus of the lesson and may reduce pupils’ stamina for writing.
All pupils in Key Stage 2 will receive explicit handwriting instruction as part of their weekly timetable, taught four times per week. Sessions will include revisiting basic letter formation, letter families, high-frequency words, joining practice, sentence sequencing and dictation exercises, ensuring consistency and progression across the phase.
We ask that parents and carers support their child in following this adapted handwriting approach across the school.
You can access Letter-join at home on a tablet, phone or computer using the details below.
To log in to Letter-join on iPads and tablets at school or at home, please select the Tablet Login button at the top of the Letter-join homepage (www.letterjoin.co.uk) and use the following login details: