Writing Programme
Te Paina School Writing Programme: Years 0–8
Vision for Writing at Te Paina
At Te Paina School, we believe every child is a writer with a story to tell. Our Writing programme aims to foster confident, creative, and purposeful writers from Year 0 through to Year 8. Grounded in the principles of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, our approach prioritises equity, identity, and high expectations for all learners.
Our Writing programme reflects our commitment to developing students who can:
- Write clearly for a range of audiences and purposes
- Think critically and reflect on their own ideas
- Use language to express identity, explore perspectives, and participate in their communities
Programme Structure
Writing is taught explicitly and daily through a structured yet responsive model that supports both skill development and creativity.
1. Writing Process Approach
Students are taught to see writing as a process that includes:
- Planning – generating and organising ideas
- Composing – writing first drafts
- Revising – improving ideas and language
- Editing – correcting surface features (punctuation, spelling)
- Publishing – sharing work in meaningful ways (class books, blogs, whānau showcases)
2. Focus on Purpose and Audience
Each term includes a balanced range of text types, ensuring students write to:
- Tell stories (narratives, memoirs, pūrākau)
- Inform (reports, explanations, procedures)
- Persuade (opinions, arguments, letters)
- Reflect (diary entries, reviews, mihi)
Teachers link writing purposes to real-world contexts, student interests, and local events, making writing meaningful and authentic.
3. Language and Conventions Instruction
Explicit teaching of language features is embedded within writing lessons:
- Vocabulary building
- Sentence structure and fluency
- Grammar and punctuation
- Spelling patterns and word knowledge
Teachers use modelling, shared writing, guided writing, and independent practice to support students at all levels.
4. Cultural Responsiveness and Te Tiriti o Waitangi
We honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi by ensuring writing instruction is culturally responsive:
- Integrating Māori perspectives and allowing writing in Te reo Māori
- Including pūrākau, mihi, and local stories in writing tasks
- Celebrating diverse linguistic and cultural identities in the classroom
- Building whanaungatanga through collaborative writing, peer sharing, and tuakana-teina partnerships
Kaiako (teachers) design writing experiences that reflect the unique identity, language and culture of each learner.
Progression Across Year Levels
Years 0–2: Emergent Writers
- Developing fine motor skills and basic concepts of print
- Using oral language to generate ideas
- Writing simple sentences with support
- Emphasis on writing for enjoyment and expression
- Introduction to basic punctuation, high-frequency words, and letter-sound links
Years 3–4: Developing Writers
- Writing simple texts across different purposes
- Beginning to organise ideas into paragraphs
- Expanding vocabulary and sentence variety
- Increasing independence in editing and revising
- Use of graphic organisers and visual prompts to support planning
Years 5–6: Expanding Writers
- Crafting more detailed and structured texts
- Greater focus on audience awareness and writing tone
- Introducing complex sentence structures and more precise vocabulary
- Strengthening revision skills – reorganising and elaborating ideas
- Beginning to set and reflect on personal writing goals
Years 7–8: Independent Writers
- Writing for increasingly sophisticated purposes and real-world audiences
- Using literary techniques and figurative language
- Refining editing and proofreading for publication
- Incorporating research into writing
- Analysing and reflecting on their own writing process
- Preparing for the demands of Year 9 writing tasks and curriculum integration
Assessment and Feedback
Writing assessment at Te Paina includes:
- Formative assessment through conferencing, peer/self-assessment, and observation
- Learning progressions used to track growth over time (e.g., NZC Literacy Progressions)
- Writing exemplars used to co-construct success criteria with students
- Digital portfolios and learning journals to reflect writing journeys
- Opportunities for student-led conferences and goal setting with whānau
Teachers moderate writing samples across teams to ensure consistency and shared expectations.
Supporting Diverse Learners
Our Writing programme includes scaffolds and supports for all learners:
- ESOL and bilingual supports for multilingual learners
- Small group interventions for targeted skill development
- Assistive technology and visual supports as needed
- Opportunities for oral rehearsal and multimodal expression
Introducing AI and Digital Tools in Years 5–8
In upper primary, we introduce ethical and guided use of AI tools, such as:
- Brainstorming or expanding vocabulary with teacher-approved platforms
- Generating writing prompts or example sentences
- Using speech-to-text tools for accessibility
- Encouraging critical thinking by comparing AI-generated and student-written texts
Students are taught digital safety, copyright awareness, and academic honesty, in line with the Privacy Act 2020 and NZC’s digital citizenship goals.
Whānau and Community Engagement
- Writing is shared regularly with whānau through books, blogs, assemblies, and portfolios
- Classroom programmes reflect local stories, places, and whānau knowledge
- Whānau are invited to contribute resources, stories, and experiences to enrich writing tasks
Professional Collaboration and Growth
- Teachers engage in collaborative inquiry and PLD around writing pedagogy
- Regular sharing of student work and effective strategies in team meetings
- Focus on inclusive, culturally sustaining, and evidence-based practice
