Handwriting Policy

English co-ordinator: Claire Passmore

 Introduction

The handwriting policy is intended to enable all children in the school to develop a fluent, presentable script
that will assist their writing. Following the guidance of the National Literacy Strategy and with extra support
from Nelson’s worksheets.

• Handwriting will be taught and then practised at least twice a week, preferably more often.
• When writing for the children, Staff will use the same formation and style as in the Nelson handbook.
• Worksheets from Nelson’s Copymasters, or whole class instruction in handwriting books will be used,
depending on each teacher’s preference and the requirements of the child, (see page 6). For children who
require further handwriting practise, support will be given by the LSW.
• The handwriting sheets can be done in any order (to enable links with other areas of the National Literacy
Strategy), provided skills are developed in a logical manner, following the NLS’s recommendations. See
pages 2-5 for NLS order of skills, and pages 7 -10 for other links with NLS.
• Correctly formed handwriting will be targeted in all curriculum areas.

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 Reception
Term
1/2/3 • To use a comfortable and efficient pencil grip.
• To produce a controlled line which supports letter formation.
• To write letters a – z, ch, sh and th.
• To write letters using the correct sequence of movements.
• To practice handwriting skills using sheets from Extension Copymasters for Workbooks 1-6 pages 1-50.

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 Year 1
Term 1
• To develop a comfortable and efficient pencil grip.
• To form lower case letters correctly in a script that will be easy
to join later.
• Begin to write on single 1cm lines.
• To use sheets from Extension Copymasters for workbooks 1-6
pages 51-94.
Term 2
• To practise handwriting in conjunction with spelling and
independent writing, ensuring correct letter orientation,
formation and proportion, in a style that makes the letters easy
to join later.
• Practise writing on lines with descenders and ascenders
correctly placed.
• To use sheets from Extension Copymasters for workbooks 1-6
pages 51-94.
Term 3
• To practise handwriting in conjunction with spelling and
independent writing, ensuring correct letter orientation,
formation and proportion, in a style that makes the letters easy
to join later.
• To use sheets from Extension Copymasters for workbooks 1-6
pages 51-94.
Year 3
Year 2
• To practise handwriting patterns from Year 1.
• To begin using and practising the four basic handwriting joins:
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ai, ar, un
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ou, vi, wi
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ab, ul, it
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ol, wh, ot.
♦ To use sheets from Copymasters Book A.
• To practise handwriting patterns from Year 1.
• To practise handwriting in conjunction with the phonic and spelling
patterns (see Y2, T2).
• To use and practise the four basic handwriting joins:
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ai, ar, un
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ou, vi, wi
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ab, ul, it
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ol, wh, ot.
♦ To use sheets from Copymasters Book A.
• To practise handwriting in conjunction with the phonic and spelling
patterns (see Y2, T3).
• To use the four basic handwriting joins from previous two terms with
confidence, and use these in independent writing:
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ai, ar, un
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ou, vi, wi
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ab, ul, it
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ol, wh, ot.
♦ To use sheets from Copymasters Book A.
Year 4
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Term 1 • To practise correct formation of basic joins from Year 2
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ai, ar, un
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ou, vi, wi
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ab, ul, it
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ol, wh, ot.
• To ensure consistency in size and proportions of letters and the
spacing between letters and words.
• To write on 8mm lines with half lines to aid size of letters.
• To use sheets from Copymasters Book 1&2 pages 1-47.
Term 2 • To practise correct formation of basic joins from the use of the
four basic handwriting joins from Year 2:
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ai, ar, un
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ou, vi, wi
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ab, ul, it
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ol, wh, ot.
• To ensure consistency in size and proportions of letters and
the spacing between letters and words.
• To build up handwriting speed, fluency and legibility through
practice.
• To use sheets from Copymasters Book 1&2 pages 1-47.
Term 3 • To practise correct formation of basic joins from the use of the
four basic handwriting joins from Year 2, and use these for
independent writing:
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ai, ar, un
♦ joins to letters without ascenders, e.g. ou, vi, wi
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ab, ul, it
♦ joins to letters with ascenders, e.g. ol, wh, ot.
• To ensure consistency in size and proportions of letters and the
spacing between letters and words.
• To build up handwriting speed, fluency and legibility through
practice.
• To use sheets from Copymasters Book 1&2 pages 1-47.
• To use joined handwriting for all writing except where other special
forms are required.
• To know when to use:
♦ a clear neat hand for finished, presented work
♦ informal writing for everyday informal work and rough drafting, etc.
• To ensure consistency in size and proportions of letters and spacing
between letters and words.
• To use sheets from Copymasters Book 1&2 pages 48-95.
• To use joined handwriting for all writing except where other special
forms are required.
• To build up speed, e.g. particularly for notes, drafts, lists etc.
• To know when to use:
♦ a clear neat hand for finished, presented work
♦ informal writing for everyday informal work and rough drafting, etc.
• To ensure consistency in size and proportions of letters and spacing
between letters and words.
• To use sheets from Copymasters Book 1&2 pages 48-95.
• To use joined handwriting for all writing except where other special
forms are required.
• To build up speed and ensure consistency in size and proportions of
letters and spacing between letters and words.
• To use a range of presentational skills:
♦ print scripts for captions, sub-headings and labels
♦ capital letters for posters, title pages, headings
♦ a range of computer-generated fonts and point sizes.
♦ To use sheets from Copymasters Book 1&2 pages 48-95.
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 Years 5 and 6
Term • To use joined handwriting for all writing except where other special forms are required.
1/2/3 • To build up speed and ensure consistency in size and proportions of letters and spacing between letters and words.
• To use a range of presentational skills:
♦ print scripts for captions, sub-headings and labels.
♦ capital letters for posters, title pages and headings.
♦ a range of computer-generated fonts and point sizes.
♦ To use sheets from Copymasters Books 3&4 pages 1-47 (YR5) and pages 48-95 (YR6).

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 Use of Nelson’s Handwriting Sheets

Reception Extension Copymasters for Work Books 1-6, pages 1 - 50

Year 1 Extension Copymasters for Work Books 1-6, pages 51 - 94

Year 2 Copymasters Book A

Year 3 Copymasters Books 1 and 2, pages 1 - 47

Year 4 Copymasters Books1 and 2, pages 48 - 95

Year 5 Copymasters Books 3 and 4, pages 1 - 47

Year 6 Copymasters Books 3 and 4, pages 48 – 95

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 Extension Copymasters for Workbooks 1 to 6
page contents page contents
1-10 handwriting patterns 49 hp
11 il 51 es
12 tj 52 es
14 k 54 f
15 uy 56 f
16 mr 57-58 vw
17 nb 59 xz
18 hp 60 xz
19 es 62 cad
20 f 64 cad
22 vw 65 cad
23 xz 66 oqg
24 ca 68 oqg
25 do 69 oqg
26 qg 70-74 capital letters
27 1-10 76 capital to lower case letters
28 number words 77 lower case to capital letters
30-31 practising words 78 names
32 ilt 79 signs
34 ilt 80 days
36 jk 81 months
38 jk 82-85 practising handwriting
39 uy 87 practising handwriting
41 uy 88 practising handwriting
42 mr 91 practising handwriting
44 mr 92-94 guidelines
45 nb
47 nb
48 hp

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 Copymasters for Book A
page contents page contents
1-3 handwriting patterns
4-9 revision of unjoined script
10 cursive f and k
11-22 first join – in, ni, hi, mu, ade, see, snake, sun
23-30 second join – ill, like, smile, ack, chimp, etter
31-38 third join ou, tired, feet, horse
39-42 fourth join – hot, growl, snort
43-44 break letters – b, g, j, p, f, y, z
45-47 capital letters
48-54 revision of all the joins
55-58 practice with poems and party invites
59-60 check your writing
61-62 assessment sheet –questions for teachers
63 practice sheet

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 Copymasters for Books 1 and 2
page contents page contents
1-2 handwriting patterns 70-73 writing with a slope – poem
3 unjoined script 74-75 vocabulary practice – synonyms
4-9 first join – in, an, ames 76-77 dictionary skills – alphabetical order and definitions
10-13 second join – rich, shell 78-81 speed writing – contractions
14-19 third join – cloak 82-83 drafting and editing
20-23 fourth join – mole, wheel 84-87 print – numbers and labels on maps
24-25 tricky letters – asses, uff 88-91 writing in ink
26-27 commas 92-93 writing letters
28-29 numerals 94 check your writing – rhyme
30-31 ee, ea 95 practice sheet
32-33 opposites
34-35 lists
36-37 sequencing poem
38-39 question marks
40-41 people and places – completing sentences
42-43 poems – ordering acrostics
44-45 descriptions of a flag and a stamp
46 check your writing
47 practice sheet
48-49 unjoined letters and joins –poem
50-51 e, s, f
52-55 poems and prose – camels etc
56-57 joining consonants
58-59 vowel digraphs
60-61 all the joins + silent letter + ‘ch’ words
62-63 verbs and adverbs
64-65 conjunctions
66-67 question and answer
68-69 speech marks

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 Copymasters for Books 3 and 4
page contents page contents
1-2 revision of unjoined letters and joins 70-75 penmanship – straight-edged nib (italic)
3-6 revision of sloped writing 76-79 developing an individual style – loops, flourishes
7-8 practice with gh spellings 80-81 practice with similes
9-10 practice with le word endings 82-83 practice with figures of speech – ‘ to mind your p’s and q’s’
11-12 practice with verbs – ing, ed 84-85 drafting and editing – spelling mistakes
13-14 practice with conjunctions – because, but 86-87 practice with play scripts – comic strip to play script
15-16 practice with pronouns – their, it 88-93 presentation – poems, haiku, posters
17-20 practice with paragraphs – joined and printed text 94 check your writing -poems
21-22 practice with punctuation – ‘, ?, ! 95 certificate
23-26 practice with speed writing – notes
27-28 writing a topic report – editing
29-30 writing letters
31-32 speed writing in ink
33-36 print - labels
37-38 practice with synonyms and definitions - meanings
39-40 practice with collective nouns – flock, bunch
41-42 practice with proverbs
43-44 penmanship
45-46 presentation
47 check your writing
48-49 revision of unjoined letters and joins
50-53 presenting a project – charts, bullet points
54-55 practice with prefixes – dis, mis
56-57 practice with word origins
58-59 practice with tricky spellings
60-61 practice with parts of speech – nouns, verbs
62-63 practice punctuation marks
64-65 practice with paragraphs
66-69 practice with print – address labels

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