Start-Bee Handwriting//Handwriting Centre of Excellence

The Handwriting Centres of Excellence have rolled out the Handwriting Match Fit Assessment in February 2017 with their EYFS and KS1 groups, using the Baseline Data to ascertain each pupil's Personal Handwriting Strategy.  Currently running the Start-Bee Handwriting Programmes in EYFS (Patterns, Lowercase and Uppercase Letter Formation), all delivered by an age appropriate "presenter" aged 5, called Hannah-Jane, via the Interactive Whiteboard and using specialist equipment in their Start-Bee Handwriting Stations to progress the mechanics of handwriting and to develop fine and gross motor skills to support legible and fluent handwriting. The results, after only a few months of rolling out the Start-Bee Programmes in EYFS and KS1, are already exceptional.  The KS1 Team are working through the Intervention Programme which fasttrack the pupils through the "Handwriting Basics" - Patterns, Lowercase and Uppercase Letters Formation.  They will soon be working their way through the All Joined-Up! Programme and will transfer to the Spelling - All Joined-Up! Exercises.  Legibility and Fluency are key to achieving the STA's Expected Outcomes for Handwriting for KS1 and KS2.  The Pupils in EYFS and KS1 will be re-assessed in June/July, with the Literacy Teams rolling out the Handwriting Match Fit Assessment themselves, and the Follow On Data will be used to ascertain which pupils are achieving Working at Greater Depth in Handwriting for KS1 and KS2.  Any pupil still struggling with the mechanics of handwriting will be transferred to the Booster Handwriting Programme, which incorporates the Start-Bee SEN and Start-Bee Dyslexia Handwriting Exercises.   "No child should leave Year 2 without fluent and legible handwriting!  No child should fall through the net, now that we have the Handwriting Assessment Toolkit (the Handwriting Match Fit Assessment) to ascertain each child's Personal Handwriting Strategy in EYFS and KS1) we can put a Handwriting Intervention in place, to ensure they are writing with automaticity by the time they leave Year 2" - Melanie Harwood - Handwriting Specialist, Creator of the Start-Bee Handwriting Programmes and Creator of the Handwriting Match Fit Assessment (Handwriting Assessment Toolkit) - Founder of Start-Bee Handwriting. The Schools that are delivering the Start-Bee Programmes to their pupils in EYFS (Reception) are all reporting powerful results and strong handwriting skills (letter formation, stamina, enjoyment of handwriting and written work) with all their pupils after working their way through the Handwriting Basics - Patterns Programme, Lowercase and Uppercase Letters Programmes.  Their pupils are on target to achieve joined-up handwriting after working through the All Joined-Up! Programme in Year 1.  Achieving the STA Expected Outcomes for KS2 with KS1 pupils who all write effortlessly, excellently and enjoyably.  The Start-Bee Handwriting Programmes deliver PROVEN results and present hard data to show Return On Investment for each and every child.  The Handwriting Match Fit Assessment is the only Handwriting Assessment Toolkit to clearly show the raising of attainment through the delivery of the Start-Bee Scheme in Primary (EYFS, KS1 and KS2).  The Start-Bee Handwriting Match Fit Assessment is the only Handwriting Assessment, which is used extensively in schools throughout England, to assess a Handwriting Intervention and School Wide Handwriting Strategy. The resulting Assessment Data is used by schools when planning their class, year group and school wide Handwriting Strategy each year. The Literacy Teams will present their Baseline Data and their School Wide Handwriting Strategy, which incorporate an Early Years Handwriting Programme and a KS1 Handwriting Intervention Programme.  Sharing Best Practice and the innovative moderation and assessment practices which have transformed the delivery of handwriting in EYFS and KS1.  Sharing their Planning Outline for 2017/2018 and why handwriting is best delivered in EYFS to ensure fluency and legiblity is achieved in KS1, with all pupils Working at Greater Depth in KS1 and KS2.