‘Thank you for the CPD it was great. Staff felt the strategies that you shared would be useful for them to use in class. It was nice for staff to just have the opportunity to ground themselves again in the processes of writing and have a go at applying strategies that you discussed.’

Annabel Naylor – Deputy Headteacher – Horton Grange Primary School

In 2022/2023 I was asked to deliver a lot of writing training. This was delivered in various formats under the heading Finding the Plot. Some schools and organisations requested whole school input whilst others asked for it to be broken down into key stages. This training provides coherent links with Five Phase English and one of its key themes is a return to the crafting of good quality sentences before applying these in longer texts.

The slideshow above shows just a few of the slides from the core presentation.

The Writing Framework

in July 2025, the DFE published the writing framework. The table below shows how this training links with the writing framework.

DfE Summary of the Writing Framework	How this fits with Finding the Plot
Writing is complex Writing places significant demands on pupils’ working memory so it is vital to teach it in a sequenced way that helps to manage those demands.	Finding the Plot uses a clear sequence of – before writing – during writing and after writing. Writing is encouraged in context and often relating to setting, character and plot.
Teach handwriting and spelling in reception Teaching handwriting and spelling (transcription) from the reception year is crucial to ensure that these skills become automatic for children. This will free up their working memory for composition.	N/A
Sentence instruction is essential All writing is made up of sentences. Knowledge of grammar helps pupils to control sentences and convey meaning, but it does not support their writing fluency when taught in isolation.	This is a key element of the programme. A consistency of approach focusing around explicit sentence instruction for the concept of a sentence and constructing sentences – combining and expanding sentences is recommended. These ideas are taught in the context of the shared text and not in isolation. Scaffolding and modelling are essential components of the CPD and teaching.
Spoken language is as important for writing as for reading Pupils should compose orally while they are developing their transcription skills. This can still be valuable even when they can transcribe fluently.	Think it – say it – like it – write it is a key approach. Reading aloud is an important part the editing process using an approach based upon ‘ What can I add?’ and ‘What can I change or delete?’ thus echoing the clear sequences in the approach.
Quality is more important than length Pupils need to master the foundations of writing – handwriting, spelling and sentence construction. They should not be expected to write at length before they are ready.	There is focus upon teaching with ‘tiny texts’ using short and medium burst writing and the application of age related grammar within these. Writing stamina can then be developed using the ‘couch to 5 paragraphs’ approach.
The reception year is vital The reception year builds the foundations that support pupils’ writing throughout primary school and underpin their future success.	N/A
Identify pupils who need additional support It is important to identify the pupils who need additional support with writing as early as possible, from reception onwards. Teachers can then adapt their teaching and make it accessible. This includes giving pupils more time and practice so that they can make good progress.	The programme contains ideas for adaptive teaching to make lessons accessible to these pupils The I do/ we do / you do approach and models of scaffolding and modelling are key features of adaptive teaching.
It will take time to tackle all the challenges in teaching writing Schools should concentrate initially on teaching high-quality transcription and sentence instruction, while gradually developing broader writing skills.	High quality sentence instruction is at the very heart of the session with practical ideas and a consistent focus of adding in – adding on and changing elements. Oral composition is a key element with a focus upon sentence variation strategies.
Avoid focusing too heavily on test preparation This can limit the development of skills and knowledge, stifling pupils’ creativity and wider writing development.	If this refers to the SPaG test in Y6. Then why not just scrap it? Hopefully the wider curriculum review will address this. In the meantime, schools still have to prepare their children for tests. Some of the test question types can be integrated within the approach for Y6 and in the context of the key text.
Leaders must establish the culture and curriculum Leaders are responsible for: establishing a positive writing culture developing a well-sequenced curriculum ensuring that all teachers are trained to teach writing	Undertaking the training will provide one step in establishing the professional  development of teachers enabling leaders to develop a positive writing culture.

The table can be downloaded as a PDF below.