| DfE Summary of the Writing Framework | How this fits with with 5 Phase English and New (or not) to Y… courses |
| 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. | The 5 Phase (5P) approach is carefully sequenced and schools have reported how the consistency of the sequence, especially on a whole school level, supports both children and teachers. |
| 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. | Whole school training for 5P emphasises the importance of this in the context of continuity and progression. Transcription skills are not part of the content as most schools have their own systems but there is a focus upon oral composition and simple dictation. |
| 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. | Phase 1 (prediction) is very useful for re-visiting basic sentence work and Phase 3 (text structure and punctuation and grammar) features sentence instruction heavily at ARE. This is taught in the context of the featured text so that children have something to say. There is a focus upon ‘adding in’ and ‘adding on’ to sentences and sentence combining. |
| 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 from late in FS to Y6. 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?’ |
| 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. | Within Phase 2 (Comprehension) there is an emphasis on ‘teaching with tiny texts’ to respond to the book with the application of sentence instruction in short burst writing. This helps to prepare children for the demands of longer pieces of writing. |
| The reception year is vital The reception year builds the foundations that support pupils’ writing throughout primary school and underpin their future success. | Immersion in the text in the prediction and comprehension phases gives FS a context for their spoken language. This supports both oral composition and short dictations to ease demands upon working memory. |
| 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. | Obviously scaffolding and modelling is crucial for these pupils. The structure of ‘teaching with tiny texts’ and explicit sentence instruction is supportive but many schools have still reported issues with the ‘borderline’ children. To support schools here, My The Next 20%:High Quality Adaptive Teaching training provides further ideas to underpin learning. |
| 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. | Again, just to reiterate that the 5 Phase approach is carefully sequenced and schools have reported how the consistency of the sequence, especially on a whole school level, supports both children and teachers. Where the approach is established, it might be an idea to re-visit the importance of this area with colleagues. I have provided refresher training to several schools recently. |
| 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 SpaG phase 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 | To support leaders when introducing The 5 Phase approach. I have pre-filled implementation template based upon EEF approaches for schools to adapt to their own needs. |
Downloadable PDF version below.