We have implemented a focus on handwriting development and spelling to free our writers’ cognitive resources. Therefore, handwriting and spelling are taught in discrete lessons several times a week throughout the school (as interventions in Upper KS2).

The writing process starts with a clear purpose and a discussion about the intended audience before starting a new unit of work. Teachers carefully select a model text for each unit to allow children to understand the expected outcome and to identify key grammatical and presentation features, which they then practice before their independent writing. The final piece of writing is an independent example of the identified genre, which is based on the current topic theme, in order to maximise cognitive load. Children are taught to then edit and improve their writing, using peer feedback to identify improvements.