Intent

At TGMS, we aim to develop confident, creative and independent writers, who can communicate complex ideas fluently across a wide range of genres. Our purpose-led curriculum is designed to provide pupils with the technical skills necessary to thrive in the modern world, while fostering a genuine love for the craft of writing.

By grounding our writing in high-quality literature, we ensure that pupils have a broad base of knowledge, vocabulary and real-life experiences to influence their work.

Implementation

The TGMS Writing Model: FLAP

Every unit of work follows a consistent, systematic sequence of lessons to support long-term retention and mastery of six main writing purposes: To Argue, To Describe, To Explain, To Inform, To Narrate, and To Persuade.

• FLAP Lesson: Pupils begin by identifying the Features, Layout, Audience and Purpose of a range of model texts.
• Skills Lessons: Using Explicit Instruction, teachers break learning into small, manageable cognitive steps. This is where new grammatcical tools and Tier 2/3 academic vocabulary are introduced.
• The Writing Cycle: Pupils progress through structured phases of Planning, Drafting, Editing and Publishing.

Strengthening Foundations: Explicit Instruction and Dictation

Following the latest DfE Writing Framework (2025), we recognise that writing places a heavy burden on working memory. If transcription skills (spelling and handwriting) are not automatic, pupils find it harder to focus on high-level composition.

To bridge the gap, we have implemented a daily "back-to-basics" routine at the start of every English lesson.

• Daily Dictation: Pupils write down sentences from a model or spoken input, allowing them to rehearse punctuation and grammar accurately without the cognitive load of generating their own ideas.
• Art of the Sentence: We use The Writing Revolution (TWR) routines, such as "Because, But, So" to help pupils practise syntactic control and create "juicy" sentences.
• The "I Do, We Do, You Do" Model: Teachers model excellence live, thinking aloud strategically to make the invisible thinking process of a writer visible to the children.

Teach Like a Champion (TLAC)

In every classroom, you will see specific techniques that protect pupils' working memory and build sustained Habits of Attention:

• Cold Call: Questioning that fosters a culture of "everyone thinking" by inviting any child to contribute, whether or not their hand is raised. This builds accountability and ensures every voice is valued.
• Turn and Talk: A brief, structured partner discussion that allows pupils to rehearse ideas, build speaking fluency, and develop confidence before sharing with the wider class.
• Check for Understanding: Using techniques like Show Me (on whiteboards) and Active Observation, teachers "hunt" for specific errors or "almost there" work to address misconceptions in real-time.
• Culture of Error: We normalise mistakes as a vital part of the learning journey, creating an environment of psychological safety where students feel comfortable taking intellectual risks.​

Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS)

Spelling is taught explicitly, focusing on the roles of morphology and etymology. Pupils are encouraged to make a conscious effort to learn the statutory word lists for Years 3/4 and 5/6, applying these in context rather than as isolated lists.

Impact

Progress is monitored through termly moderation of teacher assessments against national standards. We ensure that writing outcomes match the high standards of our Reading and GPS results, by focusing on transcription fluency and regular revision of work.

Children are assessed as one of the following:

• Working below the national standard (Emerging)

• Working towards the national standard (Developing)

• Working at the national standard (Secure)

• Working above the national standard (Above)

Progress is closely monitored by the class teacher, subject leader and senior leadership team. Monitoring includes lesson observations, learning walks, termly moderation of teacher assessment, and book and planning scrutiny. Other methods that we use are pupil voice interviews, staff meetings for teacher CPD and disseminating best practices. The findings of this monitoring are used to inform the next steps for the children and the implementation of writing across the school as a whole.