Framework launched to boost children's writing skills

A new framework has been launched to boost children's writing and improve how writing is taught.

The framework gives teachers guidance to plan high quality lessons and teach writing from reception and throughout primary school, so that thousands more pupils can build strong foundations in language, spelling and handwriting.

This includes integrating writing tasks across all subjects, as well as encouraging children to speak out loud words and sentences before writing them down, and similarly using dictation where children write down words, phrases and sentences a teacher has said out loud.

Even in a digital age, strong writing skills are a vital tool for everyday life and work, helping children explore their thoughts, share their ideas, and make sense of the world around them. Evidence also shows good writing skills can unlock future success and are directly linked to progress in education as well as future earnings.

Building on the success of the government’s reading framework and its focus on phonics teaching, which has seen 100,000 more children every year build strong foundations in reading, the new writing framework is a first step towards transforming how writing is taught.

The launch comes as Key Stage 2 assessment (SATs) results were published this morning showing the percentage of children meeting the expected standard in writing remains below pre-pandemic levels.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said: "Far too many children are leaving school unable to write well, holding them back from future success.

"Writing remains a crucial skill for young people to achieve and thrive in school and later in life. We want them to be as confident putting pen to paper as they are posting on TikTok.

"Our new writing framework is a first step towards transforming how writing is taught in primary schools, as we work to boost outcomes for disadvantaged children and those with SEND, and deliver on our Plan for Change."