Strong leadership is the foundation of a thriving writing culture. This article supports headteachers with practical ideas, reflection prompts and simple steps to help you boost writing across your school.
As a headteacher, you play a decisive role in setting a vision and shaping a culture where writing is valued so that every pupil can succeed. Writing is one of the most demanding skills pupils learn. It requires time, practice and expert teaching. A well-sequenced writing curriculum is essential, but it is your leadership that ensures writing is prioritised and supported at every level. The Department for Education’s writing framework highlights the influential role headteachers play in establishing a positive writing culture, making sure that writing remains a focus across the whole school and that staff have the guidance and resources they need. Your influence extends beyond setting expectations – it is about creating the conditions that allow leaders to flourish, so writing becomes an integral part of school life.
Here are six ways you can support every pupil and make writing something everyone feels confident about.
Set the conditions for a positive writing culture
The climate for writing in your school starts with you. What you prioritise and how you act signals to staff and pupils that writing matters. Make writing visible and celebrated, not just in classrooms but throughout the school – think displays, assemblies and everyday communications.
Writing should be woven into the fabric of daily school life, with pupils given meaningful opportunities to write for real audiences and purposes (Graham, 2012). Encourage your leaders to plan so that writing and reading work together, helping pupils see the connections and build a richer vocabulary.
A strong writing culture is inclusive. All pupils, including those who need extra support, should be able to take part fully. By setting high expectations, making time for staff development and encouraging collaboration, you create the conditions for teachers to deliver purposeful writing experiences that make a real difference.
To help make this happen, support your literacy lead to organise training and share resources that help teachers deliver effective writing teaching across every subject. You can strengthen this culture further by encouraging your literacy lead and curriculum leaders to gather feedback from staff and pupils about writing and use it to shape future planning and training. This ongoing cycle helps you keep writing at the heart of school life, so every pupil benefits.
Reflection prompts:
- How do you make sure that shared goals for writing are clear and aligned with the school’s vision?
- How do curriculum leaders approach making writing purposeful within their subject areas?
Build a team of expert teachers
You need someone to take charge of writing across your whole school. Often, it works well if one person leads both writing and reading – like a literacy lead – so everything feels joined up. But both areas need proper attention. If you have separate leaders for reading and writing, make sure they work closely together, sharing ideas and planning to give pupils a consistent experience.
Encourage your literacy leads to take the National Professional Qualification for Leading Literacy (NPQLL) to build the skills and knowledge needed to lead literacy across the school. Give them time to meet with colleagues, share ideas and resources, and keep everyone up to date on the latest approaches to teaching writing. This helps everyone pull in the same direction and makes it easier to stay on top of what works.
Involve your special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENCO), so pupils with additional needs get the right support. When leaders work as a team, you build a strong culture around literacy. Everyone knows what’s happening, pupils get the best support possible and reading and writing are both valued.
This kind of teamwork makes it easier to spot gaps, share successes and keep improving how literacy is taught across your school.
Reflection prompts:
- How do you make sure both reading and writing get equal attention?
- How do literacy leads access the time and training they need to lead the subject effectively?
Develop an effective writing curriculum
A well-sequenced writing curriculum helps pupils build skills step by step, without feeling overwhelmed. As headteacher, you need to monitor that the curriculum is robust and meets the needs of all pupils. Work with your literacy lead to ensure the curriculum is mapped out over several years, thinking about both transcription and composition. Check that new skills are introduced at a manageable pace, with plenty of opportunities for practice and consolidation (Engelmann, 2014).
Consider how reading and writing are planned so pupils make connections and progress steadily. Encourage curriculum leaders to draw on evidence-informed approaches and review plans regularly. Provide the resources and time needed for collaborative planning, and support staff to adapt teaching based on pupil needs.
By keeping a close eye on curriculum design and delivery, you give all pupils the chance to develop as confident writers in every subject.
Reflection prompts:
- How does your school ensure that the writing curriculum is well-sequenced and balanced with reading?
- How do you review curriculum implementation and pupil outcomes in your school?
Focus on inclusive practice
Every pupil deserves the opportunity to become a confident writer, regardless of their starting point or any additional needs. Your role is to keep an eye on teaching, making sure it’s inclusive and that support is provided quickly and effectively. Make sure lessons are accessible to all, and encourage teachers to adapt their approach when needed.
Foster a school culture where every teacher sees themselves as responsible for supporting all pupils, sharing successes and strategies across the team. Give teachers time to plan adaptive strategies and resources with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENCO), so these fit naturally into English lessons, rather than relying on separate interventions.
Regularly review progress data and talk to pupils about their experiences so you can spot anyone who might need extra help. Provide training for staff on adaptive teaching and inclusion, and keep reinforcing the idea that supporting every pupil is a shared responsibility (Mitchell, 2014).
By creating the conditions for inclusive practice and keeping track of its impact, you help every child build their writing skills and confidence alongside their peers.
Reflection prompts:
- How does your school ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, receive high-quality writing instruction?
- How do you identify pupils at risk of falling behind and provide them with timely and effective additional support?
Use writing programmes
Sometimes, you might decide to buy a writing programme to support teaching in your school. The right programme can make a real difference, especially if it’s well designed and comes with clear, structured resources. It helps keep things consistent across classrooms, so everyone knows what’s expected and pupils get the same quality of teaching wherever they are in school.
But it’s important to choose a programme that fits your school’s context. Think about what your pupils need, what your teachers are already doing well, and where there are gaps. Don’t just pick something because it’s popular – make sure it matches your vision for writing and will help your school move forward. Ask teachers for their input and feedback before choosing a programme, so everyone feels part of the process.
Once you’ve chosen a programme, make sure your staff get the training and support they need. Give teachers time to get to know the resources, ask questions and share ideas about how to use them in their classrooms. Ongoing support is key, so keep checking in, offer refresher sessions and encourage staff to talk about what’s working and what could be improved.
Look at pupil progress and staff feedback to see if the programme is making a difference and be ready to adapt your approach if it isn’t quite right. With the right programme and proper support, you’ll help teachers feel confident and make sure pupils get the best possible writing experience.
Reflection prompts:
- How do you decide what you want your writing programme to improve or support?
- How do teachers access professional development related to the writing programme?
Balance formative and summative assessment approaches
Assessment is essential for understanding how pupils are progressing in writing, and it should shape teaching. Formative assessment gives ongoing feedback, helping pupils improve bit by bit, while summative assessment provides a broader picture of achievement and curriculum impact. Encourage staff to use what they learn from assessments to adapt their teaching, revisit tricky areas or stretch pupils who are ready for more (Stiggins, 2002).
Schedule regular meetings for teachers to moderate, review assessment findings together, and share best practice. This gives everyone a chance to reflect, compare notes and support each other. Check that formative assessment is used for ongoing feedback and improvement, while summative assessment helps you see the bigger picture.
By balancing both types of assessment and using the information to guide teaching, you make sure every pupil gets the support they need to keep moving forward.
Reflection prompts:
- How well are formative and summative assessments balanced in your school’s approach to writing?
- How do you use assessments to inform your teaching and support pupils’ progress effectively?
This explainer is part of a series for teachers and school leaders on how to navigate the writing framework. Explore the other articles.
References:
- Education Endowment Foundation (2025). ‘Special educational needs in mainstream schools: Guidance report’.
- Engelmann, S. (2014) Successful and Confident Students with Direct Instruction. Eugene, OR: NIFDI Press.
- Graham, S., Bollinger, A., Booth Olson, C., D’Aoust, C., MacArthur, C., McCutchen, D., & Olinghouse, N. (2012). Teaching elementary school students to be effective writers: A practice guide (NCEE 2012- 4058). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED533112.pdf
- Mitchell, D. (2014) What Really Works in Special and Inclusive Education, Oxford: Routledge.
- Stiggins, R. J. (2002). Assessment Crisis: The Absence of Assessment for Learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 83(10), 758-765.
