Early Writing, Strong Foundations and The Writing Framework

🎧 The Leadership Lens

Early Writing, Strong Foundations, and the Writing Framework

In this episode of The Leadership Lens, we focus on one of the most important — and often least secure — areas of curriculum practice: early writing.

Following the publication of the DfE Writing Framework (July 2025) by the Department for Education, this episode explores what the guidance really means for schools, how it aligns with Strong Foundations in the First Years, and why writing success must be engineered deliberately, not left to chance.

While many schools have made significant gains in early reading, national evidence shows that early writing has not always benefitted from the same level of clarity, sequencing, or staff confidence.

This episode unpacks how schools can address that gap — from Early Years through Key Stage 1 — by focusing on transcription, cognitive load, and high-quality teaching routines.

In this episode, we explore:

Why writing places a uniquely high demand on working memory — and what that means for teaching

The difference between oral composition and transcription, and why they must be taught separately at first

What children really need before they are ready to write — including communication, language, and physical development

Why pencil grip, posture, and letter formation must be explicitly taught and corrected

The role of daily handwriting practice beyond phonics lessons

Why dictation is the writing equivalent of decodable books

Common misconceptions around emergent writing and mark-making

What the Early Learning Goal for writing actually requires — and what it doesn’t

How transcription develops from Reception through Year 2 and beyond

Why consistent adult subject knowledge in handwriting and spelling matters at every stage

This episode is particularly relevant for:

Headteachers and senior leaders

English and Early Years leaders

Teachers, teaching assistants, and support staff

Trust leaders responsible for curriculum coherence and staff development

💡 Premium Membership: Supporting Whole-School Understanding

Premium members receive two full staff-ready CPD presentations, each with complete training scripts, designed to be delivered to entire staff teams.

These resources are carefully pitched so that:

Staff can see how early foundations link directly to later writing confidence and fluency

Schools develop a common language and shared understanding from Early Years through Key Stage 2

Premium resources included with this episode:

The Writing Framework – What It Means for Schools (full presentation + script)

Strong Foundations in Early Writing (full presentation + script)

Together, these support staff to understand how strong early writing foundations enable pupils to progress confidently throughout their entire school journey — not just in Reception, but right through to Key Stage 2 and beyond.

🎓 Why Join Premium?

Premium membership is £11 per month and provides access to a growing CPD library of around 28 in-depth podcast episodes, covering:

Curriculum development and design

Evidence-informed professional development

The Ofsted renewed framework

IDSR - How to interpret it!

Safeguarding and behaviour

Personal development and wider curriculum leadership

It is designed as a practical, on-demand CPD bank — something you can return to at any point, whether for personal development, leadership reflection, or staff training.

👉 Premium membership sign-up link: https://the-leadership-lens.mykajabi.com/premium-membership