At Hexham First School, we are committed to continually enhancing our pupils’ writing skills. In line with the new Writing Framework 2025, our teachers are currently reviewing and revising the writing curriculum to ensure all the latest recommendations are fully embedded over time. This approach will support pupils to develop strong transcription skills, composition abilities, and confidence in writing for a range of purposes and audiences, preparing them for future academic success.
 Talk for Writing
Over the past year we have been writing in a new way, the Talk for Writing way!! This approach enables children to imitate orally the language they need for a particular topic, before reading and analysing it, and then writing their own version.
Talk for Writing, developed by Pie Corbett,  is powerful because it is based on the principles of how people learn. The movement from imitation to innovation to invent is used across all our classes.
The Talk for Writing approach enables children to read and write independently for a variety of audiences and purposes within different subjects. A key feature is that children internalise the language structures needed to write through ‘talking the text’, as well as close reading. The approach moves from dependence towards independence, with the teacher using shared and guided teaching to develop the ability in children to write creatively and powerfully.
 What is Talk for Writing? Pie Corbett explains
Talk for Writing founder and Literacy expert, Pie Corbett, gives a brief overview of the Talk for Writing approach to teaching Literacy, and why it works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI2OWdZo6nY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UhAN-nog_Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_NI2jD-5Es
Writing the Talk for Writing Way!
At Hexham First we use the exciting and effective approach to writing across the school—Talk for Writing! This nationally recognised method helps pupils develop confidence and skill in both fiction and non-fiction writing through a clear, structured, and engaging process.
Learning Through Talk, Action & Creativity
Talk for Writing begins with oral storytelling—children learn model texts through actions, games, and discussion. Over a three-week period, pupils explore the language and structure of these texts in depth, building confidence in using new vocabulary and sentence styles.
As readers, they learn to spot how writing has an impact. As writers, they discover how to recreate that impact themselves.
From Imitation to Innovation
After learning the model text, the class works together to create a new, shared version. Then, once pupils are confident with the structure and style, they move on to writing their own independent piece—bringing together everything they’ve learned.
To make storytelling more manageable and accessible, each text is broken down into themed paragraphs, helping children understand how to plan and structure their writing effectively.
Building Confidence and Pride
Pupils have already told us how much more confident they feel as writers. They’re proud of their achievements and excited to share their stories with classmates, teachers, and family members.
We’re still learning and growing—but with a solid foundation now in place, this year, our writing is set to soar!Â
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Reception - Talk for writing
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Reception - Talk for writing
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Reception - Talk for writing
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Year 1 - The magic porridge pot
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Year 3 - Theseus and the minotaur - Talk for writing imitating
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Year 3 - Theseus and the minotaur - Talk for writing imitating
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Year 1 - Pupils imitating the story of the magic porridge pot in their English books
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Year 4 Talk for writing - Imitation - Internalising the model text and deepening understanding
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Year 4 Talk for writing - Innovation - Creating new plan and shared writing
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Year 4 Talk for writing - Innovation - Creating new plan and shared writing
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Year 4 Talk for writing - Innovation - Creating new plan and shared writing
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Year 1 Non-Fiction Writing
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