As the English leader in a primary school, few things excite me more than the arrival of a fresh batch of new books. Adding the school stamp and handing them over to each teacher, knowing the joy and learning they’ll inspire, feels like giving a truly meaningful gift. This feeling is even more rewarding when the books are as diverse, high-quality, and thoughtfully chosen as those from the English team at HFL Education – books referred to in ESSENTIALWRITING, the writing scheme we introduced this year. 

Top 5 wins:

1. Thought provoking and attention-grabbing texts
2. CPD incorporated
3. Reduced workload
4. Models for writing included
5. Pupils writing for a clear and meaningful purpose

For us, one of the most exciting and welcome aspects of ESSENTIALWRITING is the increased focus on representation and diversity in the carefully selected texts. These books do more than teach English. Not only do they serve as high-quality models of language and imagery, but they also broaden our pupils' understanding of the world, immersing them in diverse settings and perspectives through a wide range of characters and experiences. This deep engagement becomes the foundation for great writing, helping children develop an authentic voice as they truly connect with the texts. We want our pupils to encounter role models and protagonists they can relate to; stories that serve as both mirrors reflecting their own experiences, and windows into different perspectives. The literature chosen within ESSENTIALWRITING achieves this beautifully, at the same time as providing excellent models for the craft of writing that everyone can access. 

Many of the books are thoughtfully linked to key areas of the curriculum. For example, in Year 4, the texts India, Incredible India and Africa, Amazing Africa explore the rich and diverse cultures of India and various countries across Africa, challenging common stereotypes about these vast and varied continents. These are studied alongside Take a Bite, a delightful book that delves into food, recipes, and cultural traditions from 26 different countries, offering pupils an engaging and global perspective. Other books link to map reading, historical figures and growing plants, for example.

As subject leader, I am grateful for the subject knowledge teachers are gaining from using ESSENTIALWRITING. Teachers at Highover, both new to the profession and experienced, have found that using the planning is CPD in itself. I booked my team onto the ESSENTIALWRITING webinars so I could ensure consistency of approach across classrooms which aids progression and transition across year groups. 

The unit plans are detailed and clear which reduces workload for our teachers at Highover. They take the teacher through steps (rather than lessons) which build towards a final piece of writing with a clear purpose, for example to entertain or to inform. The steps ensure that teachers can move at their pupils’ pace, which removes the temptation to plough on without ensuring depth of understanding or stopping for consolidation as required.  

This supports Ofsted’s findings from the Strong Foundations research, recommending that schools should:

‘Make sure that the curriculum clearly identifies the foundational knowledge and skills that children will need for later learning’ and that we must ‘give children sufficient high-quality opportunities to practise using foundational knowledge and skills so that they become fluent.’

Another particularly popular aspect for our team is the annotated written models which teachers can use when modelling writing, as well as the ‘think out loud’ bubbles which help you model the writing thought process. 

HFL Education has designed the plans with a focus on writing for a purpose such as ‘to persuade’ or ‘to entertain’. This means our children are thinking more about the effect they want to have on their audience and less about features of a specific genre which can often lead to tick-lists of success criteria. Persuasive speeches and letters always get the children fired up to write with a great sense of purpose and authority. 

For example, the Year 6 unit which uses the text Talking History, inspires children to write a speech about something they are passionate about, from banning social media to reducing traffic on the roads. Our Year 6 pupils performed their speeches as part of a BBC-television-show-inspired Room 101 game show with their parents as the audience. A judge decided which speech was the most persuasive and therefore what would be sent to Room 101. (In this case, macaroni cheese won against spiders, traffic jams and loud noises!)   

In Year 3, Stella and the Seagull evokes children’s understanding of the impact of plastic waste and their passion to do something about the problem. Our Year 3 pupils wrote and sent letters to the prime minister to explain the problem and implore them to make changes. With texts as engaging as this, pupils realise that the purpose of their writing is to share their voice - we can teach language choices that are linked to their own interests. 

At Highover, we moved away from providing a ‘list’ of success criteria for writing a while ago. I We found the approach to be very limiting. It takes away the creativity, encouraging a ‘writing by numbers’ approach. We were inspired by James Durran’s ‘boxed’ success criteria. As soon as we started using these, we found it had an impact on the quality of what pupils produced. The ‘boxed’ layout helped children focus on the  intended impact on the reader and gave them space to collect ideas and examples to include in their writing.  ESSENTIALWRITING plans have developed this idea further by creating ‘pyramid’ criteria which we are now using in all year groups. Here is an example from the Year 6 narrative unit Night of the Gargoyles:  

We view oracy as a key skill for our pupils. At Highover, we believe good talkers make good writers. We want our pupils to be confident to go out into the wider world and present their ideas and articulate their opinions confidently. The ESSENTIALWRITING text choices are excellent prompts for oracy discussions around topics ranging from friendship, gender stereotyping, feeling left out, discrimination and environmental changes to the views inspired by famous historical figures such as Martin Luther King and Greta Thunberg. Children find these topics relevant and relatable and can’t help but become immersed in discussions based on them. Thankfully, ESSENTIALWRITING incorporates oracy into the planning so that we can weave it naturally into the writing process for each unit. This leads to writers who are engaged and motivated.  

With thanks to Sophie Driver and her colleagues and pupils at Highover JMI School in Hitchin for so generously sharing their reflections on the implementation of ESSENTIALWRITING in their school this year. How wonderful to see such brilliant writing! Keep an eye out in the summer term for part 2 of this blog, where Sophie dives into the school’s writing for pleasure journey. 

If you are interested in finding out more about ESSENTIALWRITING – and how you can develop both children’s and teachers’ knowledge, motivation and confidence in the craft of writing - then do read more. 

What is attainment? And what is the disadvantage gap?

Disadvantaged pupils are those who face barriers to learning due to socioeconomic factors, such as eligibility for free school meals. Attainment refers to the academic achievement of pupils, typically measured through standardised tests and assessments.

The attainment gap is the disparity in academic performance between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers. Closing this gap is crucial to ensure all children have equal opportunities to succeed and reach their potential.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) recommends that 50% of pupil premium funding be spent on high-quality teaching, as this is one of the most effective ways to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and close the attainment gap.

This blog will explore practical strategies to underpin high-quality mathematics teaching to close the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils.

The inspiration for this blog comes from a ‘Leading Primary Maths’ webinar during which Kathryn Boulder, deputy headteacher, maths subject leader, and Year 6 teacher at Hobletts Manor Junior School in Hemel Hempstead, shared her experience of driving improvements in maths across her school. Her passion, honesty, and practical advice resonated with maths subject leaders, and the highlights are captured here.

School context:

• Hobletts Manor Junior School is based in Hemel Hempstead.
• 26.7% of the school’s pupils are eligible for free school meals (December 2024).
• In 2024, 89% of pupils met the expected standard in maths at the end of Key Stage 2, above the national average of 73%.
• Almost a third of Year 6 pupils (31%) reached the higher standard in maths, compared to the national average of 24%.

Kathryn shared that it’s been a “very long journey” to achieve their current standing and reflects:

She added that some Year 6 pupils are motivated by seeing that many concepts covered at the end of Key Stage 2 relate directly or indirectly to content on GCSE papers.

Four practical strategies to close the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils.

  1. Sky high expectations for all: changing mindsets 

Subject leaders who listened to Kathryn talk commented on her passion and determination, epitomised by the above quote.

We know that teaching different pupils with different starting points, while aiming to secure the same learning objective, can be challenging. The example below exemplifies the assertion that ‘Differentiating makes it easier; scaffolding makes it easier to do’. When designing ‘Rehearsal and Reasoning’ sheets, which comprise one element of ESSENTIALMATHS, we kept this in mind to support teachers in making this a reality and to help close the attainment gap.

Some pupils may benefit from beginning at the start where the task is to match the calculations to the correct models. Others may benefit from starting with the calculations that have a fully drawn pictorial model and progress through to those that have blank frames provided.

Some pupils may be directed straight to the final two calculations and be asked to draw a pictorial model to demonstrate their full understanding before progressing to further Apply and Explore tasks beyond this page.

2. Crucial connections: build on what they know

A strong focus on building on existing learning was recognised in Hobletts Manor Junior School’s most recent inspection report: 

Kathryn explained how the school has worked on identifying the correct starting point for each maths lesson with the aim of engaging all pupils and closing the attainment gap:  

How do you plan specific opportunities to make connections to previous learning and check on prerequisite knowledge? 

When writing this Year 3 ESSENTIALMATHS sequence, I included this visual as a stimulus for discussion before new learning was introduced.

Asking pupils to discuss what they notice provides teachers with an opportunity to listen to the language being used, assess pupil understanding, and identify any misconceptions. Use of varied representations checks pupils have experience of fractions beyond simply ‘cutting up cakes or pizzas’.

If children are linking 2/3 with the 2 red dots and 3 yellow, this provides a starting point for new teaching.

3. Same day intervention: ‘nobody goes home confused’

One of the most impactful parts of the session was Kathryn’s description of their determination to ensure no one is left behind:

She then outlined how this is achieved: 

For some pupils, their incorrect response may be a calculation error which they can self-correct. For others, teacher input may be required. If a large proportion of the class struggled with the assessment question, it may be followed up with the whole class.

From working in schools across Hertfordshire and beyond, we see many teachers using the destination questions contained within every ESSENTIALMATHS sequence to check for understanding and expose potential misconceptions and common errors, thereby helping to close the attainment gap.

4. Revisit, revisit, revisit: keeping core skills ticking over

Finally, Kathryn outlined how every class has a separate maths fluency session at least four afternoons per week. A core spine is followed with teachers choosing to focus on concepts relevant for their classes. 

One of the top priorities across many of the schools I have been working with this academic year has been to strengthen fluency sessions. Here is an example of one of the hundreds of slides we are creating to support teachers with rehearsing, consolidating, and reactivating prior teaching:

*A full suite of new fluency slides is currently under development and will be available as part of the premium ESSENTIALMATHS subscription from July 2025.

As well as using fluency sessions, Kathryn outlined that targeted pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and those identified as ‘not on track’, receive additional short burst repetition. The school uses a “little and often” approach to keep skills and knowledge, such as times table facts, bubbling away.

Regular retrieval practice supports pupils to revisit and reactivate prior learning, which is essential for closing the attainment gap.

This retrieval example, based on calculating volume, is nestled within a series of tasks focused on fractions.

‘Can I still….?’ tasks can be included as practice disruptors during pupil rehearsal or could be used at the beginning or end of the lesson. Concepts are chosen either from previous year group content or from a previous learning sequence taught within the academic year. Teachers can use these to assess how well pupils have remembered in the longer term.

With thanks to Kathryn for allowing me to summarise the key points from her inspiring talk to other primary maths subject leaders and exemplifying how we as a maths team have been supporting schools to implement these kinds of strategies to close the attainment gap.

Are you looking to enhance the way your primary school pupils learn and engage with mathematics? Our dedicated primary maths teaching and learning advisory team is here for you.

In our daily lives, we frequently use tools and devices to assist us and overcome barriers, often without a second thought. From something as simple as wearing glasses, to using smartphones for navigation or voice-activated assistants for quick answers, these tools or technologies provide support on-demand. We use them when we need to.

In the classroom, the use of assistive technology often has room for growth, but a wide and powerful range of tools may already be available to schools through the platforms and devices they already have access to.

This blog post will discuss some of these tools, the potential of ‘on-demand’ access by pupils and the work of one junior school in Hertfordshire, that is exploring this potential.

Tools that could be readily available in many classrooms

Schools might look at developing a comprehensive 'toolbox' of assistive technologies. This toolbox isn't a literal box, but rather a collection of tools and resources that can be provided to pupils to help them overcome barriers to learning. As mentioned above, schools and settings probably already have access to a wide range of tools, built into the platforms they already use.

The goal is to ensure that the hardest part of any lesson is the learning itself, not the accessing of that learning. Digital tools such as text-to-speech, dictation software, picture dictionaries, and checking/review tools can play a crucial role in supporting pupils with diverse needs. By having these technologies available to those that need them, when they need them, we can create an inclusive learning environment in which all pupils have the opportunity to succeed.

It’s likely that classrooms will have some level of access to one or more of these three well-known platforms; Microsoft Office (through Windows devices), Google Workspace for Education (through Chromebooks) or Apple iPadOS (through iPads). All three offer a broad range of accessibility features that are simple to implement.

Microsoft

Whether schools are using the online version of Office, or the fully installed desktop version, they will probably have access to Immersive Reader, which can completely transform a user’s access to digital text. Integrated into Microsoft products like Word or OneNote, it offers features such as text-to-speech, picture dictionary (online version only), translation into over 100 languages, and customisable reading settings. These features support diverse learning needs by providing accessible and inclusive reading experiences.

Google

Chromebook users have access to tools like ChromeVox (a built-in screen reader), Select-to-Speak, Chrome Reading Mode, and various display adjustments such as high contrast mode (colour inversion), screen magnification, and large mouse cursors. The powerful Voice Typing feature in Google Docs enables the user to dictate their text. This can be done in many languages and then translated into English, if helpful. These tools collectively can contribute to an inclusive learning environment, enabling pupils with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments to access and engage with educational content effectively.

Apple

iPads also offer a wide range of accessibility features designed to support users with diverse needs. They include VoiceOver (a screen reader), magnifier, dictation and display adjustments like colour filters and text size changes. They also offer features such as Guided Access, which limits the device to a single app, and Speak Screen, which reads aloud the content on the screen. With the built-in cameras and the many, often free 3rd party apps designed to support learners with SEND, the iPad can be a highly effective and very portable assistive device.

Case study from a junior school using on-demand assistive technology

Beyond the assistive tools built into the commonly used digital platforms, there are also some incredibly powerful additional tools available that can further enhance the support provided by digital technology. One such example is the Read&Write toolbar from EverWay (formerly Texthelp). This is a tool being explored at Parkgate Junior School, in Watford, Hertfordshire.

The Read&Write toolbar hovers onscreen, over a page being accessed or worked on, offering text-to-speech, a picture dictionary, predictive text, ‘Check it’ (a function to check written work for spelling and grammatical errors), and much more.

Inspired by the research into an on-demand mindset at LEO Academy Trust, leaders at Parkgate Junior School aimed to improve outcomes for Year 5 pupils, especially those entitled to the Pupil Premium, by piloting the Read&Write toolbar. Staff received training from HFL Education advisers, and the toolbar was installed on Chromebooks for both pupils and teachers. By making the Chromebooks available in lessons, pupils could choose whether to use the assistive tools available to them – using them on-demand, when they needed them. Eight pupils, several of whom were entitled to the Pupil Premium, were trained as Digital Leaders. These pupils supported their peers in the classroom, with the use of the toolbar.

The programme led to improved attendance and behaviour, with a notable decrease in behaviour incidents. While the initial focus was on reading, the most significant improvements were seen in writing. Pupils produced longer, higher-quality pieces and engaged more in lessons. Pupils used tools such as Voice-Typing and text-to-speech to draft their work, and the ‘Check It’ function to review what they had written or dictated.

The use of Chromebooks also alleviated fears of making mistakes in books, as digital text can easily be amended or replaced.

Pupils reported increased independence and enthusiasm for using Chromebooks across subjects. Teachers and leaders observed a positive impact on self-esteem and engagement. The school plans to expand the programme and assess its long-term benefits, including potential support for parents.

Summary

Integrating assistive technology into the classroom can significantly enhance the learning experience for all pupils, and it doesn't need to be complicated or expensive – indeed it may already be built in.

By making the most of existing resources, such as the tools already available through Microsoft Office, Google Workspace for Education, and Apple iPadOS, schools can foster a more inclusive and supportive environment without incurring significant costs.

Schools might consider:

• When adults are making adaptations to enable pupils to access learning, is assistive technology considered?
• Are there pupils who might benefit from tools such as Voice-Typing or text-to-speech software to allow them to access learning more easily?
• Is the barrier to great use of assistive technology in classrooms the confidence of the adults and the knowledge of what tools might already be readily available?

The success of the pilot program at Parkgate Junior School demonstrates the potential of on-demand assistive technology, with a notable impact on pupils’ engagement, behaviour, and achievement. With proper training and support, these technologies can be seamlessly integrated into everyday classroom activities, ensuring that every pupil has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.

If you would like to explore the points raised in this blog post further, please contact Chris Carter, HFL’s EdTech Adviser: chris.carter@hfleducation.org

Reading for pleasure has long since been on the agenda for schools. Last year, however, the National Literacy Trust released stark figures detailing the numbers of children and young people who choose to read in their spare time.  

This startling statistic represents the lowest figure since 2005. 

Research into the benefits of reading for pleasure is extensive. Work undertaken by Sullivan and Brown in 2015 showed that the will to read positively influences the skill and highlighted the direct association between a child choosing to read in their spare time and later academic success. Research also suggests a positive correlation of improved vocabulary and general knowledge when pupils choose to read (Cunningham and Stanovich 2001). 

As well as the positive impact on academic progress and attainment, reading allows our children to explore new learning, escape into new worlds and empathise with new people. We cannot underestimate how this will translate beyond English and into the wider curriculum. 

World Book Day initiatives can be hugely effective in re-igniting reading for pleasure across the school, but we need to be mindful not to make this simply an annual event and instead use this day to re-focus the school community’s attention on the importance of enjoying reading. We want to nurture our pupils into lifelong lovers of reading: people who choose to read.

This year’s World Book Day takes the theme of “Read your way” to support children to see reading as something they can choose to do rather than have to do. If you are in the midst of planning your 2025 World Book Day activities you might find this blog from our archives a source of inspiration., 

However, embedding a positive reading culture needs to go beyond this annual event 

In Ofsted’s English research review series, they cite that forming a ‘coherent strategy’ can be effective in designing a curriculum that supports reading for pleasure. Below we will explore several strategies that can help to inspire children to choose to read. 

Developing your book corner

In order to encourage children to read ‘their way’, we need to ensure that the spaces we create for reading in our classrooms are inviting and most importantly are routinely used.  

Top tips:

1. Include peer recommendations within your book corner. 

Pupils can be great positive influences on one another. A 3-word review written on a sticky note stuck on the book’s front cover could be all a reluctant reader needs to pick a book they otherwise may have overlooked. Using book stands to promote what peers are reading will allow teachers to note trends in reading behaviours as well as recommend texts to one another. Consider a book display with recommendations to broaden pupils’ awareness of authors and books:

“If you loved reading… then you may enjoy….”

2. Involve the pupils in the development of your reading corner. 

If we want pupils to engage with and subsequently take pride and ownership over their class reading areas, let’s gain their input on what they want it to be. Which books do they want to have available? What about non-fiction texts, poetry, comics or newspapers? How should we display the books? When would they like to use the area?

Once the pupils have had some input in their class reading areas, we can then use their help to ensure the space is kept organised, up to date and inviting. This is key to ensure that reading areas are spaces in which children want to spend their time. 

Harness your teacher superpower

Not all superheroes wear capes, but they can often be seen wearing lanyards and drinking cups of coffee. When it comes to promoting reading for pleasure, we cannot underestimate the power of the teacher influencer. How often do you have a queue of children at the desk asking to read a story which you have just finished reading to them? This all comes down to the powerful delivery you have provided. Let’s make sure we are protecting time for adults to read to their class. Just reading the first couple of pages with enthusiasm, and a nod to a few children who might be interested in that book, can generate a keen interest and a queue of children keen to borrow the text next.

We can use this superpower to tempt children with great literature that they may not ordinarily choose of their own volition. Remember this could be fiction, non-fiction and poetry. What better way to draw in a reluctant reader than by showing that you understand their hobbies and interests and can direct them to reading materials accordingly?

In order to choose texts that we wish to recommend to our children or those we wish to share with them, teachers need to have a good knowledge of children’s literature. In theory, this is a great suggestion, but many teachers will say they simply don’t have the time to do this effectively. 

Here are some suggestions to help make this a manageable approach:

• Take 5 minutes at the start of a staff meeting to share a book with colleagues
• Have a share box in the staff room for colleagues to recommend texts to each other
• Audio books can be a great way of enjoying children’s literature whilst completing other tasks
• For award-winning literature, browse the book awards websites such as UKLA and The Carnegies 
• Explore websites which catalogue the latest children’s literature such as: CLPE, Books for Topics, Book Trust  and The Times bookshop.

Communities of readers

In order to embed a reading for pleasure culture that can be truly transformative to pupil reading behaviours, we need the support of the community around us. We need to ensure that children see reading as a lifelong pursuit which extends beyond the school gates. 

Through their Teachers as Readers project, The Open University Reading for Pleasure Centre found that reading for pleasure is strongly influenced by building relationships between children, teachers, parents and the wider school community. 

Consider how we can involve the wider school community during reading time. Whether that be inviting a special guest reader to visit the classroom to share their favourite story or an open classroom where parents and carers can come and read with their children. At our recent conference, Tracy Swinburne OBE, CEO of Accomplish MAT, detailed how she opens up her school libraries to families at the end of Friday afternoons, so that parents/carers can come and see books being read to children and then choose a book with their child to borrow for the weekend.

And let’s not forget to support our local community library. It is always worth contacting your local library to see how they can support reading in your school. Whether that be a trip to see what the library has to offer or inviting them in for a whole school assembly.  

Considering current practice

Before considering tweaks or even new priorities to current reading for pleasure initiatives, completing an audit or self-evaluation can be a helpful place to start. Taking a moment to pause and reflect on what is going well and how we can subsequently develop strategies further to narrow our focus and plan strategically. 

Section 8 of The Reading Framework: Developing a Reading for Pleasure Culture, provides some handy audits to help evaluate current practice and consider those all-important next steps. 

For subject leaders, you may also want to consider gathering pupil voice to determine the children’s attitudes to reading. 

Key questions could include:

• Do you enjoy reading?
• Who are your favourite authors? Why?
• What types of books do you like to read? Why?
• Where do you choose to read?
• How do you choose a book to read?

These questions, along with the vision of World Book Day 2025 will help schools to support children to read ‘their way’. The information gathered can support subject leaders to consider whether the current provision for reading enjoyment within school is in line with pupil viewpoints.

Where else can we find inspiration?

We were lucky enough to welcome the eminent Teresa Cremin to our shared INSET training in September who ignited the room full of delegates with her inspirational ideas to promote reading for pleasure. The Open University’s Reading for Pleasure website offers some valuable resources for teachers and leaders to consider when developing a robust culture of reading for pleasure. 

Take a look at this case study blog, guest written by English Subject Leader Kate Atkinson, which details how she has been creating a reading for pleasure culture in her school.

The educator’s section of the World Book Day website has some evidence-based resources to support reading for pleasure which can be used all year round. 

HFL Education’s free to join Primary English subject leader community is a great place to share best practise with fellow leaders: Primary English Subject Leader Online Community 

For more information on how to harness reading fluency to raise attainment and propel children towards reading for pleasure, visit HFL Reading Fluency Project | HFL Education. 

Don’t forget to follow the HFL Primary English team on our social media channel for ideas and inspiration to develop your wider English curriculum. 

X: @HertsEnglish
TikTok: HFL Primary English
Facebook: HFL Primary English

References

The lifelong benefits of reading for pleasure, Professor Alice Sullivan: http://profalices.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/School_Librarian.pdf
What reading does for the mind, Anne E. Cunningham, Keith E. Stanovich: what-reading-does-for-the-mind.pdf
Research review series: English - GOV.UK 
https://ourfp.org/