With the term ‘sentence’ being mentioned in excess of 300 times across the writing framework, it is absolutely highlighting the importance of ‘the sentence’, when teaching children to write. It suggests that helping children to master sentences is central to the development of fluent, confident writers and that sentence-level teaching is:

“the engine that propels pupils from writing the way they speak to using the structures of written language.”

It also suggests that without secure sentence knowledge, children cannot move forward effectively in their writing journey. In this blog, I will explore the strengths of these messages while also addressing some of its ‘blind spots’ to help ensure that misinterpretation does not lead to unintended consequences in the classroom.  

Talk as the foundation

Pleasingly, the framework emphasises that talk is essential for building children’s understanding of written language. Teachers are encouraged to rephrase children’s spoken contributions, extend them, and provide oral models of appropriate sentence structure. This oral rehearsal helps children to hear how sentences sound, which in turn can help to inform their writing choices.

Prosody - our use of pitch, timing, and emphasis - is highlighted as a subtle but effective tool. For example, during genuine conversations, raising pitch at the end of a question or pausing at the end of an idea helps children to internalise sentence boundaries. The framework also recommends sentence stems and frames, which scaffold oral composition and link spoken language to written structures.

Oral composition and cognitive load

The framework highlights the importance of oral composition even once children can write independently. Speaking a sentence before writing it reduces cognitive demand: children have already organised their ideas and chosen a structure. Visual prompts such as pictures, flow charts, or animations, can further support this process, helping children to focus on sentence construction rather than memory.

Reading as a model for writing

The writing framework rightly talks about using reading as a model for writing. Reading widely, and importantly being read to, exposes children to a rich variety of sentence structures. This is not just about vocabulary growth; it is about noticing how sentences are built, punctuated, and varied for effect. Providing opportunities for our children to overlearn familiar stories with repetitive sentence structure within their early education is key. I’m sure you can all appreciate these familiar ‘single clause sentences’ used for effect:

Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me. I’m the gingerbread man.

Teachers can draw children’s attention to these features during shared reading, but the framework cautions us to distinguish between reading as a reader and reading as a writer. Both are important, but they serve different purposes.

When children read as writers, they begin to notice how authors use short sentences for dramatic effect, longer ones for detail, and questions or commands to engage the reader. These observations can then feed directly into their own writing repertoire.

Explicit sentence-level teaching

The framework insists that sentence-level teaching should be a deliberate component of the writing curriculum where children should be provided with planned opportunities to practise constructing single-clause sentences before moving on to more complex structures.

However, children may naturally attempt multi-clause sentences without instruction and thankfully it is noted that this should not be discouraged but that explicit teaching must continue to focus on ensuring that the foundations are secure.

In our Securing Full Stops and Fixing Full Stops projects, we share effective tried-and-tested teaching strategies which enable children to develop secure understanding of what a sentence is, improving their overall accuracy and supporting their composition.

It suggests a clear progression in the teaching of sentence structure. For example, once children can confidently write single-clause sentences, they can extend them with conjunctions, adverbials, or additional detail. The National Curriculum offers considerable guidance and support here, setting out the expectations of sentence structure to form a well sequenced and progressive learning journey. This could be the time to take a look at how the teaching of sentence structure progresses from year to year across your school. This will ensure children build on strong foundations.

Dictation as a tool for sentence structure

The Writing Framework also identifies dictation as a strategy for consolidating children’s understanding of sentence construction. When teachers dictate sentences for children to write, children must attend closely to the subject–verb relationship, punctuation, and overall structure. This reduces cognitive load because the content is provided, allowing them to focus on accuracy and form. Dictation reinforces the link between oral and written language: children hear the sentence, process its grammar, and then transcribe it. Over time, regular dictation, used appropriately, helps children internalise sentence boundaries, develop fluency, and apply these structures independently in their own writing.

Blind spots and unintended consequences

While sentence-level teaching is rightly emphasised in the writing framework, teachers should remain mindful of potential blind spots. A strong focus on subject–verb accuracy can unintentionally narrow children’s understanding of what writing can be, particularly when they encounter poetry, where fragments and unconventional syntax are often used deliberately for rhythm, ambiguity, or emotional effect. If pupils are taught that only “correctly structured” sentences are valid, they may miss the creative possibilities of language.

Similarly, while dictation is a valuable tool for reinforcing sentence boundaries and accuracy, as well as practising transcriptional fluency, it should not become the sole method of writing practice for developing writers; over-reliance risks positioning children as passive transcribers rather than active composers of meaning. To avoid these unintended consequences, the explicit teaching of sentence structure should be within context, so it is meaningful for children. This, alongside opportunities for children to explore flexible, creative uses of language and to generate sentences independently, ensures accuracy is taught without stifling imagination.

The writing framework makes clear that sentence-level teaching is not about drilling grammar in isolation. It is about equipping children with the tools to express ideas clearly and creatively. By mastering sentences, they gain confidence not only in writing but in thinking. Step by step, sentence-level teaching builds the bridge from spoken language to written composition, and that bridge is the foundation of future writing success.

If you are interested in further training around securing children’s understanding of sentence structure,  please take a look at our ever popular training:

Securing Full Stops at KS1
Fixing Full Stops in KS2

Every pupil deserves to thrive, and that starts with confident, knowledgeable staff empowered to make a difference. The SEND Code of Practice (2015) has always been clear about the importance of securing high levels of expertise aimed at creating an inclusive learning environment in which pupils with SEND can achieve great things, and how school leaders can use this to build the quality of whole-school provision as part of their approach to school improvement.

Two recent publications have led us to reflect on HFL’s SEND focused training programme and consider how our portfolio of Level 3 and Level 4 SEND accredited qualifications can enable settings, schools, and multi-academy trusts to further strengthen their provision. The most recent government data (DfE 2025) shows that over 1.7 million pupils in England now require SEND provision. The current national debate about managing the exponential growth in the number and complexity of pupils with SEND suggests an increasing need to wire professional development into the everyday lives of the education workforce.

Ofsted’s state-funded school inspection toolkit (November 2025) describes how inspectors will focus on gathering evidence relating to a range of factors that contribute most strongly to leadership and governance, including ‘having a coherent professional learning programme for all staff that is rooted in a culture of purposeful collaboration, focuses on building collective expertise and enables expert teaching across all subjects and phases.’

Inspectors will consider the extent to which leaders ‘take a strategic approach to improvement, in which they carefully identify the right priorities to ensure the best possible outcomes and experiences for pupils.’

And, when gathering evidence on professional learning and expertise, a light is shone on the extent to which professional learning includes a focus on the ‘necessary adaptations for pupils with SEND, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or well-being’.

Our portfolio of Level 3 and 4 Gateway qualifications can contribute by:

• Building knowledge through a structured learning programme, encouraging staff to connect statutory duties with everyday practice, and practical tasks designed to enable staff to deepen their understanding of SEND.

  “I found the requirement of the course to work with an individual student and their parents/carers extremely beneficial.”

  (Level 3 supporting children and young people with autism – secondary participant)

• Motivating staff through active reflection, and recognition of effective ways of working. By providing opportunities for professional development, leaders can help staff to feel valued.

  “I have learnt so much … It has given me more confidence in my practice as I did a lot of self-reflection when discussing personal experiences in my assignments.”

  (Level 3 Certificate for Early Years SENCOs – practitioner)

• Developing techniques that strengthen inclusive practice and explore approaches to identify and plan for individual needs alongside opportunities to discuss learning with colleagues from other settings, schools or trusts.

“Each unit gave you resources that you can use with the children to gain further insights into understanding their needs.”

(Level 3 supporting children and young people with autism – primary SENCO)

• Embedding practice by providing opportunities for regular feedback, revisiting prior learning and enabling staff to implement strategies and approaches that meet the needs of the pupils they work with.

Level 3 Certificate for SENCOs in Early Years (CERTSEY) – enabling SENCOs in the Early Years (PVI), including childminders, to have the necessary knowledge, skills and confidence in relation to their duties as outlined in the SEND code of practice.

Level 3 Award in supporting children and young people with autism - enabling school staff, across all phases, to confidently deliver meaningful support with learning applied through a real-life case study approach using the assess-plan-do-review cycle.

By investing in high-quality professional development, leaders create a culture where expertise grows, collaboration flourishes, and barriers to learning are dismantled. When we equip our teams with the tools to succeed, we don’t just improve provision—we transform lives.

For further information about HFL’s range of accredited SEND qualifications or to register interest for the next cohort please visit our website or contact us at easternp.gateway@hfleducation.org

References

• Department for Education (202).5 Special educational needs in England: January 2025. [Online] Available at: Special educational needs in England: January 2025 - GOV.UK
• Hertfordshire’s Ordinarily Available Provision Guidance (September 2025) https://thegrid.org.uk/send-and-additional-needs/ordinarily-available-provision
• Ofsted (2025). Education Inspection Framework: for use from November 2025. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-inspection-framework/education-inspection-framework-for-use-from-november-2025
• Education Endowment Foundation (2021). Effective Professional Development. [Online] Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/effective-professional-development

Department for Education and Department for Health and Social Care (2025). SEND code of practice: 0-25 years. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

Blog authored by Louise Barrell (Lead SEND Adviser) and Natalie Fogden (SEND adviser).

I was recently considering what it is to be a school governor or trustee (which we will refer to as a board member in this blog!) and came up with the following, I hesitate to say definition but hopefully capturing the value of this highly regarded volunteer role.

As we come to the end of the first term of this academic year, as a new board member you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed or as an experienced governor thinking ‘well that’s one term down, two to go!’, so let’s reflect on this most respected of volunteer roles that makes you part of one of the largest volunteer workforces in the UK.

In the beginning; whether you are considering becoming a board member as a parent, staff member, local councillor, member of the local community, from the local business community or in retirement, the first thing to consider is this; whatever skills I have may be a great fit but will definitely need to be adapted for the unique world that is education! For many people who step up they can be quite perplexed that their professional expertise barely survives contact with the realities of the education workplace. The accountant trying to make sense of how the education year doesn’t align with the financial year - managing the rigours of the SFVS, 3-year budget forecasts, pay reviews all of which are out of sync with the drum beat of the education year. The HR professional finding that long established HR practice and conventions in the world of business need to be adapted to the uniquely nurturing world of school communities. The business leader long used to combining a level of risk appetite with quick, bold decision making having to adapt to collective long term strategic thinking, where risk appetite and planning need to be balanced in the interests of all stakeholders. There’s also some ‘hat’ removal that’s required as well - a parent needs to remove their child’s parental hat, a staff member their ‘staffroom’ hat, the councillor their political hat and for other co-opted governors’ potential conflict of interest hat or hats that may apply. The above requires some readjustment of skill sets and how best to apply them plus the consideration of ‘personal interest’ which are all a fundamental requisite to taking this first volunteer step. Equally they are certainly not a barrier, and all boards benefit from a range of skills ‘around the table’ where work and life experience will richly contribute to the effective working of the board.

Having taken that step, there is a level of investment that must be made in your own development to be able to fulfil the role, duties and responsibilities of being a board member. There’s no escaping the fact that training and support are vital to understanding your role and how to be the very best at it. This begins with induction training (ideally a combination of an internal induction programme and external training) and then the offer of a widertraining programme (whether it be internal or sourced from an external provider) to give you the tools and confidence to fully participate in board and committee meetings as well as the skills required for school visits and building relations with school staff and leaders. Of course, much of this can be learned ‘on the job’ through learning from your peers, attending FGB meetings & other key events (e.g. external advisor visits), and being curious by asking questions – the key is to be prepared as best as possible from the outset.

To ‘the job’ itself, for it is a job of work! You will need to factor in time to read meeting papers, prepare questions and write visit reports and keep yourself up to date with changes to education guidance and practice – together with attending meetings and taking part in school visits, you should be prepared to commit to at least 8-12 hours per month of the academic year. Whilst doing all this repeating the mantra to yourself that yes, I volunteered to do this, and I am making a difference and at the same time resisting with all your strength the notion that somehow by volunteering you can pick and choose what your level of commitment will be because ‘I’m only a volunteer’!

When it comes to one of the main functions of being a board member, namely attending meetings, the timeless scouting motto of ‘Be prepared’ is never truer. Reading meeting papers, preparing some questions to ask and then ensuring you get the opportunity to ask them is key. Whilst remembering to ensure your questions are ‘appropriately challenging’ (you are there in the role of a ‘critical friend’) and that you feel confident to follow up your question for clarification or to press for further evidence, which is commonly referred to as a ‘how do know this?’ follow up.

Overtime you will gain confidence in your role, possibly take on a link role or two and through training slowly find your voice and confidence to fully contribute at meetings and on those all-important school visits. For the board you have joined, one critical area that is often neglected is succession planning for the Chair, Vice Chair and Committee Chair roles. If you feel that in time you would like to take on one of these roles then make sure you make that known, at least to the chair. There is a lot of leadership development training available to help prepare for these roles and if your name ‘is in the frame’ then you will not be overlooked when opportunities arise. It’s sometimes feels awkward to make your ambition clear but as far as succession planning goes it is always best to be open, sowing the seed early and being part of a planned and well considered process to replace retiring governance leaders – your board will genuinely thank you!

After all this it’s equally important to know when it’s best to step away. There’s a 4-year cycle to a term of office for board members and its perceived wisdom that after two or three terms you should consider carefully if it may be time to step down to make way for new board members. However, the longer you are at a school, the more invested you can become in those long-term strategic plans and improvements and quite rightly would like to be around when they come to fruition. So, when considering retiring from your board, and ending that amazing volunteer journey, take your time, discuss how you are feeling with your Chair and, as with any job of work, step away when the time feels right (you can always offer your services to another school!).

Winstone Churchill said the following about personal fulfilment, the words could not be more apt for the amazing group of people who selflessly and voluntarily give up their time to support schools in their community: