Getting writing right: What the 2025 Writing Framework means for your school

Primary school leaders face a familiar challenge: raising writing standards whilst managing competing curriculum demands and resource constraints. The Department for Education's 2025 Writing Framework, published in July 2025, offers a solution by refocusing attention on what actually works in writing instruction. Rather than adding complexity, this guidance strips back to the fundamentals that research shows make the biggest difference to pupil outcomes.

The framework's core message is clear: get the basics right first. With the government targeting 75% of children to reach Good Level of Development in writing by 2028, and evidence showing that children behind in literacy at age 5 struggle to catch up through secondary school, the stakes for effective early writing instruction have never been higher.

Foundation skills: building from Reception

Explicit handwriting instruction from Reception

The guidance places significant emphasis on handwriting instruction starting in the first term of reception, alongside phonics, and being taught daily until pupils can write legibly and easily. This systematic teaching should be delivered in small, cumulative steps with ample practice and teacher demonstration, separate from any writing that forms part of phonics teaching. The goal is to develop automaticity early, supporting pupils' gradual skill acquisition.

Foundational role of the Reception year

The reception year is highlighted as crucial for building writing foundations that support children throughout primary school and underpin their future success. The government's Plan for Change milestone, 75% of children reaching Good Level of Development in writing by the end of reception by 2028, underscores this importance. Research shows that children behind in communication, language, and literacy development at age 5 are significantly less likely to achieve higher GCSE English Language grades later.

Prioritising transcription skills

A core objective is ensuring pupils master transcription (handwriting and spelling) as early as possible. Fluent and accurate transcription reduces cognitive load on pupils, freeing up working memory to focus on expressing ideas and composing effectively. The guidance advises schools to prioritise securing high-quality teaching of transcription immediately.

Quality over length in early writing

In reception, pupils shouldn't be expected to produce extended pieces of writing. Instead, focus should be on developing writing quality (letter formation and spelling) and providing opportunities to practise transcription and oral composition. When making judgements against the early learning goal for writing, sentences and phrases can be transcribed from dictation and should be simple rather than extended.

Teaching approaches: evidence-based methods

Progression in handwriting instruction

The framework specifies clear handwriting progression. Crucially, joined handwriting shouldn't be taught until pupils can form unjoined letters (print forms) correctly and consistently, this prevents reinforcing incorrect letter formations. Year 1 expectations include correct lowercase and capital letter formation, digits, and letter 'families'. Year 2 focuses on relative letter size, diagonal and horizontal strokes for joining, and correct spacing.

Emphasis on oral composition and sentence mastery

For composition, particularly in early stages, sentence-level composition should be carried out orally. The framework states that teaching pupils to master sentences is the best way to teach writing, as all writing ultimately comprises sentences. This focus on sentence construction builds foundational understanding needed for paragraphs and longer texts.

Contextualised grammar teaching

Grammar instruction proves most effective when taught within writing tasks with explicit focus on rules, allowing pupils to make informed choices about their writing rather than learning grammatical concepts in isolation. The framework emphasises using grammar as a tool for conveying meaning through constructing and extending sentences and punctuating them accurately.

Promoting dictation as a teaching tool

Dictation is recommended as a helpful strategy for all children to practise transcription, including spelling. It removes the additional demand of generating original content, reducing cognitive load and helping pupils write more automatically.

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Leadership priorities: creating the right conditions

Leadership and management of writing

School leaders bear clear responsibility for creating positive writing cultures, developing effective, well-sequenced writing curricula starting from reception, and ensuring all classroom teachers are trained to teach writing effectively. Leaders must ensure curricula prioritise transcription and oral composition initially, then build composition skills once fluency is achieved.

Typing considerations

Whilst typing is acknowledged as an important future skill, the guidance states that for most primary pupils, teaching typing shouldn't be prioritised at the expense of handwriting instruction. For pupils requiring additional support due to handwriting difficulties, assistive technology should be used alongside, not instead of, handwriting teaching.

Taking action in your school

Steps for next term

• Audit current handwriting provision from reception onwards- is it systematic, daily, and separate from phonics?
• Review reception writing expectations- are you prioritising quality over quantity?
• Assess staff confidence in teaching transcription skills effectively

Medium-term Planning for the academic year

• Develop or refine your school's handwriting progression, ensuring joined writing isn't introduced too early
• Integrate oral composition activities across year groups as preparation for written work
• Plan contextualised grammar teaching that serves real writing purposes

Ongoing development

• Create systems for monitoring transcription automaticity across key stages
• Build staff expertise in sentence-level teaching as the foundation for all composition
• Establish clear leadership structures that prioritise writing fundamentals whilst celebrating creativity

The 2025 Writing Framework doesn't ask schools to reinvent their approach, it asks them to focus on what works. By prioritising transcription skills, emphasising quality over quantity in early years, and ensuring systematic progression, schools can build the solid foundations that enable all pupils to become confident, capable writers. The evidence is clear: get these fundamentals right, and everything else follows.

Resources to support

For schools looking to implement the systematic handwriting instruction emphasised in the framework, WriteWell offers a comprehensive, evidence-informed programme designed to support handwriting mastery from Reception to Year 6. Aligned with the Department for Education's 2025 Writing Framework expectations, it provides the structured approach to transcription that forms the essential foundation for fluent, effective writing.

Explore the WriteWell series here.

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