Guidance for strategic leaders

Analysis of SSLN Writing results and next steps for establishments

How to use this resource

This resource might be used by the following strategic leaders:

· headteachers

· depute headteachers

· secondary curriculum leaders or heads of department

· school literacy co-ordinators

· cluster literacy co-ordinators

· local authority development officers

Reflecting on the current picture

Outlined below is a commentary on the 2014 SSLN results for writing. This includes further analysis of strengths and areas for development at each of the three stages assessed, P4, P7 and S2.

Strategic leaders are invited to reflect on this national picture in order to evaluate how well children and young people are developing writing skills in their own establishment(s). Reflective questions have been included to help with this process.

Planning further action

The additional links suggest approaches and ready-to-use resources that can be used to improve writing in the classroom.

P4 Results for writing

In P4 around two thirds of learners performed well, very well or beyond first level (64%). Only three percent were found to be not yet working within the level.

P4 Strengths and areas for development

Further analysis of the SSLN findings highlighted that assessors found that P4 learners performing well, very well and beyond second level showed particular strength in the following criteria:

· Ensuring that some of the writing is appropriate to purpose of task and intended audience

· Ensuring that some relevant ideas or information have been selected

· Attempting to organise ideas or information in a logical sequence

Those performing beyond first level also showed strength in the following criteria:

· Using some key or engaging words

· Spelling most high frequency words correctly

· Conveying/describing/sharing information/events/processes

· Making an attempt to persuade/engage the reader

Overall, first level assessors found that learners needed to develop further in the following criteria:

· Using simple presentational devices

· Using common conjunctions to link some sentences

· Using simple punctuation appropriately

· Making some attempt to persuade or engage the reader

Reflective Questions

Do you have a shared understanding of the features and layout of different types of text and how these can be used to increase the clarity and impact of writing?

How can you ensure children experience a wide range of different types of texts so that they have opportunities to evaluate simple presentational devices, such as layout, sub-headings, use of bullets, text boxes and illustrations, and apply them in their own writing?

How are you ensuring that children apply their knowledge about punctuation and sentence structure in their own writing? Do you provide adequate opportunities for children to check and edit their own work throughout the writing process? What type of support or tools will help them to do this more effectively?

To what extent do you ensure that children in P1 to P4 are involved in setting meaningful writing targets that they can take forward in all writing pieces across every area of their learning?

P7 Results for Writing

In P7 just over two thirds of learners performed well, very well or beyond second level (68%). Only five per cent were found to be not yet working within the level.

P7 Strengths and areas for development

Further analysis of the SSLN findings highlighted that assessors found that P7 learners performing well, very well and beyond second level showed particular strength in the following criteria:

· Ensuring that most of the writing is appropriate to the purpose of the task/audience.

· Using relevant ideas or information selected

· Generally organising ideas or information in a logical sequence.

Those performing beyond second level also showed strength in

· Using more complex key or engaging vocabulary

· Conveying information etc with some detail or supporting evidence

· Persuading /engaging the reader (as appropriate) with their writing

Overall, second level assessors found that that learners needed to develop further in the following criteria:

· Using more complex punctuation where appropriate.

· Using paragraphs appropriately.

· Including evaluation supported by some evidence/detail (as appropriate)

· Using a variety of sentence structure as appropriate to the task.

Reflective Questions

Do you have a shared understanding of what is meant by more complex punctuation and the expectations of this at second level as outlined in the Assessing Progress and Achievement Progression Framework?

What opportunities do children have to analyse and evaluate a range of different texts to develop their understanding of paragraphing and more complex punctuation and the impact this can have on a piece of writing? What approaches are you using to support children to apply this learning in their own writing?

How effectively do you use self and peer assessment to support children to review and edit their written work? How are you measuring the impact of this on improving their own writing?

Do children have frequent opportunities to create extended pieces of writing across a range of contexts and for a variety of different purposes?

S2 Results for Writing

In S2 just over half of learners performed well, very well or beyond third level in writing. Slightly more than a tenth (12%) found to be not yet working within the level.

S2 strengths and areas for development

Further analysis of the SSLN findings highlighted that assessors found that S2 learners performing well, very well and beyond third level showed particular strength in the following criteria

· Ensuring that most of the writing was appropriate to the purpose of the task/audience

· Ensuring that most of the ideas or information selected were relevant,

· Generally organising ideas or information in a logical sequence.

Overall, third level assessors found that that learners needed to develop further in the following criteria:

· Using more complex punctuation where appropriate

· Using complex presentational devices as appropriate to task

· Using paragraphs appropriately

· Using varied and complex sentence structure

· Conveying information etc with some detail or supporting evidence

· Using more complex key or engaging vocabulary

Reflective Questions

How are you ensuring that young people in S1 build on the writing skills they developed in primary school and experience the correct level of challenge?

How are you supporting staff from across curricular areas to come to a shared understanding of national standards and expectations in writing at the third and fourth levels?

How do you ensure that young people in S1 to S3 are given frequent opportunities to create extended written pieces across all curricular areas and supported to improve through focused feedback?

How do you use a range of texts across curricular areas to develop young people’s knowledge and understanding of the features of subject specific types of writing? What opportunities do they have to apply this learning in their own writing?

Writing Professional Learning Resource Education Scotland