Thought Leadership Roundtables

On 25th March 2025, literacy leaders from across the primary sector gathered in London for our second Literacy Roundtable, joined by guest speaker Dr. Tim Mills. The evening centred on a crucial question:

"Your literacy strategy: is it working?"

With a focus on vocabulary development, writing progression, and the cognitive demands of literacy, the discussion explored current challenges, best practices, and innovative approaches to improving outcomes for all learners.

Key challenges

Despite a growing recognition of the importance of explicit literacy instruction, primary schools continue to face significant barriers in embedding a whole-school approach:

1. Post-COVID learning gaps and pupil disparities

Many schools reported that while progress is being made, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still evident, particularly among pupil premium (PP), English as an Additional Language (EAL), and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) students.

• Oral language deficits were noted as a particular concern, with some children entering school with limited vocabulary exposure and weaker speaking skills than in previous cohorts. This has a knock-on effect on both reading comprehension and writing fluency.
• Schools highlighted that children from less advantaged backgrounds can lack exposure to a reading culture at home, making structured classroom literacy even more vital.
• There is a growing gap between those who read for pleasure and those who see reading as purely academic, reinforcing literacy inequalities.

2. Time constraints and curriculum overload

While teachers are keen to embed literacy strategies across the curriculum, many reported that the sheer volume of content they must cover leaves them little time to deliver deep, structured literacy work outside of English lessons, without extra support.

• Vocabulary instruction is often squeezed into lesson starters rather than being fully integrated into subject-specific teaching.
• Writing opportunities in non-English subjects are often rushed, with little time for modelling, redrafting, or refining ideas.
• Reading for depth vs. coverage—teachers feel pressured to push through texts quickly rather than allowing time for meaningful discussion and comprehension.

3. Staffing challenges and inconsistent implementation

Several participants noted that staffing challenges have made it harder to ensure consistent, high-quality literacy instruction.

• High staff turnover means that strategies introduced in one year may not be sustained long-term, leading to fragmented approaches.
• Teaching assistants, who often provide key literacy interventions, are stretched across multiple responsibilities, limiting the impact of targeted reading and writing support.
• Some staff members might be unfamiliar with structured literacy instruction; such training gaps can hinder the effectiveness of strategy implementation.

4. Writing progression and student confidence

One of the most pressing concerns was the variability in writing skills among students, even within the same year group.

• Many children lack confidence in writing, particularly when transitioning from structured sentence-building to independent composition.
• Teachers observed that writing stamina has declined, with some children reluctant to write at length due to lack of fluency and cognitive overload.
• The 'hidden middle'—students who are neither significantly struggling nor excelling—often receive less targeted writing support, meaning their progress can stagnate.

Despite these barriers, schools are actively working towards more intentional and structured approaches to literacy. One Trust-led school shared how their experience-driven approach to reading has led to strong outcomes, even among students with lower starting points. By selecting engaging, culturally relevant texts, they ensure reading is both accessible and meaningful for their diverse student body.

Early intervention: A non-negotiable

A recurring theme was the importance of identifying struggling readers early. Schools recognised that addressing literacy gaps at Year 5 and 6 is often too late. Instead, embedding small-group reading, targeted interventions, and 1:1 support from Year 1 is crucial for minimising the gap before it becomes unmanageable.

One challenge raised was the visibility of reading disparities—as children progress through school, they become more aware of their peers reading more complex texts. This can erode confidence and motivation. Technology was highlighted as a potential solution, offering discreet ways for students to engage with appropriately levelled texts without the conspicuousness of a book’s thickness in comparison to those of their peers.

Bridging the composition gap

Bridging the gap between transcription, grammar and sentence structure, and composition with Dr Tim Mills.

Dr. Tim Mills delivered a compelling talk on the science behind effective writing instruction, focusing on cognitive load theory, structured writing, and the role of the reader. His insights provided a deep dive into the psychology of writing, offering practical strategies to help students develop fluency and confidence.

He outlined the cognitive gap between transcription (sentence-level skills like grammar, punctuation, and handwriting) and composition (structuring ideas into a cohesive piece). Too often, schools rush students towards composition without fully securing foundational skills: “It’s a myth that there’s no research on writing—there’s plenty. But writing is cognitively different from reading, and it must be taught explicitly.”

The problem: Why writing is so hard for students

Dr. Mills opened with a powerful observation: writing is one of the most cognitively demanding tasks we ask students to do. Unlike spoken language, which develops naturally through interaction, writing requires a complex orchestration of multiple cognitive processes—grammar, vocabulary, syntax, argument structure, and audience awareness—all at once.

He noted that many students, particularly those who struggle with literacy, are not failing due to a lack of ideas but rather because of excessive cognitive overload. If students are still expending mental energy on basic writing mechanics, they have little capacity left to focus on higher-order thinking skills like analysis, creativity, or persuasion.

The solution: Embedding a strong writing framework early on

One of his key arguments was that schools need to embed a clear, structured writing framework from the very beginning of a child's education. He particularly emphasised the importance of paragraph structure—what a paragraph should look like, how it should feel, and how it organises thoughts logically.

• If this structured approach is only introduced later (e.g., in Years 5/6), it becomes a huge drain on cognitive load. At that stage, students are already dealing with more complex writing tasks, and having to simultaneously learn structure makes it much harder for them to develop fluency.
• In contrast, if students internalise a clear writing structure from an early age—at a basic level, simply understanding that every thought or sentence has a beginning, middle, and end—this becomes second nature, reducing the cognitive burden in later years.

Dr. Mills also cautioned against subject-specific variations in writing structure. While different disciplines may have their own writing conventions, core structural principles should remain consistent across all subjects. If students are asked to write history essays in one format and science reports in another, it introduces unnecessary complexity and works against the goal of reducing cognitive load. Instead, he advocated for a single, unified writing structure across the school, which students can confidently apply in any subject.

The non-present reader: Writing for clarity

Another fascinating concept was the importance of always considering the non-present reader—the person who will read the writing without the writer being there to clarify anything.

• In conversation, misunderstandings can be instantly resolved by asking questions. But when writing, the audience doesn’t have that luxury.
• Therefore, students must be taught to anticipate the reader’s needs, ensuring that every idea is clearly expressed and that no key details are missing.

One practical strategy Dr. Mills suggested was using a peer as a ‘present’ non-present reader. This involves pairing students up and having one read the other’s work, asking questions wherever something is unclear. The writer then revises their work based on this feedback.

• Interestingly, he pointed out that this is often more beneficial for the peer asking the questions rather than just the writer. It sharpens their ability to critically evaluate text, helping them develop stronger analytical and communication skills.
• He encouraged teachers to step back and allow students to play this role, as peer-led feedback often has a more immediate impact than teacher corrections alone.

A particularly striking insight was that non-narrative writing is more cognitively demanding than storytelling. Without strong mental models of structure, children struggle to convey factual information effectively.

Key takeaways: What schools need next

The roundtable concluded with a discussion on next steps and the barriers schools still face in implementing effective writing instruction.

1. Purpose-driven literacy

Students must understand why they are learning something. Without clear purpose, engagement suffers. Schools emphasised the need to make literacy authentic, connected, and meaningful.

2. Writing progression needs better benchmarking

Unlike in Year 6 SATs, there is no clear national benchmark for writing at younger ages. Teachers struggle to define what "good" writing looks like for different year groups. This lack of clarity makes it harder to set realistic yet ambitious writing expectations.

3. Quality over quantity

Rather than prioritising long pieces of writing, schools should focus on stronger, structured writing in smaller chunks—building composition skills paragraph by paragraph.

4. More time for writing

Teachers often rush the writing process to meet curriculum demands. Schools need structured planning phases where writing is developed gradually, not just at the point of assessment.

5. The role of oracy

Writing and reading are often treated in isolation, but spoken language is the missing link. Schools need to shift from simply "adding" oracy to lessons to embedding it purposefully across the curriculum.

6. Writing structure must be embedded early

If students learn writing structure too late, it creates unnecessary cognitive load. Teaching clear paragraphing and sentence structure from the start makes it second nature. Schools should use a consistent structure across all subjects to avoid confusion and improve outcomes.

7. Writing must be clear for the non-present reader

Students often write as if the reader can ask them questions—but in writing, clarity must be built in. A useful strategy is peer-led feedback, where a student reads a classmate’s work and asks for clarifications. This benefits both students, sharpening their writing and analytical skills.

Final thoughts

The London Primary Literacy Roundtable reinforced a critical truth: reading and writing are deeply connected, but one does not guarantee the other. Schools must move beyond the assumption that "good readers automatically become good writers"—and instead teach writing with the same rigour as reading.

By tackling vocabulary, sentence structure, and composition systematically, and leveraging cognitive science and technology, educators can bridge the literacy gap before it becomes entrenched.

The evening ended with a shared commitment: "If we get literacy right, we get learning right."

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