Talk, Transcription, and Text: Reflections on the DfE Writing Framework

On 8 July 2025 the Department for Education published The Writing Framework, a 150-page, non-statutory guidance document aimed primarily at primary schools in England. It represents a concerted attempt to bring coherence, evidence-based principles and a clearer vision to writing pedagogy from Reception through to Key Stage 2. 

 

Key Shifts in Teaching Writing

One of the most striking emphases is on transcription (handwriting and spelling) being taught explicitly from Reception onwards. This rationale is rooted in the ‘Simple View of Writing’ that proposes when these technical skills become more automatic, pupils free up cognitive bandwidth for composition and meaning-making. Writing takes up a large part of working memory because of the need for transcriptional skills, compositional skills and executive function to work together. By increasing fluency in spelling and handwriting, pupils can instead focus on thinking about sentence construction and word choice, along with skills of editing and improving text.  

 

Embedding Sentence-Level Teaching in Writing Tasks

The framework also urges that sentence-level instruction (not just isolated grammar) be embedded within writing tasks, rather than delivered as ‘disconnected drills’. There are some pupils who struggle to reach the expected standard in writing at the end of key stage two due to lack of accurate sentence knowledge. The call to action to focus on sentence knowledge from key stage one is much-needed guidance to help improve fluency of writing. Much research now tells us that in order for pupils to develop sentence knowledge, approaches should be rooted in writing tasks where they can apply their new understanding, with a focus on how their use of grammar has impact on the reader. A welcome move away from ‘checklist’ writing by pupils.  

 

The Role of Oral Rehearsal in Writing Instruction

Spoken language has a greater emphasis in the framework, advising that pupils should be encouraged to compose orally, rehearse sentences aloud, and use talk as a scaffold before writing. The framework also warns against pushing children into lengthy writing too early; quality over quantity is a recurring theme.  

Finally, leadership and whole-school culture are foregrounded. The document urges schools to adopt consistent writing philosophies, structures and CPD, with sustained investment over time. 

 

What are the implications for classroom practice?  

For practitioners, this framework calls for both shifts in mindset and in incremental adjustments: 

• Curriculum design: Sequence writing so that transcription becomes increasingly automatic before expecting more ambitious composition. A gradual build from sentence-level to text-level work may mean reordering units of work, the mapping of skills or restructuring writing cycles. 
• Explicit handwriting instruction: Many schools will need to revisit how and when handwriting is taught - daily sessions, consistent modelling, posture, grip, left-hand adaptations and “ready to write” routines.  
• Talk before writing: Ensure time is deliberately built into lessons for pupils to discuss, rehearse and refine their ideas orally before committing them to paper. This is especially critical for younger or less confident writers. 
• Scaffolds and differentiation: Teachers may need to provide sentence stems, word banks, planning frames, or dictation tasks to support pupils whose transcription skills lag behind. 
• A culture of writing: Writing should be visible across the school - shared displays, purposeful cross-curricular writing tasks, celebrations of drafts and revisions. Leadership must support consistent language and expectations. 
• Phased implementation: The framework acknowledges that change takes time. Schools can audit existing writing practices using the tools in the framework or  the audit tool provided by Education North Tyneside, identify priority areas, and roll changes in over a multi-year timeline. 
• Maintain creativity: Critics have cautioned that an overemphasis on technical precision may dampen pupils’ intrinsic motivation to write. Schools must strike a balance—precision supports creativity, but it should not constrain it. 

In sum, the DfE’s Writing Framework invites practitioners to revisit fundamentals: to root writing instruction in transcription fluency, oral rehearsal and sentence control, rather than assuming that longer compositions alone build skill. While it does not mandate statutory change now, its coherence, audit tools and exemplars offer schools a powerful lever for reflection and evolution. The real test will lie in how settings embed its principles over time, without losing sight of writing as a human, generative, meaning-making act.