Empowering Writing Excellence Across MATs and Clusters
At Literacy Counts, we are proud to have collaborated with the Chester Diocesan Academies Trust (CDAT) to deliver a focused and impactful writing project aimed at enhancing the fundamentals of writing across their family of schools. With over 2,000 pupils in 18 primary schools across Cheshire, the Wirral, and parts of Greater Manchester, CDAT is committed to excellence in education and professional development.
As part of their vision to provide tailored support for their schools, Literacy Counts partnered with CDAT to deliver 'Writing: Getting the Basics Right' – a targeted set of CPD sessions aimed at developing key writing skills. This project focused on:
EYFS and Year 1: Supporting oral rehearsal, phonics application, and handwriting fluency to ensure writing fundamentals become fluent for novice writers.
Years 2-6: Empowering teachers to help struggling writers with spelling and handwriting, ensuring they have the tools to succeed.
In each session, teachers engaged with our 'Reflecting on Outcomes' document to evaluate their pupils' strengths and development needs in writing. These reflections provided a foundation for actionable strategies and targeted interventions to close gaps in learning.
Expert-Led Training
Our Expert Consultants, including Claire Belisari, Hannah Gaynor, Jo Pollock and Louise Robinson, brought their expertise and practical insights to each session, ensuring teachers were equipped with actionable strategies to enhance writing outcomes.
“The bespoke training we planned and delivered for CDAT came from a deep understanding of the Trust wide issues that were emerging around writing. The training sessions were designed to ensure teachers were planning and delivering inclusive literacy lessons, with a focus on access and progress for all learners. We explored research evidence, key strategies, supports and scaffolds to overcome barriers and enable success. We also provided guidance on how to analyse the key components of writing, using diagnostic tools, helping teachers to shape their lessons in order to provide the most appropriate next steps for their children.
The sessions were rooted in securing foundational skills and knowledge across EYFS and the entire primary phase. By including teachers from every year group across the Trust, the training had an immediate and wide-reaching impact, benefiting every school, every teacher, and ultimately, every pupil in the MAT.”
What Teachers Said About the Training
The feedback from participating schools highlights the impact of our training on teaching and classroom practice.
The Year 3 Class Teacher from Bredbury St Mark's CE Primary School shared their positive views on the strength of the training, highlighting the practical advice delivered by Consultant Jo Pollock as particularly relevant to their classroom role. They noted that the training inspired them to promote greater ownership within their pupils by encouraging them to identify frequently misspelled words themselves rather than being provided with corrections.
The Reception Lead from Stretton St Matthew’s CE Primary School reflected on the Writing training in EYFS and Year 1 training, delivered by Louise Robinson. They praised the Consultant’s deep knowledge and expertise, which provided valuable insights into effective writing strategies. Following the training, they plan to integrate dictation activities and share these strategies with their job share teacher, ensuring consistency for children in EYFS and Year.
A Trust-Wide Impact
Sue Riley, Senior School Improvement Officer at CDAT, reflected on the value of this tailored training:
“Our schools have really appreciated the Literacy Counts writing training. It has been so useful to spend time reflecting on getting the basics right in each year group. Revisiting spelling strategies, handwriting techniques, and year group objectives has given staff time to tailor their teaching to pupils’ individual needs. Staff have taken away tools to improve their assessments, as well as a range of different strategies to meet writing requirements. The training, tailored for each year group, will impact writing outcomes for pupils across Chester Diocesan Academies Trust. We look forward to working with you again soon.”
Bespoke Projects for MATs and Clusters
This project with CDAT showcases how our bespoke CPD tailored to the specific needs of MATs and Clusters can drive meaningful change in classrooms. By focusing on actionable strategies and teacher reflection, Literacy Counts empowers educators to improve outcomes for all learners.
Are you part of a Multi-Academy Trust or Cluster interested in developing a tailored CPD project? Learn more about our work by visiting our Projects Page or get in touch with us via our Contact Page.
Literacy Counts: Proud to be recognised by industry-leading awards for making an impact in literacy education.
