School Spotlight: St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

We are thrilled to introduce the first school in our new ‘School Spotlight’ blog series! Throughout this series, we’ll be celebrating the successes of schools across the country that are using our resources to ignite a love for reading and writing. To start, we’re delighted to feature St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School in Liverpool. Here, Ready Steady Write, Ready Steady Comprehension, and the Liverpool Everybody Write Two-Year Project have brought incredible changes in writing outcomes and a consistent, joyful approach to literacy learning.

Improvements in Writing Outcomes

When we spoke with the headteacher, M. Brooks, about the changes they’ve seen since introducing Ready Steady Write, we were delighted by his response. St. Anthony’s now has consistency in writing delivery across the whole school, supported by Working Walls and an increased focus on shared and modelled writing. Ready Steady Write has encouraged incidental writes within each unit, raising expectations for both staff and students alike. M. Brooks added, “We’re promoting a love of reading and writing every day.” It’s clear that St Anthony’s has embraced Ready Steady Write, creating a nurturing environment with expectations for all in terms of writing.

Ensuring a Consistent Approach

The school’s commitment to a consistent approach across year groups has been seen in the structured, progression-led nature of Ready Steady Write. The clear progression documents and consistent Sentence Accuracy work for each year group have given teachers a roadmap to follow, establishing a robust writing framework. The school’s introduction of their “publishing nights” has created a deep sense of pride in pupils, as their work is displayed and celebrated. The Assistant Headteacher, C. Roach, shared that this consistency has also made moderation easier, as all classes follow the same approach.

Impact on Teaching and Workload

The feedback from St. Anthony’s teachers has been overwhelmingly positive, not only in terms of impact but also in its practical benefits. Ready Steady Write has reduced the time spent on planning, meaning teachers can now focus their time on adaptations to support pupils of all abilities. Teachers have found the resource to be both engaging and progressive, aligned with Age-Related Expectations (ARE) and designed to support a wide range of abilities. The strong thematic link with the texts in Ready Steady Comprehension has allowed reading activities to further support writing, creating a cohesive learning experience that aids teacher assessment.

CPD and Training: Supporting Growth

St Anthony’s staff are currently taking part in the Two-Year Everybody Write Project, which has brought renewed enthusiasm and clarity to their teaching. Headteacher M. Brooks commented on the “buzz” among staff, who have returned from training sessions motivated and equipped with a deeper understanding of the Ready Steady Write teaching sequence and adaptation possibilities. With the support of our expert consultants, St. Anthony’s has been able to adapt resources to suit their needs, and new English Lead K. Saunders, has praised the comprehensive materials provided for monitoring and evaluation.

A Look at Pupil Voice: The Power of Writing

At St. Anthony’s, the children themselves have become vocal advocates for Ready Steady Write. When we asked what they enjoyed most, the responses were delightful and insightful:

What do you like most about Ready Steady Write? Year 4 pupils appreciated the model texts, with one saying, “You are inspired by the model text to inform your own writing.” A Year 6 pupil stated, “The lessons break down each step, so we can complete each task independently.”

Favourite Books and Activities: St. Anthony’s pupils have encountered memorable texts, from The Iron Man to King Kong. One Year 6 pupil particularly loved Story Like the Wind, noting how their teacher added to the experience with various Immerse props, bringing the story to life in a magical way.

Writing Walls: The Writing Walls have become a vital tool for supporting children’s writing. Pupils praised these Working Walls for providing ideas, vocabulary examples, and models to refer back to. One pupil shared, “I love the examples of vocabulary, so I can use them in my writing,” while another noted how they help with “remembering fronted adverbials.”

Improvement in Skills: The children’s progress in writing skills has been evident, with pupils noting improvements in vocabulary, punctuation, and handwriting. Year 4 pupils were particularly enthusiastic about the Sentence Accuracy work at the start of each lesson. One pupil shared, “Sentence Accuracy helps me to use the newly learnt grammar and punctuation in my writing.” Additionally, one Year 6 pupil explained, “We follow the same sequence for each piece of writing, which helps me gather my ideas.”

Above National Average Outcomes

The data at St. Anthony’s demonstrates the impact of Ready Steady Write and Ready Ready Steady Comprehension, with most classes achieving above national average in writing. This achievement reflects the school’s dedication to elevating writing standards and their commitment to providing children with the best possible foundation in literacy.

A big thank you!

Thank you, St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School, for being part of our School Spotlight! We’re so inspired by your dedication to literacy and thrilled to see your success with Ready Steady Literacy.

You can learn more about St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School here.

You can follow their adventures on X (Twitter) here.

If you’re interested in seeing the benefits of Ready Steady Write or Ready Steady Comprehension for your school, get in touch with us today for bespoke costings, free sample access, and information on our regular live webinars with Q&A sessions featuring our expert consultants!