We’re delighted to celebrate the success of Roots to Writing, an innovative project developed and piloted at Southmoor Academy with support from SHINE Sunderland funding.
Designed to strengthen writing skills before students reach Year 10, the programme combines diagnostic assessments with targeted teaching activities inspired by pupils’ lives and local communities.
The results from our first full year are particularly encouraging. An impressive 83% of disadvantaged pupils who received the intervention achieved our “Strong Foundations” writing standard, compared with just 24.4% of similar disadvantaged pupils who did not take part. For pupils with SEND, 50% reached the standard, compared with 18% without the intervention.
Students are also producing more writing than expected, showing positive engagement and helping the approach influence teaching across our English department, including at GCSE level.
With plans to expand into more schools, Roots to Writing is helping more young people develop the confidence and skills to succeed.
Parents and carers can discover more about the project’s impact in the full SHINE report: Read the full article here.
