West St Leonards Primary Academy recognised as a distinguished ‘Talk for Writing’ Training Centre

The University of Brighton Academies Trust are delighted to announce West St Leonards Primary Academy’s continued accreditation as one of only 14 esteemed ‘Talk for Writing’ Training Centres in England. Talk for Writing is an engaging, powerful teaching framework that raises progress and boosts standards.

A recent review conducted in June 2023 has highlighted the extraordinary commitment and enthusiasm of the academy’s staff, which has played a pivotal role in their success. Staff’s passion for Talk for Writing was evident from the very beginning, leading to the implementation of frequent internal Continuous Professional Development (CPD) sessions. These sessions serve as platforms for staff to share best practices, mentor and support one another, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

The impact on children’s writing exemplifies staff dedication to instilling a love from writing in every pupil.

Principal, Dominic O’Regan, expressed his enthusiasm saying, “I am thrilled to confirm that West St Leonards continues to be validated as a Talk for Writing Training Centre which we established in 2016. Our review in June 2023 noted the following:

• There is excellent presentation across the academy in all books. Teachers promote passion and pride in written outcomes and celebrate this.
• The academy invests in quality resources to support children with early transcription.
• There is a lot of progress evident in the books both across the year and across units of work.
• Children talk with passion about their writing. All those we spoke to were able to find and share passages or stories that they were proud of and explain why.
• Children in the provision unit were fully engaged in their Talk for Writing text. There were excellent resources to meet the needs of the children and expectations around language were superb.
• Concrete resources are used to support understanding and technology provides further scaffolding and support.
• Children in the Early Years are brimming with confidence to retell and invent stories. There is a very rich provision, full of opportunities to write, invent and communicate.
• The academy celebrates writing in all areas, from the moment you walk in and see the celebration wall, to each and every classroom.”

Chief Executive of The University of Brighton Academies Trust, Dr John Smith, is proud of West St Leonards and their dedication to delivering excellence, one of the Trust’s core values. He said, “Delivering excellence ensures we are resilient and determined and develop a creative flag-ship curriculum for all our children delivered through excellent teaching and learning. Sharing expertise and knowledge, exploring possibilities, rewarding innovation, and challenging and motivating our children and staff to have high expectations and aspirations are all at the heart of this value and it is fantastic to see this thriving at West St Leonards.”

Principal, Dominic O’Regan invites educators and institutions interested in Talk for Writing training to contact the academy at tfw@wslprimaryacademy.org.uk to learn more about the academy’s training offerings.

Is your child starting school in September 2024? Come and see the academy in action at one of their Open Days this Autumn. Please visit www.weststleonardsprimaryacademy.org.uk/key-documents/prospectus to book your place!