From "Perfect Books" to Honest Calibration: How Our Writing INSET Day is Driving Trust-Wide Excellence

Growth isn’t about doing more; sometimes, it’s about having the courage to do less, better.

Our recent Trust-wide Writing INSET Day proved exactly that. Colleagues from across Exceed reflected on a significant shift in thinking around writing instruction, assessment and curriculum design. A consistent message emerged: quality over quantity. Rather than rushing children through curriculum content, teachers are increasingly focusing on securing the essential foundations that enable long-term success. 

One of the most impactful elements of the day was the sharing of evidence and emerging findings from our Laurel Trust-funded research project, led by our Director of Education and Inclusion Rebecca Austwick and Phil Riozzi. Through both the keynote and workshop sessions, colleagues explored the importance of transcription, handwriting, explicit instruction and the principle of "stages not ages". The project challenged us to rethink assumptions about writing development and reinforced the importance of securing fundamental skills before accelerating pupils forward. A powerful reflection from the session was: "It feels like I've been given permission to truly adapt my teaching to what each child in my class needs."

Equally powerful was the evolution of our moderation culture. Staff spoke positively about the opportunity to bring genuine assessment dilemmas into the room, moving beyond showcasing secure examples and instead engaging in honest, professional discussions around borderline judgements. One colleague shared, "I’m so glad that we are able to now discuss and debate the borderline children without feeling the need to showcase our best writers." 

The feedback is in, and it’s incredibly energising to see a collective shift in how our primary educators are approaching the mechanics of writing, assessment safety, and curriculum pacing. When we talk about driving professional excellence as a strategic priority across Exceed, this is what it looks like in practice.

Here are the four major breakthroughs from the day:

What’s Next on Our Journey to Excellence?

Professional development is a continuous loop, not a one-off event. Reflecting this commitment to continuous improvement, colleagues have already identified potential next steps, including introducing termly cross-academy moderation opportunities to maintain consistency, strengthen professional dialogue and keep standards sharp throughout the year.

A huge thank you to everyone who facilitated, contributed and engaged so openly throughout the day. At Exceed Learning Partnership, Professional Excellence is one of our core strategic priorities, and events like this demonstrate what that looks like in practice. Excellence is not a destination; it is a culture built through collaboration, research-informed practice and a shared commitment to getting better together. By creating environments where colleagues feel confident to explore challenges, learn from one another and continually strengthen their practice, we ensure that every improvement made by adults translates into better outcomes for the children and young people we serve.