Learning & Teaching

Peer Observation Writing Cycle

We're excited to begin our next Peer Observation Writing Cycle, which will run across every year level from Prep to Year 6 over the next three weeks. This is now the third year we've undertaken these cycles, and they continue to play an important role in improving student writing while helping our teachers refine their teaching practice.

The cycle has two clear goals: to improve the quality of our students' writing and to strengthen the way writing is taught across the school. Before the cycle begins, teachers analyse students' pre-assessment writing samples to identify common strengths and areas for growth. This analysis informs the targeted lessons and feedback that students receive throughout the cycle, ensuring teaching is responsive to student needs.

Each day, students spend forty minutes responding to a different writing prompt. These sessions are intentionally structured to reflect NAPLAN writing conditions, helping students develop both the quality of their writing and the stamina to write for extended periods.

At the end of every lesson, students receive personalised feedback from their teacher in the form of a "Glow" (what they did well) and a "Grow" (their next step for improvement). At the beginning of the following lesson, students revisit this feedback so they can apply it immediately to their next piece of writing.

Throughout the cycle, teachers also learn from one another. Staff observe lessons, share effective teaching strategies, and provide feedback focused on agreed areas for improvement. This cycle's professional learning focus is grammar and punctuation, ensuring every student benefits from consistent, high-quality writing instruction across the school.

Over the coming three weeks, students will be exploring persuasive writing. They will have opportunities to communicate ideas, justify opinions, and write with purpose. As the cycle progresses, you might like to ask your child what they are trying to persuade the reader about and what strategies they are using to strengthen their writing.

We look forward to sharing some of our students' writing, along with their reflections on the learning process, in our next newsletter.