Part of the Inclusive Literacy Series: : Part One – Reading | Part Three – Oracy…coming soon)

If reading helps learners make sense of the world, writing gives them a voice within it. Yet for many with complex additional needs, writing has historically been reduced to copying, tracing, or functional recording. My work, informed by my PhD research, ongoing consultancy and training with schools/organisations, collaborations with educators across the UK, as well as current UK and National policy, advocates the need for an Inclusive Literacy Framework (Moseley 2023) that transforms writing into a tool for agency, creativity, and identity. This blog offers some ways forward and a free Wakelet (see below) of resources and information to support your journey!

Writing is not just a skill; it is a means of communication, self-expression, and belonging.

Why an Inclusive Definition of Writing Matters

At the heart of an inclusive approach is a broadened definition of writing. Writing is not just handwriting on paper; it includes:

marks on a page, symbols, drawings, or photos,
words typed on a screen,
sentences created through speech-to-text or AAC devices,
collaborative compositions with a partner,
AI-supported drafting, prompts, and creativity.

Without an inclusive definition, learners risk being excluded from writing altogether.

An inclusive approach to writing:

Widens the definition of writing to include access – from alternative pencils and symbol systems, to AAC devices, AI tools, and traditional transcription. Every learner must have an accessible pathway to express their ideas.

Places regulation, interaction, and social communication at the centre, emotional safety and connection form the foundation for meaningful mark-making, engagement, and sustained progression.
Uses spiral progression – understanding that writing development is not linear, but a continuous process of revisiting, looping back, and extending skills over time in response to need and readiness.
Harnesses creativity – celebrating diverse forms of expression through sensory storytelling, Book Creator, AI-supported prompts, and collaborative book-making.
Adopts a strengths-based approach – using assessment to build bridges, identify what learners can do, and scaffold the next step, ensuring progress is always visible and valued.

The Writing Framework and Foundations

The DfE Writing Framework (2025) highlights the importance of foundational knowledge: oral rehearsal, sentence construction, transcription fluency, stamina, and style. For learners with complex and additional needs, this requires an inclusive starting point, supported by early interventions that recognise all forms of written expression. As with reading, learners require access, meaning, engagement, explicit instruction, and a clear, ongoing understanding of purpose.

These elements ensure writing is not only taught but experienced, accessible to all, connected to real communication, and grounded in understanding why it matters.

Culture, Leadership and Prioritisation

Embedding writing inclusively is not a classroom add-on, it is a whole-school commitment led by leadership and professional development. Schools that succeed in developing inclusive writing:

place equal value on writing and reading,
share a common understanding of what “counts” as writing,
have a clear progression pathway that identifies and responds to need early,
and embed professional learning so staff confidently support every learner.

Strong leadership ensures systems for early identification and a clear flow of support, from universal inclusive teaching, to targeted scaffolding, to specialist intervention.

Example – Universal Offer in Action:

Writing frames and visual supports provide structure, sequence, and a clear sense of purpose.
Learners make of use assistive technology (AT) and gain increasing confidence with tools such as, speech-to-text, Clicker, Book Creator and more to record ideas independently, as part of their regular routine.
Digital and paper work is collected and celebrated through class books, displays, or e-portfolios to build confidence and ownership.
Staff use consistent scaffolds (e.g. modelled writing, sentence starters, shared composition) that adapt across subjects.
Regular review ensures barriers are spotted early and additional scaffolds or targeted interventions are put in place when needed for example, using supported dictation and pre teaching of vocabulary (with purpose), before moving to targeted or specialist input.

Leadership choices shape whether writing is seen as exclusive (for those who meet narrow definitions) or inclusive (a tool for every learner). Contact me to find out more about my support for schools and consultancy to embedded clarity around provision for all.

Improve Writing by Reading More

Reading provides the raw materials, words, ideas, rhythms, structures, that we remix, respond to, and rework in our writing. The more we read, the stronger our writing intuition becomes. For learners with complex and additional needs, an inclusive approach to reading and writing together is essential, as research shows integrated instruction produces stronger gains than teaching them in isolation (Kim et al., 2024; Ahmed et al., 2023).

Writing for Daily Purposes – Embedding a Culture of Writing

Inclusive writing thrives when it becomes part of the daily culture and routines of school life. Writing should not exist only in English lessons, but across the curriculum and throughout the day, wherever there is a need to think, record, or communicate.

Embedding writing into routines might include:

Learners using visual schedules or written checklists to build independence
Creating daily news or diary writing to record classroom events
Involving learners in labelling, captioning, or signing displays
Using shared writing for menus, weather charts, or class stories
Developing and embedding choice across the day for all (class book, poem, song at end of day etc) choice boards, symbols, or communication books that link writing and autonomy
Integrating digital and multimodal tools, such as recording voice notes, video messages, or dictated reflections, to capture ideas and support expression for all learners, modelled daily.

These small, consistent routines make writing visible, purposeful, and powerful. Over time, they shift culture, from “writing as task” to “writing as identity.”

When writing and communication are embedded in everyday routines, whether through text, symbol, or voice, learners experience literacy as something meaningful and connected to their real lives. Schools that nurture this culture see greater engagement, creativity, and confidence across all subjects, not just literacy.

Contributions and National Scope

I am currently co-authoring a book with Claire Harrison entitled Writing for All, this builds a national conversation around policies, frameworks, and inclusive definitions of writing. We aim to tackle next steps that support ways to move practice from providing access (which is needed) to true inclusion for all. We have contributions from alternative provisions, mainstream, and specialist contexts, from EYFS to P16 and beyond to ensure it reflects the diversity of real classrooms, as well as some amazing chapters written by brilliant experts! Look out for publication in 2026 :)

It makes one argument clear: only when we adopt an inclusive definition of writing can we create an education system where every learner is seen, supported, and celebrated as a writer.

Looking Ahead

Part Three of this blog will focus on oracy, exploring how spoken language and communication underpin both reading and writing.

Work With Me

I offer in-person training, online webinars, and consultancy to help schools embed inclusive reading, writing, and oracy within an Inclusive Literacy Framework informed by Universal Design for Learning (UDL). My work supports schools and settings, mainstream, alternative provisions, and special schools, to integrate AI and assistive technology effectively, building confident, connected, and creative learners.

I also work with professionals and families to reduce barriers to learning across all areas of development, ensuring every learner can access, engage, and achieve.

Book a FREE Discovery Call to find out we can work together.

📖 Order my book: Teaching Reading to All Learners Including Those with Complex Needs. 20% discount code: 25SME3

If you would like to stay up to date with everything I am doing please do subscribe to my news below. If you sign up before 5th November 2025 you will receive a FREE DOWNLOADABLE Writing support & intervention pathway for learners working below Age Related Expectations flow chart.

I’m delighted to share some recent feedback from my Writing For All training session with Peterborough Local Authority.

If you’d like to book Writing For All training please do book a Discovery Call with me to discuss the support I can provide.

Useful Resources

Writing For All

Free Wakelet of Resources

Explore the National Literacy Trust’s Take 10 initiative to see how daily literacy habits build confidence, wellbeing, and inclusion.

Inclusive Literacy Part Two: Writing For All