This 4-week Talk for Writing narrative writing unit is based on the reflective model text First Day at School and is designed for Year 6 / Upper Key Stage 2.

The unit follows the full Talk for Writing teaching sequence and supports pupils to explore voice, viewpoint, and reflection, helping them develop confident, emotionally engaging narrative writing.

This is a teacher planning pack and does not include worksheets, slides, or a written model text, making it ideal for teachers who already use Talk for Writing and want a clear, adaptable planning structure.

What’s included

4-week structured teaching sequence
Clear focus for each week
Key learning intentions
Suggested teaching approaches
Outcomes for each stage
Skills developed overview
Teaching notes and guidance

Teaching sequence

Week 1 – Imitation
Pupils become familiar with the model text through oral retelling, story mapping, and exploration of recount and reflective narrative structure.

Week 2 – Analysis
Focus on voice, viewpoint, and reflection. Pupils analyse how thoughts, feelings, and emotions are conveyed through language choices.

Week 3 – Innovation
Pupils adapt the model text by changing experiences, emotions, or perspective while maintaining the reflective recount structure.

Week 4 – Independent Application
Pupils plan, draft, edit, and present an original reflective narrative inspired by the model.

Skills developed
• Recount and reflective narrative structure
• Narrative voice and viewpoint
• Expressing thoughts and feelings
• Using reflection to add depth
• Planning, drafting, editing, and presenting writing

Key information
• Age range: Year 6 / Upper KS2
• Lesson length: Approximately 45 minutes
• Format: Teacher planning guide (PDF)
• Worksheets included: No
• Model text included: No

This resource is ideal for teachers following Talk for Writing who want a clear, structured, and flexible planning unit that can be adapted to suit their class.

Talk for Writing
First Day at School
Reflective writing
Recount writing
Narrative writing
Year 6 writing
Upper KS2 writing
Writing planning
Teacher planning
Talk for Writing unit