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This unit is part of a COMPLETE Talk for Writing bundle designed to give you a full year of high-quality writing covered:

✔ 22 fully planned writing units
✔ 88 weeks of lessons
✔ Clear progression across KS2
✔ No prep required
✔ Ready to teach immediately

Perfect if you want consistency, structure, and zero stress planning.

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This Talk for Writing unit is a four-week narrative writing sequence based on the suspense and warning story The Old Mill. It is designed for Year 6 / Upper Key Stage 2 and follows the recognised Talk for Writing teaching approach.

The unit provides clear, structured lesson planning to support pupils as they explore atmosphere, tension, and suspense before writing their own original warning narratives.

This is a teacher planning pack and does not include worksheets, slides, or a written model text, making it ideal for teachers who prefer to adapt delivery to suit their own class.

What’s Included

A complete 4-week Talk for Writing teaching sequence
Weekly focus clearly mapped to:
• Imitation
• Analysis
• Innovation
• Independent Application

Detailed guidance for:
• Oral rehearsal and retelling
• Story mapping and structure
• Exploring setting, mood, and suspense
• Planning, drafting, editing, and improving narrative writing

Clear learning intentions, suggested teaching approaches, and outcomes for each week
Teaching notes to support whole-class delivery and differentiation

Week-by-Week Overview

Week 1 – Imitation
Pupils become familiar with the story structure through oral retelling, story mapping, and exploration of warning narrative features.

Week 2 – Analysis
Focus on how writers create atmosphere and suspense through setting, descriptive language, and pacing.

Week 3 – Innovation
Pupils adapt the model story by changing characters, setting, or events while maintaining the warning narrative structure.

Week 4 – Independent Application
Pupils plan, write, edit, and refine an original warning narrative inspired by the model.

Skills Developed
• Narrative structure
• Warning and suspense story features
• Creating atmosphere and tension
• Setting-led storytelling
• Descriptive vocabulary
• Planning, drafting, editing, and presenting writing

Who This Resource Is For
• Year 6 / Upper KS2 teachers
• Teachers using Talk for Writing
• Teachers wanting clear planning without worksheets
• Whole-class narrative writing units

Please Note

This resource provides planning guidance only
No worksheets, slides, or written model text are included

Talk for Writing
Narrative Writing
Warning Stories
Suspense Writing
Year 6 Writing
Upper KS2 Literacy
English Planning
Story Structure
Creative Writing
Teacher Planning Pack