Review by Robbie Burns

In On the Write Track, James Clements offers writing scheme-weary primary educators something refreshingly simple, sensible and well-researched. He argues for several pathways (or in his words, a number of ‘tracks’) teachers can choose to take with their students, responding and using their professional judgment wisely. This book makes big, satisfying, broad brushstroke claims that don’t overreach, and I took up his guide with interest.

The first strength to note about On the Write Track is the strong research base for the principles and insights it provides. This for me is an important part of books that call themselves ‘guides’: they should work as catalysts, as launching-off points for further reading and should not be ends in themselves. Clements has set the book up in this way, merely drawing together the strands of international research on primary writing, and goes on to describe them clearly and succinctly.

Because of this, what he suggests has a timeless and sensible feel which naturally lends itself to high levels of flexibility. Regardless of the curriculum scheme or approach that you take in your school, On the Write Track has something to offer that is rich and balanced and will most certainly develop your subject knowledge. For me, as a leader of English, I developed a deeper knowledge that underpinned my ‘hunches’ of what I felt to be good teaching of writing. I’ve also found a few more books to read – a testament to the author’s commitment not to brand his guide as a definitive ‘how to’ but as a signpost for his readers to develop their own best practice.  

Furthermore, Clements’ heart is clearly in teaching and seeing every child become a writer. This personal passion in turn helped me understand his principles and tracks more clearly. Rather than simply providing takeaways or tips and tricks, On The Write Track thoughtfully applies the research evidence it cites to provide excellent descriptions of sequences of lessons across a range of contexts and settings that exemplify its principles.

This adds another layer of important nuance: research does not always cross over directly into the classroom, and Clements sidesteps this pitfall with grace. The narratives he provides enable the reader to understand how his ideas work in large schools, small schools, mixed-age classes and how they apply to poetry, fiction and non-fiction.

Despite how much I enjoyed this book and took a lot from it, there were two areas that were left uncovered that could have really done with being explored. The first is a section or further development for supporting struggling writers and those with SEND. Of course, whole books have been written about this and many more could add to our knowledge base, and Clements does provide a smattering of discussion throughout. However, I wanted to understand his insights into this area more fully. I know I could have learned from him here and I am sure he has much to say about the topic.

Another is a discussion, or at least a fuller understanding, of disciplinary literacy and writing across the curriculum. It could be said that one of the tracks, ‘beginning with knowledge’, alluded to this. However, my experiences of teaching across both primary and secondary education has shown me how ill-equipped to write students often arrive at secondary school. It is common for them to be a little befuddled about the nature of writing in, say, RE or Science; I think we can do more and better in this area in the primary sector to prepare our students for the next phase of their education.

In sum, On the Write Track is worth reading and using for all primary teachers due to its equal balance of depth and accessibility. You will need to go elsewhere for the topics noted, but a good guide shows you the sights and sets you up to explore further by yourself – and this one does exactly that.