Pilot Study with Jordan's School, Buckinghamshire

Jordan's school is a small local community infant school in Buckinghamshire. As Jordan's only has three classes, a single class intake, the total pupils in the school was 66 pupils (n=35 boys, n= 31 girls).

Following training in September 2016, handwriting samples were taken in November 2016, January 2017, May 2017 and July 2017.  The pupils were asked to copy a prescribed sentence. Each writing sample was then scored against the same 25-point quality questionnaire used in the original pilot study. 

The results are positive.  The results show that all children generally show an improvement in their writing between 2 and 5 months using the Think Write Handwriting Programme.  In Year 1 and Year 2 between 2 and 5 months after starting the programme the number of children scoring 17 or more on the questionnaire increased by 36% in year 1 and 43% in Year 2.  A score of 17 or more indicates that pupils writing was legible, the correct size, in the correct spatial placement and fully joined. 

Other studies have shown that children can experience a dip in their scores after 5 months, this change in score correlates with establishing a fully cursive script, but other studies have shown that scores recover after 6 weeks. 

In this sample the results in the Reception children do not concur with other studies, however 10% of the children are fully cursive, and given the results shown in the Year 1 and Year 2 sample we would hypothesise and support the intention that by the end of Year 2 these children will have the full cursive script mastered. 

Look what Hannah Bancroft, Headmistress has to say:

As a school we were looking for a new handwriting scheme that would support our journey into becoming a cursive writing school!  The demands of the National Curriculum dictate that children should be writing in a cursive style and as such the Assessment Frameworks for the end of Key Stage 1 assess this. 

Shelley came to the school initially and explained the science behind the scheme, we really liked that it was a cognitive as well as motor approach to handwriting.  We felt that it would suit our way of teaching and enable our children to develop their skills in a structured way. 

The resources are perfect for us! 

Practical and supportive. Shelley then came back to the school to train the staff.  This was incredibly beneficial, the staff understood the 'why' for handwriting and how it was going to work in school. 

Already after 2 months we are observing big improvements and changes in the children's handwriting right across the school. 

Thank you!