Transforming Student Attitudes Towards Writing

For St Joseph’s Catholic School Cloncurry, the writing was on the wall. 

Data from all sources suggested the need for writing intervention wasn’t an ‘if’ but a ‘how’.  Deputy Principal Dean Kelley knew the solution needed to be school-wide, a culture shift that wouldn’t miss a beat if staff were to come or go.  Enter Writer’s Toolbox.  “Whenever a teacher left, their knowledge left with them,” Kelley explains. “If I left tomorrow, this programme would still be here and our results would continue to improve.” 

The positive response from students—particularly young male writers—only accelerated the uptake across the school.  “What I like about Writer’s Toolbox,” says one student, “is you don't have to always wait around for the teacher.  The feedback module tells me what I need to improve on, and what I'm doing really well.” 

The result?  Writer’s Toolbox not only improved student academic performance but developed confidence and a positive attitude towards writing—something previously unheard of in the classroom.

And it doesn’t end with the students. 

Principal Samantha Kelley has seen first-hand the improvement Writer’s Toolbox professional development has had on the teaching skills of their staff.  “For us, it wasn't just that this programme would give us resources in our classrooms, but our teachers would also be trained on how to effectively teach writing.”