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Greater depth writing – What counts and how to teach it

Kid doing greater depth writing in a notebook

What counts as greater depth writing, and how can you spot it, let alone teach it? Three experts share their words of wisdom…

How to teach greater depth writing in primary

How to spot greater depth writing in year 6, what counts as greater depth writing, how to help pupils draw on the rich language they need.

It can be easy to forget our most promising writers – but they deserve better, says Felicity Ferguson…

When I was ten and new to secondary school, I wrote my first set homework assignment for RE. It was a recount of one of the seven plagues of Egypt. After a few days my book came back with the depressing comment: is this all your own work?

Mortified, because it was my own work and I’d written it like a story, with my usual enthusiasm and emotional investment, I approached the teacher on the pretext I hadn’t been able to read her comment.

“Well,” came the reply, “it was so vivid.” I said I had written it myself – but I could see she didn’t believe me. To this day I still feel the injury to my early strong sense of me as a writer, and the need I had to own and assert my ‘talent’.

Natural drive

As a pupil I would have qualified as a ‘greater depth’ writer. I had a natural drive to write from an early age. I wrote from desire, with pleasure, absorption, satisfaction; it was an act of escapism.

“I said I had written it myself – but I could see she didn’t believe me”

At home was where I did a great deal of writing. There were stories, unfinished novels, programmes for shows put on in a friend’s backyard. I even edited my own magazine. My memory is that in those days teachers never asked us to do any of these different kinds of writing in primary school.

Luckily for me, my intrinsic motivation was strong enough to carry me through as a writer into my adult life. But this may not be the case for all children who are capable of writing at greater depth if we don’t foster their motivation and therefore their pleasure.

Adverse effect

I have recently known several pupils who were clearly outstanding as writers. They were all highly motivated, persistent, committed and self-regulating, and all wrote extensively and with pleasure at home.

The small body of research on the subject stresses the importance of the environment if children are to maintain the desire to write to a high standard – parents, teachers and the home and school ethos. However, it suggests that some classroom strategies could actually have an adverse effect on their motivation.

So what kind of teaching would be the most valuable for talented writers? Do we in fact need to do anything to support them? Or, with the demands of getting other less-experienced children to the ‘expected standard’, is it enough to praise and showcase their writing but then leave them to their own devices, trusting that they will always write something good?

“Some classroom strategies could actually have an adverse effect on their motivation”

My view is that it’s not. Like everyone else, they need good teaching and writing that challenges them. Here are some ideas.

Make a classroom community of writers

Here, you share writing by teachers and pupils alike. You discuss and respond to in a safe and positive atmosphere where all are seen as writers.

A talented writer, like anyone else, needs to feel part of important social structures such as these, where children learn things of value from each other.

Teach the writing processes

Being explicitly taught the writing processes means that confident, talented writers become free to think about how they can personalise their approach and develop their voice.

Many professional writers have reflected on their processes, and these reflections could be shared and discussed.

Create purposeful, authentic writing projects

Children will be engaged and motivated if writing projects are felt by them to be relevant to their lives and existing knowledge. In other words, they need to have personal meaning for them.

Putting their own idea into the genre being studied immediately creates an authentic purpose and a personal connection to the writing.

Give time, space and freedom

Writing daily and having agency to write on topics of their own choice, for their own purposes and at their own pace is the key to motivation, efficacy and pleasure.

The opportunity to write in this way at school may resemble the experience of writing at home. This is where much of talented pupils’ most creative, varied and successful writing often takes place. Having time and space daily allows them to practise and improve their craft.

This, and the teacher’s interest, contributes to a writer’s sense of self as someone engaged in important work. However, this won’t be maintained if children are constantly forced into writing to someone else’s design.

A diet of teacher-chosen topics may affect motivation adversely. It will certainly result in the writer losing the feeling that writing is a real-world activity, has a personal point and is purposeful.

Become a writer-teacher

A writer-teacher (a writer who teaches and a teacher who writes) is well-placed to nurture talented writers. A teacher’s engagement in personal writing works to sustain pleasure, motivation and tenacity in the students. It also makes it possible to share difficulties, give advice, suggest strategies and provide immediate feedback at a high level.

Read and write for pleasure

These two are strongly interconnected. Talented writers are likely to be committed readers, but it is still important to provide them with a rich and eclectic classroom library based on the teacher’s knowledge of children’s literature and peer recommendations.

They need to feel part of a community of readers, with time to talk with others about their reading. We know that children who read more write more and better, using their reading, often unconsciously, as mentor texts.

Teachers need to use children’s reading experiences and take advantage of the many opportunities to show them how to link their writing to how their current favourite book is written. Plant an idea. Say, “You could do something like that…”

Freedom and space

Will my talented writers write with the same desire and pleasure as they progress through the education system? I don’t know.

Maybe they will, if there can be a balance between the demands of the curriculum and assessment practices and the freedom and space to write with ease and engagement on self-chosen topics.

Develop and use their own preferred writing processes.
Take part in writerly talk about craft and process.
Experiment with narrative structures, point of view, chronology and flashback. Try cinematic devices such as ‘zooming in’, or using a wide-view ‘lens’ to set a scene.
Be playful with genre – for example, by combining a narrative with persuasion or explanation.
Introduce their own voice into non-fiction pieces and express a personal response.
Notice in their own reading what writers do, and draw on it in their own writing.
Balance character, setting and plot. Develop settings as additional characters.
Build a story around a psychological theme, e.g. fear. Use a character as a metaphor for the theme, idea or emotion.
Bring writing from home into school and use it to influence school writing.
Collect in a notebook striking words, phrases and sentences culled from their reading and their social lives, to use in their writing later. Show them yours!
Revise their pieces thoroughly, taking out rather than always adding in.

Felicity Ferguson is a literacy consultant and a national writing representative for The UKLA.

The holy grail for writing assessment, we’re all looking for evidence of greater depth. But what is it, and how do you know when you’ve found it , asks Daisy Christodoulou…

“It can’t be greater depth – the spelling isn’t good enough.”
“This isn’t greater depth because it lacks control.”
“It’s a good piece of writing, but the tense is inconsistent, so it’s not greater depth.”

These are the conversations we are used to having when it comes to primary writing and whether it reaches the greater depth standard (GDS) or not.

On the surface, these three statements seem straightforward. The primary writing framework requires students to:

spell most words correctly
exercise assured and conscious control of their writing
use verb tenses consistently

If a piece of writing doesn’t meet one of these standards, it cannot be greater depth.

What is greater depth?

Reasonable people could disagree about what that means. Consider the following sentence: ‘The devious spirit towered over the dead corpse.’ One teacher on Twitter said a moderator used this sentence as evidence of a student lacking control. This was because a corpse is obviously dead.

But another moderator might argue that one small tautology should not affect the judgement of a piece of writing that does broadly display control.

What about statements to do with spelling most words correctly and using tense consistently? Surely these are more objective and easier to interpret? Not necessarily.

What if a student repeatedly spells a very difficult word incorrectly? Does that disqualify them from getting greater depth? Does it mean that a student who spells everything correctly but uses much more basic vocabulary is more deserving of greater depth?

“What if a student repeatedly spells a very difficult word incorrectly?”

What if a student writes a story about time travel that requires very complex manipulation of different tenses?

It could be argued that I am being pedantic, splitting hairs and coming up with hard cases that are not typical of most student writing. To see if I am, let’s look at the data.

If the primary writing framework really is easy for teachers to understand and interpret consistently, then we would expect to see most teachers who use it agreeing in their judgements. The evidence we have suggests this is not the case.

Marking inconsistencies

At No More Marking, we carried out a study where several experienced markers independently assessed a set of 349 Year 6 scripts. Seven per cent were graded as greater depth by at least one marker. But only one per cent were graded as GDS by both markers.

This is not just a problem with the primary writing frameworks, either. There is a large amount of international research literature on the consistency of mark schemes. This shows that no scheme in history has produced precise agreement on open tasks like writing.

Hardworking, honest, experienced and well-intentioned markers will not always agree on the mark a piece of writing deserves. So why do experienced markers disagree in this way? A lot of the time, we think that disagreement is down to more-or-less lenient interpretations of the mark scheme.

“No scheme in history has produced precise agreement on open tasks like writing”

For example, we can assume that someone has a harsher interpretation of the mark scheme, and someone else a more generous one. We then think that the challenge is to decide which marker is correct, or whether the correct judgement is somewhere in between the two.

Levels of generosity are certainly an important factor. But another important and overlooked factor is inconsistency. Markers disagree with each other, certainly. But very often, they disagree with themselves .

In one study exploring inconsistency, markers were given a certain batch of essays one year, and another batch the following year. What they didn’t know is that two of the essays in the first batch were also included in the second batch.

Did the markers give those two essays the same mark the second time round as they did the first? Eighty per cent of the time they did not.

‘Owning’ greater depth

Markers are inconsistent and they make errors. This is not because they are bad or stupid or lazy: it is because they are human! Human judgement in all kinds of different fields is subject to inconsistency. This is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s better to be honest about our limitations than to pretend they don’t exist.

It’s important to acknowledge the inconsistency of markers. We need to move away from the idea that somewhere out there is a marker or moderator who ‘owns’ greater depth.

“Human judgement in all kinds of different fields is subject to inconsistency”

There isn’t. Some people may think their judgements about greater depth are always correct. However, to believe this, they’d have to pass an empirical test. They’d have to mark 100 portfolios one day, and then come back a month later and mark them all again, and give them all the same mark both times.

If mark schemes and human judgement are so imprecise, what should we do instead? Two important principles can help improve the situation.

Aggregation and exemplification

The first is aggregation. Individual human judgements are subject to error, but if we aggregate together lots and lots of independent judgements, the errors cancel each other out.

The second is exemplification. As we’ve seen, the kind of prose statements you get on a mark scheme are quite vague and often provoke disagreement.

By using actual examples of writing that is and is not at the greater depth standard, we are more likely to get agreement. At No More Marking, we use a technique called comparative judgement to assess writing with much greater consistency than the traditional framework approach.

Every single piece of writing is assessed at least 20 times, and the process provides a powerful bank of exemplars at every standard. You can see 349 of our Y6 scripts from 2020 here .

Daisy Christodoulou is former head of assessment at Ark Schools, and currently director of education at No More Marking , a provider of online comparative judgement. She is the author of Seven Myths about Education , Making Good Progress? The Future of Assessment for Learning , and Teachers vs Tech.

It can be difficult to put your finger on it, but there are a few critical indicators, says Tim Roach…

It’s perhaps easier to say what greater depth is not. It doesn’t inevitably apply to any child who was level 3 (or greater depth) at KS1. And just because a child can write pages of flawlessly punctuated prose in copperplate cursive, it doesn’t mean that they’re automatically ‘greater depth’ either.

So what is ‘greater depth’? Quite often, you just know when you read it aloud (which is what my fellow moderators and I spend most of our moderation visits doing). But aside from the teacher assessment framework, there are a few critical indicators of a ‘greater depth’ writer.

Concision is key. The old adage ‘less is more’ can be applied to greater depth writers. We’ve all taught pupils who – as wonderful as their writing might be – could never seem to reach the end of their story.

This can reveal their neglect of forward planning. Excellent writers will instinctually vary the length of their sentences when the writing calls for it. They’ll have the confidence in their short sentences to leave them be; they don’t just write the next thing that comes into their heads.

The ability to self-edit their writing and remove extraneous content or exposition should not be underestimated.

Punctuation

Punctuation should be precise and controlled, but also used for effect rather than a conspicuous opportunity to shoehorn some semicolons into proceedings.

Commas and parentheses allow the writer to inject carefully considered clauses or deft asides. Dialogue gives pupils scope to demonstrate their mastery of a great range of the punctuation prescribed by the national curriculum and beyond, such as the dash and ellipsis.

Thirdly (and arguably the most influential factor), the evidence that they draw from reading quality literature – literally spelt out in the framework as ‘drawing independently on what they have read’ – discloses the writer to be a prolific reader.

A pupil’s wider vocabulary and its appropriate use; the use of fitting metaphors; other imagery; their intuition for dialect or realistic speech patterns; the way their writing ‘flows’: these elements illustrate a young writer’s appetite for absorbing books and emulating the original authors’ styles.

Individually, these factors are difficult to distil down to fit into a manageable tick list. Apart from using a tool like comparative judgement, one of the easiest ways that you can achieve greater reliability in your identification of ‘greater depth’ is to cross-moderate between schools in your locality, diocese or MAT.

As well as being an indispensable CPD activity for teachers, this collective forum enables you to more effectively gauge your pupils’ writing against a wider sample.

Tim Roach is a Y6 teacher at Greenacres Primary, Oldham. Follow him on Twitter at @mrtroach .

If children aren’t lucky enough to have a deep well of great literature stored in their heads, you can still help them draw on the rich language they need, explain Lindsay Pickton and Christine Chen…

Its claws scraped along the planks, moving menacingly towards the heady scent of the distracted goat. Only the crows noted its brutal form stalking across the beams of the bridge, sensing the quickening rhythm of its breath.

We wrote that. We were preparing for some collaborative composition work based on The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and we wanted to really ramp up the suspense around the troll.

A lot of help

We’re not writers of fiction, so we’re quite proud of the outcome. However, we did have quite a lot of help with the shape of it: have a look at the eerie opening of Gillian Cross’s excellent Wolf and you’ll see just how much help we had.

His feet padded along the balcony, slinking silently past the closed doors of the other flats. No one glimpsed his shadow flickering across the curtain or noticed the uneven rhythm of his steps.

Thank you, Gillian Cross.

The troll came to the far side of the bridge. A wicked wind whipped around its brutal form. Not for months had the beast smelt a living creature like this one. It inhaled the strong scent that swirled deliciously around its snout.

That’s ours, too. This time, thank you Ted Hughes for writing one of the most memorable character entrances of all time in The Iron Man.

And it’s not just KS2 texts that help us.

Although Willy was the smallest billy goat in the herd, he had the biggest horns. The thing was, he didn’t use them. He never fought.

That’s strongly influenced by Susan Hellard’s wonderful Baby Elephant , often enjoyed in Y1. It’s a marvellous way to introduce a characteristic you know is going to drive the narrative arc. Thank you, Susan Hellard.

What fuels good writing?

The best writers are immersed in – and have a deep appreciation of – the craft of other writers.

Like so many teachers, we have tried to teach children to write effectively with tips, tricks and grammatical devices (“start with an adverb, start with an -ing, use these conjunctions, use a short sentence…”) but even when this goes well, not all outcomes are as good as those of the best writers – the ones we often erroneously refer to as ‘natural writers’.

They just seem to know how to do it more effectively, with better vocabulary choices and a naturalistic way of selecting sentence structures.

Language is acquired through imitation; the best writers are avid readers. You can even see this when you look at – or listen to – the composition of young pre-readers: you know pretty quickly which children have already got a head full of stories and, therefore, wonderful language models.

Of course, the idea of imitating and then innovating from the language of a story isn’t new, and it’s the essence of Pie Corbett’s transformative Talk for Writing . But even where schools are flying with this, the ‘natural writers’ soar higher.

Why? Because they combine the whole-class model with the treasure trove they have crammed in their heads from all their lucky literary experiences.

The Teacher Assessment Frameworks recognise this in the descriptors for Greater Depth writing at KS1&2. The KS1 TAF refers to children “drawing on their reading to inform the vocabulary and grammar of their writing”; at KS2 it’s “drawing independently on what they have read as models for their own writing”.

Modelling structure and language

Our Billy Goats Gruff examples are taken from our English sequence in which the original story provides a solid model for text structure. Additionally, we introduce opportunities to relish, assimilate and synthesise wonderful models for language.

We would keep referring to the text structure of the Billy Goats story, but relish the first pages of Baby Elephant , luxuriate in the Wolf or The Iron Man openings to introduce the troll, and so on.

This is what the potential Greater Depth (GD) writers are doing. They aren’t limited to the whole-class model for their language; they are dipping – possibly unconsciously – into their internal libraries to find appropriate language and structures.

So many children lack that internal bank; let’s give them an external one, and guide them through the process, very gradually releasing them into their own independent selection of language models.

Our process goes like this:

Think about the section of the story to be written in a given lesson; what effect are you after? Find brilliant writing that achieves that effect, and notice how it’s achieved.

Practise synthesising the content of the story-to-be-written with the language of the genius model. (This is for practice only; we don’t show this to the children.)

Display the brilliant model-for-language on your IWB and lead a shared-write on a flipchart, demonstrating how to synthesise the model with the scene being written by the class. (E.g. “Ted Hughes has written, ‘The wind sang through his iron fingers.’ In our scene, the mood is more threatening, so how can we give the weather more menace? And ‘sang’ is too beautiful… Which part of the troll’s body could we have the gail buffeting?”)

Remove the shared-write from view.

Leave the rich language model on the board (on their desks, too, maybe).

Children make their own adaptations, independently or collaboratively, having been shown how through the shared writing process.

Building a language bank

Two huge advantages of this approach quickly become apparent: the children’s outcomes are enriched, and the shared writing process is significantly easier.

The challenge inherent in this approach is having a big enough bank of brilliant snippets. We can make recommendations, but 20 heads are better than two, so in the schools in which we work we always recommend building a shared bank of wonderful examples of writing that achieve specific effects.

What if everyone in your school, federation or alliance took responsibility for this and whenever they read something – alone or with children – that made them think, “That’s a great opening/ending/character introduction/chase scene/example of dialogue-that-moves-the-story-on…” they banked it under a heading? Then, when a colleague needed a great example of dramatic tension or simply some gorgeous description of setting, there it is.

Christine Chen and Lindsay Pickton are primary education advisors ( primaryeducationadvisors.co.uk ), supporting English development nationally.

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Greater depth - how to spot it

GDS is the holy grail of writing assessment, says Daisy Christodoulou - but what exactly does it look like?

“It can’t be Greater Depth – the spelling isn’t good enough.”

“This isn’t Greater Depth because it lacks control.”

“It’s a good piece of writing, but the tense is inconsistent, so it’s not Greater Depth.”

These are the conversations we are used to having when it comes to primary writing and whether it reaches the Greater Depth standard (GDS) or not. On the surface, these three statements seem straightforward. The primary writing framework requires students to spell most words correctly, to exercise an assured and conscious control of their writing, and to use verb tenses consistently. If a piece of writing doesn’t meet one of these standards, it cannot be Greater Depth.

One man’s greater depth…

Except, of course, it isn’t that simple. Take the statement ‘exercise an assured and conscious control over levels of formality, particularly through manipulating grammar and vocabulary to achieve this’. Reasonable people could clearly disagree about what that means. Consider the following sentence: ‘The devious spirit towered over the dead corpse.’ One teacher on Twitter said a moderator used this sentence as evidence of a student lacking control, because a corpse is obviously dead. But another moderator might argue that one small tautology should not affect the judgement of a piece of writing that does broadly display control.

What about statements to do with spelling most words correctly and using tense consistently? Surely these are more objective and easier to interpret? Not necessarily. What if a student repeatedly spells a very difficult word incorrectly? Does that disqualify them from getting Greater Depth? Does it mean that a student who spells everything correctly but uses much more basic vocabulary is more deserving of Greater Depth? What if a student writes a story about time travel that requires very complex manipulation of different tenses?

It could be argued that I am being pedantic, splitting hairs and coming up with hard cases that are not typical of most student writing. To see if I am, let’s look at the data. If the primary writing framework really is easy for teachers to understand and interpret consistently, then we would expect to see most teachers who use it agreeing in their judgements. The evidence we have suggests this is not the case.

Agree to disagree

At No More Marking, we carried out a study where several experienced markers independently assessed a set of 349 Year 6 scripts. Seven per cent were graded as Greater Depth by at least one marker, but only one percent were graded as GDS by both markers.

This is not just a problem with the primary writing frameworks, either. There is a large amount of international research literature on the consistency of mark schemes, which shows that no scheme in history has produced precise agreement on open tasks like writing. Hardworking, honest, experienced and well-intentioned markers will not always agree on the mark a piece of writing deserves.

So why do experienced markers disagree in this way? A lot of the time, we think that disagreement is down to more-or-less lenient interpretations of the mark scheme. For example, we can assume that someone has a harsher interpretation of the mark scheme, and someone else a more generous one. We then think that the challenge is to decide which marker is correct, or whether the correct judgement is somewhere in between the two.

Did the markers give those two essays the same mark the second time round as they did the first? Eighty per cent of the time they did not.

Aggregation and exemplification

It’s important to acknowledge the inconsistency of markers, because we need to move away from the idea that somewhere out there is a marker or moderator who ‘owns’ Greater Depth. There isn’t. Some people may think their judgements about Greater Depth are always correct, but in order to believe this, they’d have to pass an empirical test: mark 100 portfolios one day, and then come back a month later and mark them all again, and give them all the same mark both times.

If mark schemes and human judgement are so imprecise, what should we do instead? Two important principles can help improve the situation. The first is aggregation. Individual human judgements are subject to error, but if we aggregate together lots and lots of independent judgements, the errors cancel each other out. The second is exemplification. As we’ve seen, the kind of prose statements you get on a mark scheme are quite vague and often provoke disagreement. By using actual examples of writing that is and is not at the Greater Depth standard, we are more likely to get agreement.

At No More Marking, we use a technique called Comparative Judgement to assess writing with much greater consistency than the traditional framework approach. Every single piece of writing is assessed at least 20 times, and the process provides a powerful bank of exemplars at every standard. You can see 349 of our Y6 scripts from 2020 in this interactive notebook .

Daisy Christodoulou is former head of assessment at Ark Schools, and currently director of education at No More Marking, a provider of online comparative judgement. She is the author of Seven Myths about Education, Making Good Progress? The future of Assessment for Learning, and Teachers vs Tech.

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Teacher assessment exemplification: KS2 English writing

Examples of pupils' work to support teachers' assessment of English writing at the end of key stage 2.

Teacher assessment exemplification: English writing - working towards the expected standard, Dani

Ref: ISBN 978-1-78644-852-1, STA/18/8104/e

PDF , 2.13 MB , 30 pages

Teacher assessment exemplification: English writing - working at the expected standard

Ref: ISBN 978-1-78644-850-7, STA/18/8102/e

PDF , 1.97 MB , 44 pages

Teacher assessment exemplification: English writing - working at the expected standard, Leigh

Ref: ISBN 978-1-78644-849-1, STA/18/8101/e

PDF , 3.14 MB , 44 pages

Teacher assessment exemplification: English writing - working at greater depth within the expected standard, Frankie

Ref: ISBN 978-1-78644-851-4, STA/18/8103/e

PDF , 2.01 MB , 36 pages

These exemplification materials provide examples of pupils’ work to support teachers in making judgements against the new statutory teacher assessment frameworks for English writing at the end of key stage 2. They are for use from the 2018/2019 academic year onwards.

They illustrate how the ‘pupil can’ statements in the frameworks might be met. They do not dictate a particular method of teaching, or the evidence expected from the classroom, which will vary from school to school.

If teachers are confident in their judgements they may choose not to refer to these materials. These exemplification materials are provided to help teachers make their judgements where they want additional guidance.

Local authorities may also find the materials useful to support external moderation visits.

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Mastering Writing at Greater Depth A guide for primary teaching

Adam Bushnell
Angela Gill
David Waugh - University of Durham, UK
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Writing Nestling

How To Create Depth In Writing (16 Important Steps)

In the realm of literature, the art of crafting compelling and immersive stories goes beyond mere words on a page; it delves deep into the human psyche, resonating with our emotions and experiences.

Creating depth in writing is the alchemy that transforms narratives from superficial tales to immersive journeys.

It’s the process of infusing characters with rich complexity, painting settings with vivid realism, and orchestrating dialogues that brim with subtext.

It’s about crafting themes that resonate with universal truths, and it’s the pacing and tension that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

In this exploration of the craft, we will delve into the myriad techniques and strategies that writers employ to create depth in their storytelling, enabling readers to not just read a story, but to live it, to connect with characters, and to feel the profound impact of the narrative long after the final page is turned.

Whether you’re an aspiring writer or a seasoned author seeking to refine your skills, the journey into the heart of creating depth in writing promises to be an enlightening odyssey into the art of storytelling.

Table of Contents

How To Create Depth In Writing

Creating depth in writing involves several steps to make your writing more engaging and layered. Here’s a step-by-step process to achieve this:

Understand Your Theme or Message

Before you start writing, have a clear understanding of the theme or message you want to convey. Depth in writing often comes from a well-defined purpose.

Develop Multifaceted Characters

Create complex and relatable characters. Give them depth by exploring their backgrounds, motivations, and internal conflicts. Characters with depth are more engaging.

Vivid Descriptions

Use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture of settings, emotions, and events. This helps readers immerse themselves in the story.

Show, Don’t Tell

Instead of outright stating emotions or characteristics, show them through actions, dialogue, and sensory details. This lets readers infer meaning and connect on a deeper level.

Dialogue and Subtext

Craft meaningful dialogue that carries subtext, where characters communicate more than what’s explicitly said. This adds layers to their interactions.

Conflict and Resolution

Weave conflicts into the narrative to create tension and suspense. Show the evolution of characters as they navigate these conflicts, leading to meaningful resolutions.

Symbolism and Metaphor

Use symbols and metaphors to add depth to your writing. These literary devices can convey abstract ideas or emotions in a more profound way.

Foreshadowing and Unpredictability

Foreshadow future events to create anticipation and intrigue. At the same time, introduce unexpected twists and turns to keep readers engaged.

Themes and Subplots

Explore multiple themes and subplots within your main storyline. This adds complexity and depth to the narrative.

Research and Realism

Conduct research to ensure accuracy in your writing, especially when dealing with real-world elements. Realism can make your story more immersive.

Point of View

Experiment with different narrative perspectives (first person, third person, etc.) to offer various viewpoints and insights into the story.

Editing and Revising

Don’t underestimate the importance of editing and revising. Go through your work multiple times to refine your writing , eliminate inconsistencies, and enhance depth.

Seek feedback from peers, beta readers, or writing groups. Different perspectives can help you identify areas where your writing may lack depth.

Read Widely

Read books, articles, and literature from various genres and time periods. Exposing yourself to different styles and voices can inspire depth in your writing.

Emotional Connection

Write with authenticity and emotional connection. If you’re passionate about your subject, it will come through in your writing and resonate with readers.

Like any skill, depth in writing improves with practice. Keep writing, experimenting, and learning from your experiences.

Remember that creating depth in writing is an ongoing process. Each piece of writing may require a unique approach, but these steps should guide you toward crafting more profound and engaging narratives.

Understanding Depth in Writing

Understanding depth in writing is like diving into a bottomless ocean of words, where the surface is merely the beginning of an enchanting journey.

It’s the art of infusing your narratives with hidden treasures, intricate emotions, and profound meaning. Depth in writing plunges readers into a realm where characters breathe, settings come to life, and stories resonate in the soul.

It’s not merely the words on the page; it’s the whispers of the unspoken, the secrets hidden between the lines, and the symphony of emotions that dances beneath the surface.

In the world of writing, depth isn’t a destination; it’s an endless, exhilarating expedition into the human experience, beckoning you to explore its uncharted depths.

The role of depth in conveying meaning and emotion

In the intricate tapestry of literature, the role of depth is the vital thread that weaves meaning and emotion into the very fabric of storytelling.

It acts as the masterful painter’s brushstroke, imbuing characters and settings with a richness that resonates with readers.

Depth is the key to unlocking the true essence of a narrative, allowing us to empathize with characters, immerse ourselves in their world, and explore the profound themes that shape the human experience.

It is the silence between words, the subtle nuances in a character’s gaze, and the underlying currents of subtext that convey the unspoken truths and raw emotions.

Without depth, stories remain on the surface, devoid of the emotional resonance that lingers in the hearts and minds of readers long after the final page is turned.

It is depth that transforms words into a mirror reflecting our own joys, sorrows, and aspirations, reminding us of the infinite layers of human existence.

Building Rich Characters

Building rich characters is akin to sculpting intricate statues from the clay of imagination. They are not mere figures on the stage of a story but living, breathing souls who invite readers into the inner sanctum of their thoughts, desires, and vulnerabilities.

Like alchemists of empathy, writers infuse their characters with layers of complexity, giving them a heartbeat that resonates in the hearts of their audience.

These characters bear the weight of their pasts, wear their quirks like badges of honor, and navigate the turbulent waters of growth and transformation.

It’s in the subtle contradictions, the whispered confessions, and the flawed beauty of these characters that the true magic of storytelling emerges.

Building rich characters is the act of crafting emotional tour de forces, each as unique and mesmerizing as the people we encounter in our own lives.

They are the heartbeat of a narrative, and in their stories, we find echoes of our own humanity.

Creating multi-dimensional characters

Creating multi-dimensional characters is the writer’s brushstroke of humanity on the canvas of fiction. It’s about breathing life into individuals who transcend the page, making them pulse with authenticity and depth.

Multi-dimensional characters are not just heroes or villains, but intricate tapestries of virtues and vices, dreams and fears.

They embody the contradictions and complexities of the human experience, and their existence is a mirror reflecting our own.

As we delve into their pasts, aspirations, and vulnerabilities, we discover the symphony of emotions that resides within them.

They may be wounded, resilient, naive, wise, or all of these at once, making them relatable and captivating. In their multidimensionality, characters become a prism through which readers explore the rich spectrum of existence, forging connections, and gaining insight into the diverse stories that bind us all together.

Character development through actions and dialogue

Character development through actions and dialogue is the heartbeat of storytelling, the dynamic interplay that breathes life into fictional personas.

Actions serve as the visible footprints of a character’s essence, revealing their values, intentions, and the consequences of their choices.

Each action becomes a brushstroke on the canvas of their identity, forging a connection between character and reader. Equally, dialogue provides a window into their inner world, exposing their fears, desires, and the way they navigate the intricacies of relationships.

Through meaningful conversations, characters unveil their vulnerabilities, aspirations, and the subtle subtext that underscores their interactions.

As these two elements dance together, characters evolve, learn, and adapt, creating a captivating narrative journey that mirrors the transformative essence of human existence.

It’s through these actions and words that characters become more than ink on paper; they become friends, foes, and conduits for profound empathy, making the storytelling experience a vivid reflection of our own complex lives.

The importance of character flaws and growth

The importance of character flaws and growth in storytelling is akin to the roots and branches of a mighty tree, providing the very foundation and structure of a compelling narrative.

Flaws, like the gnarled imperfections in a tree’s bark, render characters authentic and relatable, allowing readers to connect on a profound level.

These imperfections shape a character’s journey, creating opportunities for development, as they grapple with their shortcomings, confront their demons, and evolve.

It’s through the struggles and triumphs of these growth arcs that characters become more than fictional entities; they become mirrors reflecting the human condition, encouraging us to confront our own flaws, embrace personal growth, and ultimately find hope and inspiration in their transformative tales.

Characters without flaws or growth remain stagnant and one-dimensional, while those who embark on a journey of self-discovery and change infuse the narrative with depth and resonate with readers in a profoundly meaningful way .

Setting the Scene

Setting the scene in writing is the art of summoning entire worlds into existence with the stroke of a pen. It’s a magician’s incantation, an invitation for readers to step through the looking glass and immerse themselves in the tapestry of a story’s environment.

Through vivid, meticulously crafted descriptions, settings cease to be mere backdrops; they become characters in their own right, brimming with personality and life.

Each rustling leaf, towering skyscraper, or cobblestone street is an essential note in the symphony of storytelling, creating a stage where characters dance, conflicts ignite, and emotions swell. Setting isn’t just a backdrop; it’s the heartbeat of a narrative, the silent orchestrator of mood and atmosphere.

It is where the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary, where dreams and nightmares collide, and where stories unfurl their grandest spectacles.

In the hands of a skilled writer, the scene becomes a portal to other realms, a playground for the imagination, and a mirror to the human soul, beckoning readers to get lost in its intricacies and find themselves anew.

Descriptive techniques for creating vivid settings

Descriptive techniques for creating vivid settings are a writer’s toolkit for conjuring worlds that leap off the page and envelop the reader’s senses. It’s a delicate dance of words and imagery, where each sentence becomes a brushstroke painting landscapes in the mind.

These techniques employ sensory details like a symphony of colors, scents, textures, and sounds, allowing readers to breathe in the very essence of a place.

Imagery and metaphors act as the lens through which settings are perceived, adding layers of meaning and emotion.

Whether it’s the bustling streets of a city, the serene beauty of a natural landscape, or the haunting aura of an abandoned house, the goal is to make readers not just see, but feel and experience the setting.

In the skilled hands of a writer, descriptive techniques transform the backdrop into a living, breathing entity that enhances the story’s emotional impact, making it an immersive journey into uncharted and unforgettable territories.

The setting as a reflection of character emotions

The setting in literature is not just a backdrop but a powerful mirror reflecting the emotions and inner turmoil of its characters. Just as nature’s elements can mirror the characters’ emotional states, the choice of setting can symbolize their hopes, fears, or the conflicts they face.

A desolate, stormy landscape might echo a character’s internal chaos, while a tranquil, sun-drenched meadow could signify their peace or yearning for it.

The setting becomes an extension of the character’s psyche, an atmospheric portrayal of their joys and sorrows, subtly amplifying the narrative’s emotional depth.

It is where the external and internal worlds merge, revealing the profound connection between the character’s journey and the environment they navigate, making the setting a silent but evocative storyteller in its own right.

Dialogue and subtext in writing are like a choreographed dance where the unsaid steps speak volumes. It’s a theatrical performance in the realm of words, where characters convey their true intentions not through explicit declarations, but through the elegant art of suggestion and hidden meaning.

The spoken words become a mere surface, while the real action unfolds in the cavernous depths of what remains unsaid. It’s a world of secret alliances, unspoken passions, and concealed motives, where silence becomes the most eloquent speaker.

In this enigmatic dance between characters, readers are invited to become detectives, peeling back the layers of conversation to uncover the gems of truth, creating a delicious narrative tension that keeps them hooked and wanting more.

Dialogue with subtext is the tantalizing code to unlock the hearts and minds of characters, transforming them from mere words on a page into fully realized, enigmatic beings who invite readers to decipher their every whispered secret.

Using dialogue to reveal character depth

Using dialogue as a tool to reveal character depth is akin to a well-crafted piece of music, where every note and pause carries the symphony of their personality.

Through what characters say, how they say it, and what they choose to omit, a writer paints a vivid portrait of their essence. Each spoken word becomes a brushstroke, exposing their beliefs, values, insecurities, and aspirations. It’s not just about conveying information; it’s about unraveling the intricate layers of their soul.

Through dialogue, readers come to know a character’s humor, fears, desires, and the subtle nuances of their relationships. It’s in the hesitations, the cadence of speech, and the unspoken truths that character depth truly flourishes.

These conversations become gateways into the heart and mind of the characters, forging a connection between reader and protagonist that is both intimate and enduring.

The art of subtext in conversations

The art of subtext in conversations is the writer’s secret language, the unspoken currents that flow beneath the surface of words.

It’s a ballet of hidden meanings, where characters communicate not just with what they say, but with what they choose to conceal. Subtext is the realm of untold secrets, unspoken desires, and buried emotions.

It’s the tension that simmers in a glance, the loaded pause in a dialogue, and the whispered confessions that speak volumes.

In the hands of a skilled writer, subtext adds layers of complexity to the narrative, allowing readers to become detectives, deciphering the unexpressed motives and the subtleties of human relationships.

It’s in this enigmatic dance of what remains unsaid that stories acquire depth, intrigue, and the kind of resonance that lingers in the mind long after the last page is turned.

Subtext is the magic behind the words, the silent language that transforms characters into enigmatic, multidimensional beings, leaving readers hungry for more.

Pacing and Tension

Pacing and tension in writing are the masterful puppeteers of a reader’s heartbeat. Like a skilled conductor orchestrating a symphony, writers play with the ebb and flow of time to craft an irresistible dance of emotions.

Pacing is the heartbeat of a story, guiding readers through moments of calm and chaos, like a rollercoaster ride of anticipation and release.

It’s the slow burn of suspense that tightens the chest, and the rapid beats of excitement that quicken the pulse. Tension, on the other hand, is the invisible thread that ties readers to the edge of their seats, drawing them deeper into the narrative abyss.

Through the artful manipulation of pacing and tension, writers become architects of the reader’s experience, taking them on a thrilling journey where every word becomes a heartbeat, every paragraph a breath, and every page a step closer to the unknown.

It’s this captivating interplay that transforms words into a visceral experience, leaving readers craving the next turn of the page, hungry for resolution, and electrified by the storytelling magic at play.

Creating tension through conflict and unresolved issues

Creating tension through conflict and unresolved issues in writing is like setting fire to the pages, igniting a blaze of anticipation that keeps readers enthralled.

It’s the very heartbeat of a story, the spark that propels characters into action and forces them to confront their deepest fears and desires. Conflict, whether internal or external, stokes the narrative flames, generating a sense of urgency and emotional turmoil.

It’s the clash of opposing forces, the battle of wills, and the collision of desires that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, yearning for resolution.

Unresolved issues are the hooks that keep them engaged, the questions left hanging like tantalizing bait, compelling them to turn page after page in the quest for answers.

Through the skillful use of these literary tools, writers craft stories that resonate with tension, drawing readers into a web of intrigue and emotion, and ensuring that the tale remains etched in their hearts and minds long after the final word is read.

The relationship between pacing and depth

The relationship between pacing and depth in writing is a delicate balancing act, much like a seasoned tightrope walker navigating a perilous chasm. Pacing is the rhythm of a narrative, determining the speed at which readers traverse the story’s landscape, while depth is the well of emotions, meaning, and character development.

They are intertwined, as pacing affects the depth of a story and vice versa. A slower, more contemplative pace can allow for a deeper exploration of characters’ thoughts and emotions, offering profound insights into their inner worlds.

Conversely, intense, fast-paced sequences can heighten tension and engagement, providing an emotional rollercoaster that deepens the reader’s connection to the narrative.

By harmonizing pacing and depth, writers have the power to evoke a wide range of emotions, enabling readers to savor the nuances of character growth and thematic exploration while keeping them thoroughly absorbed in the plot’s twists and turns.

The dance between pacing and depth is where the true art of storytelling thrives, creating an experience that is as immersive as it is emotionally resonant.

Showing vs. Telling

In the realm of storytelling, the age-old battle between showing and telling is nothing short of a literary duel. “Show, don’t tell,” they say, and it’s the mantra that separates mere wordsmiths from true alchemists of imagination.

Showing is the art of painting a vivid scene with words, of letting readers taste the salt in the air and feel the shivers in the character’s spine.

It’s the flutter of a racing heart, the clench of a fist, and the trembling voice, all expressed not through declarations but through the subtle dance of details.

Telling, on the other hand, is the shortcut, the summarization of emotions and events, like reading a plot outline instead of diving into the heart of the story .

In this epic clash, showing is the champion, the gateway to readers’ hearts and minds, where they not only read but live the story, and it’s in the balance between these two forces that the true magic of storytelling emerges.

Voice and Perspective

Voice and perspective in writing are like the distinct brushstrokes of a master artist, where each stroke captures the essence of a story’s world.

Voice is the literary fingerprint of the author, a unique and irreplaceable signature that infuses the narrative with character and charm. It’s the lens through which the story is seen, a direct line into the author’s soul. Perspective, on the other hand, is the choice of narrative vantage point, the angle at which the story unfolds.

These elements are the storyteller’s magic wand, able to cast a narrative in different lights and shadows.

Together, they form a dynamic duo, shaping the reader’s perception, guiding the emotional currents, and carving the narrative path. In the hands of a skilled writer, voice and perspective are the keys to unlocking the story’s true potential, offering readers a front-row seat to worlds uncharted and stories unimagined.

It’s in this harmonious partnership that the story becomes more than just words on a page; it becomes a symphony of literary artistry, an unforgettable journey into the heart and soul of the author’s imagination.

Exploring the impact of voice and perspective on depth

Exploring the impact of voice and perspective on depth in writing is like embarking on an exhilarating journey through a multi-dimensional literary landscape.

Voice, the unique signature of the author, serves as the lens through which the story is perceived, and it greatly influences the emotional resonance and richness of the narrative.

It can breathe life into characters, shape the tone of the story, and infuse it with a distinct personality. Perspective, on the other hand, offers the reader a chosen angle from which to experience the plot, and it deeply affects the level of intimacy, knowledge, and empathy they can develop with the characters.

Together, these elements have the power to plunge readers into the deepest chambers of a story, unveiling layers of meaning, emotions, and character complexities that might otherwise remain hidden.

The synergy between voice and perspective is where the narrative’s true depth blossoms, inviting readers to become active participants in a world where every word and viewpoint is a piece of a much larger and more profound puzzle.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about How To Create Depth In Writing

Why does creating depth in writing matter.

Depth in writing is what transforms a story from a superficial account into a powerful experience. It enables readers to connect with characters, relate to themes, and immerse themselves in the narrative, leaving a lasting impact.

How can I make my characters multi-dimensional?

Crafting multi-dimensional characters involves going beyond physical traits and diving into their thoughts, motivations, and past experiences. Develop complex personalities, flaws, and evolving arcs to breathe life into your characters.

What’s the secret to writing vivid settings that feel real?

Creating vivid settings requires attention to sensory details, rich imagery, and the ability to make the environment a reflection of the story’s mood and the characters’ emotions.

How can I effectively use subtext in my writing?

Subtext involves saying one thing while conveying another. It’s about mastering the unsaid, leaving hints and hidden meanings for readers to uncover. Use dialogue, actions, and context to master the art of subtext.

What’s the role of pacing in creating depth?

Pacing sets the rhythm of a story, influencing how readers experience it. By controlling the speed at which events unfold, you can build tension, provide time for character development, and enhance the overall depth of the narrative.

Can you give an example of creating tension through unresolved issues?

Certainly, think of a character’s unresolved past with a family member. As the story unfolds, the tension rises, and readers eagerly anticipate the moment when the characters confront their history, resulting in a powerful emotional release.

How does the choice of narrative perspective affect depth in writing?

The narrative perspective impacts how readers perceive the story. First-person offers an intimate view of one character, while third-person omniscient provides insight into multiple characters , influencing the depth and understanding of the narrative.

What’s the significance of symbolism and metaphor in creating depth?

Symbolism and metaphor add layers of meaning and evoke powerful emotions in a story. They can be used to explore themes, emphasize character development, and create a richer, more profound narrative experience.

How do I strike a balance between showing and telling in my writing?

Balancing showing and telling is crucial. Use “showing” for significant moments that demand detail and “telling” for summarizing less important information. It’s about finding the right equilibrium to engage readers effectively.

What’s the impact of the author’s voice on the depth of a story?

The author’s voice is the unique style and personality they bring to their writing . It influences the tone, mood, and the emotional depth of the narrative, making it an integral part of storytelling.

In the vast landscape of literature, the pursuit of depth in writing is a journey that continually unveils new horizons and possibilities.

Through this exploration, we’ve delved into the art of crafting multi-dimensional characters, painting vibrant settings, and orchestrating dialogues that resonate with subtext.

We’ve uncovered the secrets of symbolism, metaphor, and the powerful synergy between pacing and tension. We’ve learned that the balance between showing and telling, as well as the choices of narrative voice and perspective, have profound impacts on the depth of a narrative.

As we conclude this quest, it becomes evident that creating depth in writing is not a mere skill; it’s an intricate dance of imagination, technique, and heart .

It’s the alchemy that transforms mere words into a profound connection with readers, allowing them to not just read a story but to live it, feel it, and carry its resonance long after the final page.

Whether you’re a writer honing your craft or a reader seeking to appreciate the intricacies of storytelling, the pursuit of depth is an endless, enchanting odyssey into the boundless world of human experience, where the profound power of narrative comes to life.

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Recognising Greater Depth in Writing

The below extract is taken from Writing at Greater Depth by Ros Ferrara. Click here to see sample pages.

This publication looks at recognising greater depth in writing with children in each year group, it discusses a writing sample and offers suggestions to ensure progress and deep learning. The requirements for the end of KS2 are reviewed in detail with practical suggestions and resources to meet them.

Writing at Greater Depth

It is clearly understood that standards in writing in the current curriculum are raised and that all writing needs to be effective, impact on the reader and be accurate. For all pupils, to meet the expected standard at the end of each year is the aim of all teachers. This, in itself requires highly effective and reflective teaching.

In addition, there remains the scope for pupils to demonstrate that they are working at greater depth within the expected standard. Official guidance for this is lacking both in substance and clarity so it makes recognising greater depth in writing very hard. It is available only for Year 2 and Year 6 and in Year 2 refers only to punctuation, spelling and handwriting.

The children who are judged to be writing at greater depth are children who stand out as writers. They are the children who take our breath away when we read their texts. There will not be many of these children and the number will vary from cohort to cohort. Whilst we cannot “teach” children to be greater depth writers, we can most certainly offer them opportunities, choices and ensure that any technical aspects of writing are secure and their use understood.

What could we expect to see for children writing at greater depth? Children who:

read with a writer’s eye, noticing the effects a writer creates and asking how he or she did it;
master handwriting and spelling – these skills need to be automatic so that children are not too preoccupied with them to concentrate on composition;
know what they want to say – pupils need reasons to write, and suitable content to write about internalise the different stages of the writing process: planning, drafting and editing and proof reading their work;
write with a reader’s eye, constantly re-reading work to check that it makes sense and that the message is effectively conveyed;
know how different sorts of texts are structured, so that, over time, they can create their own structures appropriate to audience and purpose;
have a feeling for grammar, varying and controlling sentence structure with ease, in order to create different language effects;
are capable of writing at length while maintaining a sense of audience, purpose and organisation.

From early on, children’s writing may:

have a strong awareness of audience;
pay attention to the craft of writing;
show an original style or “voice”;
show an ability to imitate or experiment with different styles of writing;
show an awareness of more sophisticated language and literary features and consciously use them;
apply reading experiences to writing;
show a dislike of repetitive, closed or over-scaffolded tasks.

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If you still have questions about greater depth in the English curriculum or want to talk about different options, get in touch with the Focus Education office on 01457 821 818.

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The long and the short of GDS in Year 6 writing

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The title of this blog is back-to-front. We're in the final weeks of academic spring - that whizzy dash of a term - so time is relatively short in terms of taking on board advice relating to end of year statutory assessment. It should be the short and the long of GDS writing – but that just sounds wrong. So why “the long”? Essentially, we need to fight back against the short termism of the past two years.

The nature of this year's framework, and its dissemination has allowed some space for deeper thought and discussion with colleagues in schools and on training courses. There is a sense that we are less in thrall to the prescriptive specifics of the here-today-gone-next-academic-year ITAF experiments of the past two years. This year, the STA kept good on their promises to release the frameworks, exemplification and associated guidance earlier in the year. Better still, we know what to expect in the coming year. That is always nice. Especially if you are in a year group subject to statutory assessment. Especially given the nature of accountability and what this means for class teachers at the sharp end of where writing meets statutory assessment outcomes. As a year 6 teacher, if I am completely honest, at times it would have felt like my life depended on that basic courtesy. You know, a bit of forewarning. Definitely appreciate that.

Short term and long term views

With this space, and the shifts in focus (as opposed to formality), it’s easier to see where the reader-writer that many of us hold as an ideal sits within this system. There are explicit references to the influence of reading and to the importance of audience and purpose within the framework. It’s an emotive subject, writing assessment. Throw accountability into the mix and the skewing and perversion of what ‘good writing’ might mean really begins to kick in. This series of blogs does not look to add to that debate. Not because it isn’t important. I just feel that plenty of others have that task covered. These blogs are intended to be strictly helpful.

The series is going to divide along two lines.

will be squarely written with year 6 teachers in mind. These blogs will offer short-term advice relating to the final stretch of this assessment period (2017-8) and how the particular requirements of the Teacher Assessment Framework may be navigated, and hopefully met in ways that feel principled and are supportive of what we might – in a giddy moment – call “real English teaching”. [Please note: I always want to challenge what is meant by “real this” or “proper that” but time is short and I think you catch my drift].

will offer advice, guidance, thoughts, and further reading to support whole school development of willing-and-able reader-writers (not to mention listener-speakers). These blogs look to focus on Greater Depth (the official brand) in the subject, but equally we now have a system that is more supportive of greater depth in a truer, happier sense - nurturing children that have plenty of reading powering their writing. This is a long term endeavour - and by that I don’t mean merely the whole of year 6. It speaks to curriculum design and content, pedagogy, reading and writing cultures – the works. And it feels good to be able to see a refocussing on that. It never went away, but there has been a necessity for flurries of short-term advice as one hoop became a swinging wrecking ball in a kind of educational equivalent to running through the Sonic the Hedgehog environment, whilst trying to teach and assess reading and writing in a high stakes system of accountability.

Let's take a quick breath after that last sentence.

The reader(s) in the writer(s)

Let’s take a look at each of the bulleted statements that make up the Year 6 standard. Up first, writing effectively for a range of audiences and purposes.

Working at GDS-Purpose and audience

Expected standard.

The pupil can write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting language that shows good awareness of the reader e.g. the use of first person in a diary; direct address in instructions and persuasive writing.

Greater depth

The pupil can write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences selecting the appropriate form and drawing independently on what they have read as models for their own writing (e.g. literary language, characterisation, structure.)

The above is taken from the STA moderator training delivered autumn 2017 (these materials are available to schools within NCA tools). It sets out the requirements around audience and purpose for children working at the Expected Standard and those working at Greater Depth within the standard (GDS). Both look for effective writing for a range of purposes and audiences. GDS, though, has the emboldened requirement that children draw independently on what they have read. The independent bit is key here – we are not looking for the whole class application of that killer phrase from the latest shared text. It is more subtle than that. I say this because in the updated exemplification file for GDS writing - Frankie, our perennial high-achieving 11 year old - there are specific references to real writers:

‘the title suggests an explanation, drawing on the language of ‘Just So’ stories’ .

This is a nice touch in the piece. Well played Frankie. However, it does not set a precedent. It is important, in reading the commentaries in the exemplification files – and relating to the moderator training samples - that we keep the main thing the main thing. What is the statement asking for? How is this reflected in the child’s writing? The statement neither asks for nor requires the obvious influence of a specific writer. We want, though, to see in our children, writers that can turn a phrase that sounds worthy of being read aloud and does not make you squint (too often) at a clunky moment. Please resist the urge to play spot the children’s lit canon references in your children’s work. Focus more on the effect it had on you, as you place yourself in the shoes of its intended reader.

If you want to look to further reading, consider CLPE’s seminal The Reader in the Writer by Myra Barrs and Valerie Cork (2001). This classic title documents a research project that looked at how reading influences developing writing. I read it a long time ago. I recently re-read it. I think my first reading came too early in my career as I did not recognise or fully understand half as much as what I did on second reading. It is timelessly good so it may be worth purchasing a copy for the school and asking a reading/writing advocate with several years’ teaching under their belt to read, distil and look to explore how the book’s messages might help to further develop the long-term journey to accomplished, meaningful writing in your school. If you need further persuasion, here’s the A S Byatt quote that prefaces the book:

I think I see good reading as the best way of encouraging, and making possible, good writing.

A. S. Byatt, On History and Stories

A quote for us all to cheer there. We will not need to lift it wholesale and replicate it in our children’s evidence banks, but it would be nice to see its spirit threaded through their work. Later blogs (and others already written by my colleagues) explore this learning through immersion in more depth and also touch upon the teaching of contextualised grammar.

Who do you think you are? Choosing register

Working at gds-speech and writing.

the pupil can distinguish between the language of speech and writing and choose the appropriate register
pupils working at 'greater depth' should be able to consistently distinguish between speech (e.g. playground language, informal conversation...), and written language (e.g. that used for stories, reports, persuasion...)
'register' refers to pupils selecting vocabulary appropriate to the context of the writing, for example, indicators of formality in a letter of complaint; concision within a stage direction; contracted forms in casual dialogue

I should point out that this slide (from the same presentation as before) behaves differently to the last. Where the previous slide placed EXS alongside GDS for comparison, here we have the GDS statement and some clarification. This statement – and the next – will require further unpicking. There is some crossover between bullet two and three so I will return to these shortly in another blog.

For now, I would draw your attention once again to the moderator training materials in NCA tools, specifically Activity 3 relating to GDS pieces C and D. Here moderators were asked to look at two letters written in a unit based upon Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In this task, the writers were asked ‘to write a letter from Juliet to her father, begging him to reconsider his decision to force her to marry Paris.’ Only one of the letters is judged to meet this particular statement relating to register.

The materials include a commentary that sets out why one of the letters does not meet the statement. Reasons given include the following: ‘slips into overt confrontation that show a lack of understanding of the etiquette of the day’; ‘contemporary colloquialism’; ‘less precise choices of vocabulary’. The judgement around etiquette stuck me as harsh on first (and second and third) reading. Certainly, a rounded understanding of the historical/social/cultural context is a key feature in GCSE level English learning. I would want to cut a ten/eleven year old a little slack there. But it is fair to say that the letter does not really meet the brief convincingly enough to say that this statement has been met.

The lesson here seems to be around task selection. I happen to think it was a rich task and both letters have a range of strengths. So we would not want to avoid this type of writing in class. Not at all. However, if you are looking to secure the ‘right’ kinds of evidence, you may wish to think carefully about the work that is being set and how well equipped your pupils are in taking on the task. I must stress, this should not limit or narrow the range of writing opportunities or the scale of ambition you serve up to the class. You just might need to be strategic about when and where extended writing opportunities occur. I am going to be returning to task selection in an imminent blog, and will share an approach I used in my year 6 classroom that we might label “Expert Texts.” This will sit under the umbrella of long-term approaches that are aimed at a whole school audience.

Formality is for life, not just for previous academic years

Working at gds-levels for formality.

the pupil can exercise an assured and conscious control over levels of formality, particularly through manipulating grammar and vocabulary to achieve this
there is no requirement for pupils to manage shifts between levels of formality within a single piece of writing; however, pupils working at 'greater depth' must demonstrate the ability to manipuulate grammar and vocabulary according to the conext of the writing. The emphasis on 'assured and conscious control' refers to the fact that choices made in their writing are deliberrate and considered

We are on safer ground here at statement 3, I think. I’ve shared plenty of our thoughts on the topic of formality. No longer must we move between formal and informal, or vice versa in more than one place in more than one piece. I just had a happy little cry then. It was beautiful. However, if your adept young writer happens to do this, and does it well, hurrah, that is evidence too. Whatever they are doing with formality it has to be appropriate and consistent for as long as it needs to be. That might be a whole piece or it might be a section.

Formality done. Final statement….

Check that it is all kept in check: punctuation

Working at gds-punctuation.

the pupil can use the range of punctuation taught at KS2 correctly (e.g. semi-colons, dashes, colons, hyphens) and, when necessary, use such punctuation precisely to enhance meaning and avoid ambiguity
the statement does not refer to specific punctuation marks, or to how they should be used. Pupils working at 'greater depth' should demonstrate their understanding of a range of punctuation taught at Key Stage 2, using it correctly and precisely to enhance meaning and avoid ambiguity

I will not linger here. Punctuation is not new and it is visible, and - so long as we are secure in our subject knowledge – relatively straight forward to evaluate. Look for the usual ailments: overuse; inappropriate use; too narrow a range; too extensive a range; basic errors. The proofreading aspect of writing will come into play here. Basic accuracy is critical. Sensible ambition is advisable. Does that mark earn its place? If not, encourage the writer to reconsider, reshape, re-form, remove and/or replace. Experiment for sure, but have good reason to commit to your final choices and placement.

That’s it for now. A bit of a blogging mission statement and some initial responses to this year’s published materials. I must close by saying thank you to my colleague, Clare Hodgson, on the Herts Assessment team. We co-deliver our Assessing and Securing GDS in Year 6 writing course and – I kid you not – it has been a joyful and enlightening experience on every occasion. If you don’t believe me, I have the many evaluations that prove it. Therefore, I also want to thank those colleagues that have worked with us in schools as well as on courses. Not just in Herts I might add – thank you to teaching colleagues in London, Macclesfield, Essex and Cambridgeshire– you have been wonderful to work and share with.

Martin Galway

GDS and writing in year 6: keeping things focused now time is short

Year 6 writing at greater depth (GDS): quick wins, guidance and helpful materials

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Mastering Writing at Greater Depth

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781529602562
Published By: Sage UK
Page Count: 312
Publication date: March 20, 2023

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Adam Bushnell

Adam Bushnell is a full-time author who delivers creative writing workshops in the UK and internationally in both state and private education to all ages.

His books have been selected by the School Library Association for the Boys into Books recommended reading list. Previously a teacher, Adam now also delivers CPD to teachers and others working in education on how to inspire writing in the classroom.

Angela Gill

Angela Gill is Programme Director for BA Primary Education and subject lead for Primary English at Durham University, working on both UG and PGCE programmes. She is an experienced teacher and worked in primary classrooms for many years before taking up the post at Durham University.

David Waugh

David Waugh is a former deputy headteacher who worked in ITT from 1990 at the University of Hull, where he led the PGCE course and became Head of Department. In 2008 he was appointed as one of two (the other being Wendy) National Strategies Regional Advisers for ITT. He is currently lectures at Durham University. He has published extensively in primary English, as well as developing e-learning resources for National Strategies for English, mathematics and mentoring and coaching. David also writes children’s stories, including The Wishroom , which was written with 45 children from 15 East Durham primary schools and published in 2017.

Rob Smith is the creator and curator of the award-winning website: The Literacy Shed . After a 12-year career as a primary teacher, Rob now delivers writing workshops to students and professional development for teachers across the UK and around the world.

What is greater depth writing?

Developing deeper writing in EYFS and KS1 through a play-based approach

Developing deeper writing in KS1 through the use of high-quality picture books

Deeper writing at KS2

Developing understanding of language and deeper writing

Non-fiction writing

Deeper writing through writing for children

Deeper writing through drama

Deeper writing for EAL pupils

Engaging pupils through the use of different materials

Developing reasoning to encourage deeper writing

Using classic texts to develop deeper writing skills

Reporting in science at a deeper level

Deeper writing: a creative mastery approach

Other Titles in: Education | English | Elementary English

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Greater Depth Writing – Teaching ideas for KS2

Follow this advice to make sure you are encouraging every pupil to produce their very best written work possible.

By Sue Drury

Last updated 03 September 2020

People are not the same. And that includes pupils.

Just as there are those who need extra help to achieve what is expected at their age, there are also those who are capable of higher standard than what they are showing.

They need to have their capacity for deeper learning recognised not just in their assessments, but also in what is expected of them on a day-to-day basis.

Here are some ideas for ensuring that you are able to identify those pupils and provide challenges that help them to fulfil their potential.

Deep learning in primary school

Historically, there was a tendency to push more able pupils further along the curriculum in order to meet their needs. More recently, however, the emphasis has shifted towards providing opportunities to delve deeper into the requirements of the age expectations. That has had the benefit of challenging them without leaving them with nowhere to go and nothing to learn when the rest of the class catches up.

Formative assessment in primary education

So, what does greater depth in English look like? At the end of Key Stage 2, that depends on whether you’re talking about reading or writing. For reading, it’s all about the SATs. But, even then, it’s not the same raw mark every year. The greater depth scaled score will go up or down depending on how easy or difficult that year’s test has been judged to be in comparison with other years.

For both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 writing, greater depth depends upon meeting all the criteria of the expected standard plus some extra ones that have been added to stretch those expectations. Be warned, these assessments could be subject to moderation, so make sure you can lay your hands on appropriate evidence through greater depth writing examples.

As for Key Stage 1 reading, most children will sit SATs in May. However, there is more emphasis on teacher assessment, which can involve evidence such as reading interviews. For greater depth pupils, tailor your interviews to include questions based on the greater depth criteria of the relevant Teacher Assessment Framework (TAF).

Teacher Assessment Framework and lesson planning

Therefore, it is essential that you are familiar with the requirements of greater depth writing, not just so that you can assess it accurately but also so that you can provide opportunities for pupils to demonstrate that they have met those standards. In short, learn your TAFs, whether you’re preparing pupils for end of Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2 assessments.

Mastery of vocabulary skill

One of the ways in which Key Stage 2 pupils in any year group can show greater depth in their writing is through their vocabulary choices. In theory, this should reflect their reading but you can give them extra help by giving them the chance to appreciate subtle differences between synonyms or near-synonyms. For example, why not use our powerful verbs synonym ordering resource ? As well as providing word cards for them to sort in order of intensity, it includes cloze procedure activities to help them increase the accuracy of their word selection.

The right creative writing tasks

In order to guide your more able pupils towards greater depth standard, you need to provide them with the right opportunities to showcase their skills. No doubt, you can think of some suitable challenges yourself but, in case you want a helping hand, we offer a number of interesting ideas for greater depth writing.

For example, there’s our Key Stage 2 suspense writing pack . After all, there are few better genres than suspense when it comes to considering the audience and writing for a purpose. Through a series of sessions, this thrilling resource uses model texts to teach the tricks of the trade and builds towards an independent writing activity that could be used to evidence greater depth skills.

We also offer a writing features challenge mat based on the idea of ‘show, not tell’. By encouraging pupils to understand their audience’s need to fill gaps with their imagination, it addresses key aspects of greater depth writing.

Expert writing guidance

What better role model could there be for greater depth writing than a published author? While it would be wonderful to be able to lure these exotic creatures into your school on a regular basis, they do tend to be rather elusive. That is why we have created our Author In Your Classroom series. Working with Puffin Books, we have created resources and recorded podcasts with published children’s authors so that they can share their wisdom and inside knowledge with pupils. A good place to start would be our pack on how to plan the perfect plot for a mystery story, featuring tips and advice from Robin Stevens, creator of the popular “Murder Most Unladylike” series.

Understanding the importance of editing

The ability to edit and improve written work is an explicit expectation of greater depth writing at Key Stage 1 and, at the very least, strongly implied at Key Stage 2. However, getting pupils to go back over their work methodically and effectively can be a bit of a battle, so why not turn it into a game? Our make-them-yourself editing dice get children to focus on specific aspects of their writing ‘by chance’, but you can bet that they will eventually cover the full range of checks in due course. Although aimed at Key Stage 2 writers, there is no reason why higher ability Key Stage 1 pupils couldn’t use them as well.

Remember, boosting the performance of your more able pupils is not just about making your school look shiny in the GDS percentages column. It’s about doing justice to a group of pupils with additional needs of their own. Hopefully, these tips and resources will help you achieve that and give greater depth to your own teaching practice.

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Mastering Writing at Greater Depth: A guide for primary teaching (Corwin Ltd) First Edition

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How do teachers identify the potential for greater depth writing and encourage children to meet their full potential?

This book was created by people who are not only passionate about primary education, but who are also leading experts in their own particular areas. They have made use of their wide experience to offer practical guidance on greater depth writing, while underpinning this with theoretical understanding.

We hope that reading this book helps you to reflect on what greater depth writing looks like and how you can encourage children to write at greater depth. You will find many suggestions for teaching lessons that encourage children to write at greater depth underpinned by theory.

ISBN-10 1526487330
ISBN-13 978-1526487339
Edition First Edition
Publisher Corwin UK
Publication date March 25, 2020
Part of series Corwin Ltd
Language English
Dimensions 6.75 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches
Print length 264 pages
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Adam Bushnell is a full-time author who delivers creative writing workshops in the UK and internationally in both state and private education to all ages.

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Publisher ‏ : ‎ Corwin UK; First Edition (March 25, 2020)
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Paperback ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1526487330
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1526487339
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.75 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches
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About the authors

David waugh.

David is Professor of Education at Durham University School of Education.

He has extensive teaching experience in schools and universities. Having taught in four schools in East Yorkshire for fourteen years, latterly as a deputy headteacher, he took up a post as lecturer in English for ITT at University of Hull in 1990. He went on to lead the PGCE course, which achieved successive "outstanding" grades from Ofsted in 2004 and 2007, and became Head of Department of the Centre for Educational Studies in 2005.

In 2008, he became one of two advisers for primary ITT for the National Strategies, working with universities and school-based training providers throughout England. His role included professional development for tutors and teachers; working with trainee teachers; organising and presenting at conferences; producing e-learning resources; leading projects on literacy, inclusion, and mathematics; and liaising with other agencies, including TDA, UCET and DCSF.

In 2013, David was awarded a faculty prize for his outreach work in Primary English, which includes delivering lectures to students in schools, followed by students working one-to-one with pupils putting theory into practice.

David has published extensively on primary English and on management of educational change, the subject for his doctoral thesis. His publications include sixteen books for Scholastic designed to support teachers and trainees in planning for teaching. English 3-11 (2008, Routledge), written with Jolliffe, W, was a core text for many ITT providers. Its successor, English 5-11, published in October 2012 and again in 2016, is also a core text in ITT. Teaching Systematic Synthetic Phonics in Primary Schools (Jolliffe, W and Waugh, D with Carss, A) was published in June 2012 and again in 2015 and has also become a core text for ITT programmes.

He has also co-written e-learning resources, including Developing Literacy in ITT, Secondary Developing Literacy in ITT, Progressing Learning in Literacy, Developing Mathematics in ITT, and Mentoring and Coaching.

He has also written an app. Spelling Punctuation and Grammar for Children Count, together with English, E, Bulman, E, Allott, K and Waugh, R. (2014).

This is designed to provide ready access to subject knowledge on spelling, grammar and punctuation for teachers via mobile phones and tablet computers.

David also wrote, with Jonathan Pye, a former postgraduate student, resources for the Teach It website on teaching spelling (published 2014). His recent publications include:

Waugh, D, Jolliffe, W and Allott, K (eds) (2017) Primary English for Trainee Teachers (2nd edition). London: Sage.

Jolliffe, W and Waugh, D with Carss, A (2019) Teaching Systematic Synthetic Phonics in Primary Schools. (2nd edition) London: Sage.

Waugh, D, Warner, C and Waugh, R (2019) Teaching Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling in Primary Schools (2nd edition) London: Sage.

Waugh, D, Neaum, S and Waugh, R (2016) Children’s Literature in Primary Schools (2nd edition). London: Sage.

Waugh, D and Harrison-Palmer, R (2013) Auditing Phonic Knowledge and Understanding. London: Sage

Waugh, D, Carter, J and Desmond, C (2015) Lessons in Teaching Phonics. London: Sage.

Jolliffe, W and Waugh, D (2017) NQT: London: Sage

Allott, K and Waugh, D (2016) Language and Communication in Primary Schools. London: Sage.

Bushnell, A and Waugh, D (eds) (2017) Inviting Writing Across the Curriculum. London: Sage.

Jolliffe, W, Waugh, D and Beverton, S with Stead, J (2014) Supporting Secondary Readers. London: Sage.

A key feature of several of the books is the case studies of classroom practice provided by local teachers and Durham students, some of whom have been acknowledged in the text.

He has also written chapters in several books, including:

Waugh, D (2015) 'Primary Education in England' in Brock, C (2015) (ed.) Education in the United Kingdom: A Regional Overview. London: Bloomsbury.

David is often asked to contribute articles to news websites (e.g. BBC) and newspapers (e.g. The Guardian)

David also enjoys writing stories for children. He has written six novels for children aged 8 and above. Lottie's Run tells the story of the England football captain's daughter's escape from kidnappers. His second novel, "Girls Can't Play Football!", tells of Lauren Morris's battle to be accepted as a member of her school football team, while trying to save her school from closure. His third, Jessica's Other World, was published in February, 2016 and tells of Jessica Chambers' adventures when she discovers a trapdoor under her bed which leads to a different house and a very different lifestyle.

In 2017, The Wishroom was published - a novel David wrote with 45 children from 15 East Durham primary schools. In 2019, Twins?, written with 12 children from Our Lady and St Joseph's, Brooms appeared.

Adam Bushnell

Adam Bushnell is an award winning and Amazon number 1 bestselling author of fictional and academic books. He has written over thirty books including Descriptosaurus: Story Writing, Modelling Exciting Writing and Quests in Epica. His book of 100 Ideas for Outdoor Learning, published by Bloomsbury, won the prestigious ‘Creative Play Awards’ in 2020 and his book The Dragon Inside Me won the Fiction Express book of the year award for 2021.

He is a Literacy Shed author and has a series of books published with Vocabulary Ninja on comprehension skills. He is part of the UK Literacy Association writing panel. He is featured as a recommended author on the ‘Reading is Fundamental’ and the ‘National Centre for Language and Literacy’ databases.

Adam works in the UK and internationally in both state and private education delivering creative writing workshops to all ages. He regularly appears as guest author at the Northern Children’s Book Festival as well as other Literature Festivals across the U.K. His books are also on the ‘Boys Into Books’ recommended reading list.

He is the Cultural Ambassador for Gateshead Council and takes part in voluntary work for several children's charities including Abraham’s Children in Crisis, helping the social, emotional and educational needs of children in the Holy Land.

A link to his Youtube channel can be found here

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0MauzYgXgNrgyHWFB4l7gQ?view_as=subscriber

More details can be found here

www.adambushnell.co.uk

Twitter account @authoradam

Angela Gill

Angela Gill is an Assistant Professor at Durham University. She is the Curriculum and Student Experience Lead of the UG and PGCE ITE programmes in the School of Education and is the Subject Lead for Primary English. For more than 20 years, Angela taught in primary schools in Durham and Somerset, during which time she was Subject Lead for English and phonics. She has written and edited books and articles about many aspects of Primary English, including phonics and writing.

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By Kirsten Grind

Reporting from Oakland, Calif., and San Francisco

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was considering potential running mates for his presidential run, his shortlist was initially topped by two well-known men with unusual résumés: Aaron Rodgers, the N.F.L. quarterback and frequent purveyor of conspiracy theories , and Jesse Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota and professional wrestler known as “The Body.”

Instead, Mr. Kennedy made a surprise pick — a woman and a little-known figure with an unusual background: Nicole Shanahan .

Ms. Shanahan, 38, a onetime Silicon Valley lawyer, has never held public office and has scant name recognition. But she was selected after Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Ventura fell through as vice-presidential candidates and Mr. Kennedy’s campaign needed money to fund its efforts to get onto state ballots, three people familiar with the events said. And money was something that Ms. Shanahan could provide in abundance.

Ms. Shanahan has a fortune of more than $1 billion that stems largely from her divorce settlement last year with Sergey Brin , a founder of Google, whose net worth exceeds $145 billion , three people with knowledge of her finances said. During their five-year marriage, Ms. Shanahan partied with Silicon Valley’s elite and used recreational drugs including cocaine, ketamine and psychedelic mushrooms, according to eight people and documents reviewed by The New York Times. Ms. Shanahan and Mr. Brin separated after she had a sexual encounter with Elon Musk in 2021, three of the people said.

The incidents were part of a rarefied — and sometimes turbulent — life that Ms. Shanahan led in the nation’s tech capital before her turn to politics, according to interviews with more than 20 people who know her or were briefed on her actions, as well as property records, court documents, tax records, emails and other messages reviewed by The Times. Many of the details of her life, including those of her divorce settlement, have not been reported.

“Status is very important to Nicole, and the amount of money you have,” said Daniel Morris, a photographer based in Puerto Rico who was friends with Ms. Shanahan and her first husband, Jeremy Kranz, a technology investor.

On the campaign trail, Ms. Shanahan has depicted herself as a hardworking former entrepreneur and lawyer, a success story who once needed food stamps and a unifier who can heal a divided America. But she has omitted and embellished parts of her history, including aspects of her relationship with Mr. Brin, to make herself appear more relatable, according to the people who know her and documents reviewed by The Times.

In a February interview with The Times, Ms. Shanahan described herself as a onetime “Silicon Valley princess.” In response to questions for this article, she texted: “I’m shocked the NYT is letting you run something like this.” The Kennedy campaign didn’t respond to requests for comment. Ms. Shanahan has publicly denied having an affair with Mr. Musk.

Mr. Musk, his lawyer and a spokeswoman for Mr. Brin did not return requests for comment.

Mr. Kennedy, who is running as an independent, picked Ms. Shanahan without his advisers having looked fully into her history or where her money was coming from, two people familiar with the campaign said. By then, she had already become a crucial financier of his run.

Ms. Shanahan, who has said she is a vaccine skeptic like Mr. Kennedy, funded a Super Bowl ad for Mr. Kennedy this year through a $4 million donation to a super PAC, American Values 2024. In March, she infused Mr. Kennedy’s campaign with an additional $2 million. Last week, she said she had given an additional $8 million .

Their ticket has secured a place on the presidential ballot in Michigan, a swing state, as well as in five other states. Mr. Kennedy has enough signatures to reach the ballot in seven additional states, his campaign has said, potentially putting him and Ms. Shanahan in a position to tip the November election.

Ms. Shanahan is “exactly the right person,” Mr. Kennedy said when he announced her as his running mate in March. He called her a “fierce warrior mom” who “overcame every daunting obstacle and went on to achieve the highest levels of the American dream.”

A Yoga Festival

On the campaign trail, Ms. Shanahan, who grew up in Oakland, Calif., has said she knew what it was like to be “one misfortune away from disaster. ”

Her father, Shawn Shanahan, couldn’t hold down a job, was diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia when she was 9 years old and died in 2014, she has said. Her family struggled, Ms. Shanahan has said, needing food stamps and government assistance.

Ms. Shanahan obtained an athletic scholarship to attend Saint Mary’s College High School, a private Catholic school in Berkeley, Calif., according to the Kennedy campaign website. The school, which charges about $24,000 a year for tuition, confirmed that Ms. Shanahan had been a student but said it had never offered scholarships. Ms. Shanahan received some tuition assistance, the school said, but it declined to say how much.

Ms. Shanahan graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 2007, working at a Seattle law firm around the same time. She later worked at RPX, a patent firm, and in 2013, she founded ClearAccess IP, a patent tech company, according to her LinkedIn profile. She completed a law degree at the Santa Clara University School of Law in 2014.

Adam Philipp, the founder and managing partner of Aeon Law, the Seattle law firm where Ms. Shanahan worked, said he was impressed when she applied to be a paralegal in 2006. “She had a willingness to learn and an abundance of common sense,” he said.

In 2011, Ms. Shanahan began dating Mr. Kranz, a tech investor in San Francisco. She told people that she had converted to Judaism during that time for the relationship. Mr. Kranz bought a $2.7 million penthouse with views of San Francisco about a month before their wedding in August 2014, according to property records.

That July, Ms. Shanahan met Mr. Brin at a yoga festival in Lake Tahoe, Calif., four people with knowledge of the events said. He had recently separated from Anne Wojcicki, his wife at the time. Mr. Brin and Ms. Shanahan embarked on an affair weeks before her wedding to Mr. Kranz, the people said.

Mr. Kranz discovered the relationship several days after he married Ms. Shanahan when he saw texts between her and Mr. Brin on her phone, they said. He filed to annul the marriage 27 days after the wedding, court records show.

Mr. Kranz planned to list fraud as a reason for the annulment, the people said. But Ms. Shanahan was concerned that a fraud claim would jeopardize her ability to practice law. While negotiating with Mr. Kranz about their split, she threatened to harm herself, three people said.

Instead of an annulment, Mr. Kranz agreed to a divorce without making a fraud claim. As part of their settlement, Ms. Shanahan was required to remove any evidence of Mr. Kranz from her social media accounts and pay him $20,000 in partial wedding costs and legal fees, court records show. Mr. Kranz did not respond to a request for comment.

In an interview with People magazine last year, Ms. Shanahan said she started dating Mr. Brin in 2015. She recounted wandering Stanford University’s campus with the billionaire and discussing quantum physics.

“I was living in a fairy tale,” she said. “It was magical.”

Becoming a Philanthropist

Mr. Brin became Ms. Shanahan’s entryway to the tech industry’s upper echelons. The couple traveled the world, took trips on Mr. Brin’s yachts and stayed in the most elite camps at Burning Man, the countercultural annual festival in the Nevada desert.

They married in 2018 and had a daughter, Echo, that same year. They owned properties in Lake Tahoe; Los Altos, Calif.; Montana; and Malibu, Calif., where Ms. Shanahan now spends much of her time.

In 2019, Ms. Shanahan began building a foundation, Bia-Echo, named for her daughter, that focuses on criminal justice and fertility longevity. (Ms. Shanahan has said she struggled to become pregnant.) She used more than $20 million from Mr. Brin for the effort, according to tax documents.

To raise her profile, Ms. Shanahan hired Matthew Hiltzik, a publicist who has worked with Katie Couric and other high-profile women. Her goal was to become a famous philanthropist like MacKenzie Scott, the former wife of the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, four people familiar with Ms. Shanahan’s plans said.

In 2020, Ms. Shanahan sold ClearAccess IP to IPwe, a patent technology firm, in exchange for IPwe stock that was valued at more than $10 million, two people familiar with the deal said. IPwe filed for bankruptcy this year.

Around the time of the sale, Ms. Shanahan and Mr. Brin learned that Echo was autistic. Ms. Shanahan has said the diagnosis made her question the use of childhood vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says childhood vaccines are safe.

In 2021, she paid more than $200,000 for a lifestyle photographer to take her photos for a San Francisco Magazine article called “Nicole Shanahan Is Fighting the Good Fight,” according to documents viewed by The Times. Ms. Shanahan was photographed in the country with horses, talking about her goals of creating a healthy and livable planet.

In the article, Ms. Shanahan said she had been sexually assaulted by an unnamed male co-worker while working for RPX. The episode caused her to sink into a severe depression and ultimately give up law, she said.

Daniel McCurdy, the chief executive of RPX, said in a statement that the company hadn’t been informed of the claim before the article was published, and that it had engaged a law firm to conduct an investigation. It was inconclusive, he said.

A Marriage Crumbles

Mr. Brin and Ms. Shanahan found the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns challenging, three people close to the couple said. Among other things, they struggled with their daughter’s autism diagnosis, the people said.

Ms. Shanahan began going out more without Mr. Brin, according to five people and documents viewed by The Times. At a party in early 2021 in Miami, Ms. Shanahan was so intoxicated by drugs and alcohol that she required an IV infusion, the documents show.

That fall, Ms. Shanahan threw a Studio 54-themed birthday party for herself at a New York club. Mr. Musk, a longtime friend of Mr. Brin’s, attended. In December 2021, Ms. Shanahan saw Mr. Musk again at a private party in Miami that his brother, Kimbal Musk, was hosting in connection with the Art Basel festival.

At that party, Elon Musk and Ms. Shanahan took ketamine, a popular party drug that is legal with a prescription, and disappeared together for several hours, according to four people briefed on the event and documents related to it. Ms. Shanahan later told Mr. Brin that she had had sex with Mr. Musk, three of the people said. She also relayed the details to friends, family and advisers.

Mr. Brin and Ms. Shanahan separated about two weeks after the party, and he filed for divorce the next year, citing “irreconcilable differences,” according to court documents.

In 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported Ms. Shanahan’s encounter with Mr. Musk. Mr. Musk and Ms. Shanahan have denied an affair.

In her interview with People last year, Ms. Shanahan said she and Mr. Musk had been talking about her daughter’s autism treatment that night. She also said it was humiliating to be known for a sexual act and called a cheater.

Ms. Shanahan and Mr. Brin took nearly 18 months to reach a divorce settlement, according to court records. During that time, she threatened to harm herself, two people briefed on the matter said. Their divorce became final last year.

Into Politics

For years, Ms. Shanahan donated to Democrats, according to donor filings. In 2020, she gave $25,000 to a political action committee backing President Biden. Then last year, she gave $6,600 to Mr. Kennedy — the maximum allowed for an individual contributor — when he was running as a Democrat for the presidential nomination.

In her February interview with The Times, Ms. Shanahan said she had initially been disappointed when Mr. Kennedy announced that he would run as an independent. But she began to pour money into his campaign, including the Super Bowl ad, which showed images of Mr. Kennedy superimposed on those of the 1960 presidential campaign of his uncle John F. Kennedy. At the time, Ms. Shanahan had spoken to Mr. Kennedy once and had never met him, she said.

In March, Ms. Shanahan and her new partner, Jacob Strumwasser, met Mr. Kennedy and his wife, Cheryl Hines, for dinner. During the meal, Mr. Strumwasser, who has worked in the crypto industry, suggested Ms. Shanahan for the vice president’s job, she said in a podcast this month with Sage Steele, a former ESPN anchor. Mr. Kennedy liked Ms. Shanahan’s story, people familiar with the campaign said.

In recent weeks, Ms. Shanahan has largely scrubbed her social media feeds, two people familiar with her and the Kennedy campaign said. Her social accounts are now populated with shots of herself without makeup at a farmers’ market as well as wearing Western gear and posing with rifles in Texas with Mr. Strumwasser. In the past, her feeds showed her dressed up for high-end events and posing for selfies.

Ms. Shanahan began attending campaign events with Mr. Kennedy this month. At a fund-raiser in Nashville last week, she announced that she had given another $8 million to the campaign and said, “I think I know what they’re going to say — they’re going to say Bobby only picked me for my money.”

Her remark drew laughter from the crowd.

Rebecca Davis O’Brien contributed reporting. Kitty Bennett contributed research.

Kirsten Grind is an investigative business reporter writing stories about companies, chief executives and billionaires across Silicon Valley and the technology industry. More about Kirsten Grind

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COMMENTS

Year 6 writing at greater depth (GDS): quick wins, guidance and helpful
This will give you a common reference point with year 6 teachers across the country. You can find it here: Gov.UK: Teacher assessment exemplification: English writing - working at greater depth within the expected standard, Frankie. Keep in mind this statement from the opening of the exemplification files:
Greater depth writing
On the surface, these three statements seem straightforward. The primary writing framework requires students to: spell most words correctly. exercise assured and conscious control of their writing. use verb tenses consistently. If a piece of writing doesn't meet one of these standards, it cannot be greater depth.
Greater depth
The primary writing framework requires students to spell most words correctly, to exercise an assured and conscious control of their writing, and to use verb tenses consistently. If a piece of writing doesn't meet one of these standards, it cannot be Greater Depth. One man's greater depth… Except, of course, it isn't that simple.
Teacher assessment exemplification: KS2 English writing
Teacher assessment exemplification: English writing - working at greater depth within the expected standard, Frankie. Ref: ISBN 978-1-78644-851-4, STA/18/8103/e. PDF, 2.01 MB, 36 pages.
Mastering Writing at Greater Depth
Official guidance lacks the substance and clarity that is needed so where do teachers go for support? This book provides teachers with support, guidance, background theory, examples and practical advice for the teaching of writing at greater depth. The text highlights the need to take writing beyond transcription into creative composition - and ...
How To Create Depth In Writing (16 Important Steps)
Dialogue and Subtext. Using dialogue to reveal character depth. The art of subtext in conversations. Pacing and Tension. Creating tension through conflict and unresolved issues. The relationship between pacing and depth. Showing vs. Telling. Voice and Perspective. Exploring the impact of voice and perspective on depth.
Recognising Greater Depth in Writing
Recognising Greater Depth in Writing. The children who are judged to be writing at greater depth are children who stand out as writers. They are the children who take our breath away when we read their texts. There will not be many of these children and the number will vary from cohort to cohort. Whilst we cannot "teach" children to be ...
Mastering Writing at Greater Depth
Mastering Writing at Greater Depth: A guide for primary teaching. Mastering Writing at Greater Depth. : Adam Bushnell, Angela Gill, David Waugh, Rob Smith. SAGE, Feb 29, 2020 - Education - 264 pages. How do teachers identify the potential for greater depth writing and encourage children to meet their full potential?
PDF Writing Greater Depth Objectives
Writing Greater Depth Objectives Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 write using a number of features of different text types and make appropriate topic/subject matter vocabulary choices write effectively and coherently for different purposes, drawing on their reading to inform the vocabulary and grammar of their writing
Mastering Writing at Greater Depth
Mastering Writing at Greater Depth: A guide for primary teaching. Mastering Writing at Greater Depth. : Adam Bushnell, Angela Gill, David Waugh, Rob Smith. Sage Publications UK, Feb 9, 2023 - Education - 312 pages. To master the teaching of writing at greater depth, teachers first need to know: *What makes writing ′greater depth′?
PDF 2018 national curriculum assessment Key stage 2
Frankie is working at greater depth within the expected standard. This collection demonstrates evidence that Frankie is able to produce writing that meets all of the statements for 'working at greater depth within the expected standard'. Across the collection, adaptation for purpose and audience is enhanced by the writer's distinctive
Explorative considerations for teaching writing to greater depth
download this article 1. Create a community of authentic writers Firstly and most importantly, create the conditions for greater depth writers to thrive. Attend to and have an awareness of children's intellectual, creative, socio-affective interests/abilities and allow these to enter their writing as an area of strength. Create a positive and very writerly/explorative environment in…
The long and the short of GDS in Year 6 writing
These blogs look to focus on Greater Depth (the official brand) in the subject, but equally we now have a system that is more supportive of greater depth in a truer, happier sense - nurturing children that have plenty of reading powering their writing. This is a long term endeavour - and by that I don't mean merely the whole of year 6.
PDF 045-046 Greater Depth
045-046 Greater Depth.indd 45. 12/04/2019 09:20. successful writing takes place. Having time and space on a daily basis allows them to practise and improve their craft. This, and the teacher's interest, contributes to a writer's sense of self as someone engaged in important work, but this won't be maintained if children are constantly ...
Mastering Writing at Greater Depth
What is greater depth writing? Developing deeper writing in EYFS and KS1 through a play-based approach. Developing deeper writing in KS1 through the use of high-quality picture books. Deeper writing at KS2. Developing understanding of language and deeper writing. Non-fiction writing.
ERIC
They have made use of their wide experience to offer practical guidance on greater depth writing, while underpinning this with theoretical understanding. We hope that reading this book helps you to reflect on what greater depth writing looks like and how you can encourage children to write at greater depth. You will find many suggestions for ...
Greater Depth Writing
For both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 writing, greater depth depends upon meeting all the criteria of the expected standard plus some extra ones that have been added to stretch those expectations. Be warned, these assessments could be subject to moderation, so make sure you can lay your hands on appropriate evidence through greater depth writing ...
Mastering Writing at Greater Depth: A guide for primary teaching
This book provides teachers with support, guidance, background theory, examples and practical advice for the teaching of writing at greater depth. The text highlights the need to take writing beyond transcription into creative composition - and not only shows how this is possible, but also explores why it matters.
Mastering Writing at Greater Depth: A guide for primary teaching
We hope that reading this book helps you to reflect on what greater depth writing looks like and how you can encourage children to write at greater depth. You will find many suggestions for teaching lessons that encourage children to write at greater depth underpinned by theory. Read more. Previous page. ISBN-10. 1526487330.
KS2 Writer's Toolkit
This toolkit is really useful for making clear what exactly is required of students to be working at each level. It can be used to help students produce greater depth writing in Year 6, or work at the expected standard if they're currently working towards it. Having a clear set of indicators as to what is required to help reach the next level ...
Writing at Greater Depth KS2 Toolkit
The Writing at Greater Depth KS2 Toolkit is a 3-page document. Each page represents different stages children may be at in their writing. We have broken the age-related expectations into: Working Towards the Expected Standard Working at the Expected Standard Working at Greater Depth Each page has coloured columns and each column represents different skills the children should be learning in ...
Inside the Life of Nicole Shanahan, RFK Jr.'s Running Mate
Reporting from Oakland, Calif., and San Francisco. May 22, 2024. When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was considering potential running mates for his presidential run, his shortlist was initially topped by ...

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Mastering Writing at Greater Depth A guide for primary teaching

Preview this book

How To Create Depth In Writing (16 Important Steps)

How To Create Depth In Writing

Understand Your Theme or Message

Develop Multifaceted Characters

Vivid Descriptions

Show, Don’t Tell

Dialogue and Subtext

Conflict and Resolution

Symbolism and Metaphor

Foreshadowing and Unpredictability

Themes and Subplots

Research and Realism

Point of View

Editing and Revising

Read Widely

Emotional Connection

Understanding Depth in Writing

The role of depth in conveying meaning and emotion

Building Rich Characters

Creating multi-dimensional characters

Character development through actions and dialogue

The importance of character flaws and growth

Setting the Scene

Descriptive techniques for creating vivid settings

The setting as a reflection of character emotions

Using dialogue to reveal character depth

The art of subtext in conversations

Pacing and Tension