Since partnering with Writer’s Toolbox, Northcross Intermediate in Auckland has seen a dramatic lift in writing achievement, teacher capability, and learner confidence.  What began as a search for a better way to teach writing has become a school-wide transformation in outcomes, particularly for their Pacifika and Māori students.

Principal Jonathan Tredray explains that writing had long been a challenge, both at Northcross and across New Zealand.  While maths and reading showed steady gains through clear assessment structures, writing lagged behind.  Teachers were working hard, yet the results simply were not moving.  Something needed to change.

Meeting Writer’s Toolbox founder, Dr Ian Hunter, proved to be the turning point.  Tredray recalls how staff connected immediately with Ian’s clear approach to literacy and his challenge to rethink how writing is taught.  “If teachers were going to model and lead writing, they needed the skills themselves,” he says.  Writer’s Toolbox gave them the structure and confidence to do exactly that.

The impact was swift.  As teachers deepened their understanding of writing instruction, students began experiencing real growth.  Northcross uses effect size to measure progress, drawing on the research of Professor John Hattie.  A typical year’s progress is an effect size of 0.4.  Many Northcross classes achieved 0.8.  For Tredray and his team, this represented a remarkable shift in achievement and a clear signal that their students were finally gaining the traction they deserved.

“If you are not getting those spikes in achievement, give Writer’s Toolbox a trial.”

The improvement was felt particularly strongly among Māori learners, who showed significant growth in both confidence and performance.  For Tredray, this affirmed the power of a structured, school-wide approach to writing.  “Write That Essay [Writer's Toolbox] has made a huge difference.  It is a different way of teaching writing, and the structure works.”

At Northcross Intermediate, Writer’s Toolbox is more than a writing resource.  It has become a catalyst for improved outcomes, empowered teachers, and stronger learner achievement across the board.  With clearer tools, consistent modelling, and a shared language for writing, students now have the support they need to progress with confidence.  For schools still searching for the breakthrough they have not yet seen, Tredray has one message. "If you are not getting those spikes in achievement, give Writer's Toolbox a trial."