At Walthamstow Primary Academy, we’re always looking for ways to support our pupils with additional needs, especially when it comes to writing. Writing can be a real challenge for many children, and we’ve seen how hard it can be for our neurodivergent pupils to get started, stay focused or feel confident in their ideas.
That’s why we started using Pobble. What began as a moderation tool has now become a core part of our SEN writing strategy. It has helped us build stamina, spark creativity and, most importantly, bring joy back into writing.
Starting with moderation
We first came across Pobble through their online moderation sessions. The training was clear and easy to follow, and it gave us confidence in our assessment judgments. What stood out most was how positive the process felt. It was all about celebrating writing, not just ticking off objectives. Once we saw the value of using Pobble for moderation, we wanted to explore what else was available.
Easy to embed into everyday teaching
Moving into the Teaching and Learning side of Pobble was straightforward. Everything is accessed through the same platform and login, which makes it really simple for staff to get going. Straight away, we had access to a huge range of writing prompts, Quick Writes and ready-to-use lessons. These are well-structured, easy to adapt and slot nicely into everyday teaching across the curriculum.
Supporting our neurodivergent pupils
Pupils and staff have been genuinely captivated by the writing opportunities Pobble offers. It has played a key role in helping us support our neurodivergent pupils by building writing stamina and opening up access to new life experiences through writing. The excitement around Pobble lessons is clear, and pupils look forward to them with real enthusiasm.
The visual prompts and vocabulary support help remove barriers to writing. For our pupils with additional needs, Pobble makes writing feel less daunting and more achievable. It creates opportunities for success and boosts motivation in a way that traditional writing tasks often do not.
The images used are specially chosen to appeal to children and give them something fun, engaging and different to write about. This helps us spark interest, imagination and independence in our pupils.
Creating a sensory-friendly writing space
We’ve also looked at how we can modify our learning environment to make Pobble lessons more accessible. For one session based on the ‘Flying High’ prompt, we transformed the classroom into a calm, sensory-friendly space. We added soft lighting, themed sound effects and creative sensory trays linked to the image.
This setup helped the children focus and engage more deeply with their writing. They felt calm, inspired and confident to express themselves. The quality of their writing that day really stood out.
Bringing writing to life with Pobble’s live lessons
Our class has also taken part in Pobble’s live writing lessons, and they have been incredibly popular. These sessions are a great way to write together in real time using creative prompts and interactive tasks.
During one of the lessons, the classroom atmosphere completely changed. We were buzzing with excitement. The level of engagement was unreal, and it became an incredible writing experience. Pupils were still talking about it long after it ended.
Real progress in the classroom
We have already seen the difference Pobble is making. One Year 6 pupil, who struggled with writing at the start of the year, has made huge progress since using Pobble. They now write with more confidence, use ambitious vocabulary and produce longer, more thoughtful pieces. Best of all, they are proud of their work and enjoy writing more than ever.
Writing that includes everyone
Using Pobble as part of our SEN writing strategy has made a real difference. It supports the needs of all learners and gives every child a chance to succeed. For schools looking to engage reluctant writers or create more inclusive writing routines, I would highly recommend exploring what Pobble has to offer.