Leaflet Writing Skills

Overview

This 45-minute lesson teaches Year 11 students how to write an effective leaflet aligned to NCFE Functional Skills Level 1 English Writing standards. Students build on prior knowledge of organisational features (headings, sub-headings, bullet points) through scaffolded activities reflecting the National Curriculum for England. The lesson culminates in students writing a minimum 200-word leaflet incorporating at least 3 complex sentences, with formative assessments after each stage to check understanding.

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National Curriculum Links

English — Writing

• Programme of Study aims:
  • Develop the stamina and skills to write at length.
  • Use a range of sentence structures, including complex sentences.
  • Use organisation and presentation appropriate to purpose.

Key Stage 4 standards:

• Write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting appropriate form, using varied vocabulary, grammar and punctuation.
• Plan, draft, edit and proofread (including for spelling, punctuation and grammar).

Functional Skills Level 1 (NCFE):

• Produce texts that include organisational features: headings, sub-headings, bullet points and/or numbered lists.
• Use complex sentences with conjunctions (as, although, because, when).
• Use correct punctuation and spelling throughout.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson students will be able to:

• Identify key organisational features of a leaflet (headings, sub-headings, bullet points).
• Plan their ideas clearly before writing a leaflet.
• Write a coherent leaflet of at least 200 words including complex sentences.
• Edit their writing to check punctuation, spelling, sentence structure and layout.

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Success Criteria

• Leaflet contains clear headings and sub-headings.
• At least one bullet or numbered list used effectively.
• Minimum of 200 words written.
• Includes at least 3 correctly formed complex sentences with appropriate conjunctions.
• All capital letters and full stops are used accurately.
• Logical, well-organised structure.

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Resources

• Example leaflet (printed and projected) for annotation
• Writing template with sections for planning and draft
• Dyslexia-friendly font handouts & colour overlays (optional)
• Whiteboard/markers
• Student writing folders or laptops/tablets

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction and Starter (5 minutes)

• Recap with students what organisational features a leaflet needs by reviewing their prior knowledge.
• Display an example leaflet (adapted from NCFE-like text).
• Activity: In pairs, students label headings, sub-headings, bullet points and numbered lists on the example with sticky notes or pens.
• Formative Check: Quick whole-class feedback. Ask: Why are these organisational features important in a leaflet?

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2. Planning Ideas (10 minutes)

• Explain the importance of planning before writing. Model how to plan ideas for a leaflet on a given topic (e.g., “Local Festival Event”).
• Highlight adding information under different sub-headings and deciding where bullet points can be effective.
• Provide a writing template with boxes for headings, sub-headings, bullet points, and notes.
• Activity: Students plan their own leaflet with a clear heading, two sub-headings, and information organised into bullet points or numbered lists.
• Prompt them to note three complex sentences they aim to include (e.g., “Although the event was outdoors, it did not affect my enjoyment…”).
• Formative Check: Confer with 2-3 students individually or in pairs to check their plans meet the success criteria.

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3. Writing the Leaflet (15 minutes)

• Students write their leaflet based on their plan. Remind them to:
  • Use headings and sub-headings clearly.
  • Use bullet points or numbered lists for clarity.
  • Include at least 3 complex sentences using conjunctions like “because”, “although”, “when”, “as”.
  • Aim for at least 200 words.
• Circulate, supporting learners who may struggle, using targeted questioning or sentence starters.
• Provide dyslexia-friendly reading options: coloured paper, overlays, or text-to-speech suggestions for those who need them.
• Formative Check: Stop at 10 minutes, ask a few students to read aloud a complex sentence they wrote and explain their use of conjunctions.

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4. Editing and Improvement (10 minutes)

• Model editing on a short leaflet extract: checking capital letters, full stops, sentence structure, and spelling.
• Provide editing checklist aligned to success criteria.
• Students proofread and edit their own leaflets, working in pairs where possible for peer feedback.
• Encourage read-aloud editing for punctuation accuracy.
• Formative Check: Collect students’ editing checklists to monitor self-assessed understanding and offer quick verbal feedback.

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5. Plenary and Extension (5 minutes)

• Recap key learning points by discussing:
  • Why planning improves leaflet quality.
  • How organisational features help the reader.
  • The importance of complex sentences in engaging writing.
• Extension (for advanced learners): Challenge to create a second, shorter version of their leaflet targeting a different audience or using persuasive language.
• Homework suggestion: Find a leaflet at home or online and annotate additional organisational features and persuasive techniques.

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Differentiation Strategies

Learners Type	Support Strategies	Challenge/Extension
EAL Learners	Sentence frames; word banks; visual aids; peer support	Encourage use of varied sentence starters and conjunctions
Dyslexic Learners	Dyslexia-friendly font/overlay, oral instructions	Use speech-to-text for drafting; grammar games
Lower ability	Extra time, simplified checklist, one-to-one support	Focus on sentence expansion with conjunctions
Higher ability	Independent planning; model sophisticated complex sentences	Create additional content on impact/benefits of event

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Assessment and Feedback

• Formative assessment checkpoints after: example labelling, planning, draft writing, and editing stages.
• Success criteria checklist provided for self and peer assessment.
• Teacher to provide written and verbal feedback focused on organisation, sentence complexity, and punctuation accuracy.
• Use annotated examples from NCFE sample paper to show high-quality responses.

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Final Notes

This lesson plan is designed to scaffold functional skills writing in a realistic, relevant context (writing a leaflet for an event). It directly mirrors the structure and criteria from the NCFE sample question paper while embedding National Curriculum requirements for literacy development and writing proficiency by Year 11. The lesson encourages student independence through planning and editing phases and supports diverse learning needs with dyslexia-friendly options and extension activities.

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End of Plan