Context

This work evolved from work surrounding literacy and creating writing for real audiences. In particular, the teacher referred to a primary literacy revision unit for non fiction and thought that a restaurant context would cover all opportunities for writing non fiction types. She then thought of creating a contextualised learning area that would inspire the children and decided on making a restaurant in the classroom.

Aims & principles

To expose the children to real life writing and to create an enjoyment of writing. 

To revise text types for non fiction writing in a lively and inspiring way that would engage children in the build up to SATs. 

To enable the children to write any text type with confidence.

Summary

The children started the project by researching Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall and creating menus and advertising material for the restaurant. They also concentrated on using formal and emotive language to write letters about the food and service at a restaurant and these were posted online on a weblog created by the teacher that maps the whole project: http://oak1writing.blogspot.com . Using a weblog in this project enabled the teacher to publish the children’s work online and for other teachers and parents to read the work and comment on it, providing feedback for the children. 

Next, the children wrote applications for jobs based on real vacancies on the Rick Stein restaurant website, which were collated by the teacher on the blog. The Chair of Governors came in to class and gave the children interview training. He then came back a week later to be in role as Rick Stein to conduct the interviews along with a panel of interviewers consisting of staff and governors. The panel discussed the applications and made decisions as to the successful candidates, who were informed by letter as to the outcome. 

The next stage of the project was for the children to look at the language used in restaurant reviews and create reviews based on a local restaurant, Puccini’s. The children visited the restaurant for a meal and then wrote reviews and features for local newspapers and magazines. Reviews can be seen on http://www.scenesouth.co.uk or here. 15 reviews and photos of the children in the restaurant were also requested by a journalist on local magazine And to fill his restaurant review section, and all children were supplied with a copy of the magazine with their reviews inside.

In Practice

The teacher used drama and role play before writing as well as using uplevelling to help the children see what bad writing looked like - and found that the children preferred to see her bad writing and then have a chance at improving it in a shared writing exercise. The teacher is also interested in the "reading the text type" method and getting children to understand and identify language and organisational features. All the children can now annotate a text successfully. As well as this, the teacher encouraged children to steal "wow" words and phrases to use in their own writing: therefore, before any writing took place the class would have undertaken reading sessions about the text type they would be writing.

Outcomes

The class has made lasting links with local businesses including a newspaper, magazine and a restaurant, and the weblog showcases the children’s developing work. The children have said the whole experience has made them better writers and the Headteacher says that it has really helped them focus prior to SATs: they have enjoyed learning.

"As I walked through the entrance the aroma-therapy awoke my senses. The restaurant has a big, orange sparkly glow and staff that are fast on their feet. Music plays softly in the background and is very calm and relaxing which makes the room fill with happy smiles" - Extract from a restaurant review by Emma

Resources

Download the lesson plan (PDF, 50K)
Download examples of children’s writing (PDF, 42K)
“How to write a restaurant review” guide (PDF, 141K)

The teacher found the following useful: 
Rick Stein’s restaurant - http://www.rickstein.com/The-Seafood-Restaurant.html 
Guardian restaurant reviews - http://www.guardianrestaurantbookings.co.uk/

Click here to access teaching sequences based on this project

Contacts

Karen Garner, Year 6 Class Teacher & Literacy Coordinator

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