Help pupils in KS1 understand how journey stories work with this narrative writing pack, based around the model text Humphry’s Pebbles.
This short WAGOLL tells the story of a young penguin who sets off in search of a shiny black pebble to add to his collection. Along the way, he overcomes three obstacles before returning home, completing a classic ‘journey’ structure that’s simple for pupils to follow and retell.
You can use this pack to teach young writers how a character can be set a task, face problems along the way, and complete their journey by the end of the story.
Pupils will build confidence with story sequencing and structure, while also practising key grammar skills including using ‘and’ or ‘but’ to join sentences, and apostrophes to show possession.
Planning and support
The resource includes a range of planning and support materials so pupils can retell Humphry’s Pebbles, or plan and write their own version.
The model text comes with a list of features to spot, and the writing sheet clearly explains the grammatical focus.
A planning sheet supports pupils to organise their ideas and three problems, and sentence starters help them structure their work. We've also included story idea cards to spark creativity – pupils can choose a new object for a character to search for, or invent their own character entirely. Finally, themed writing paper lets children present their work neatly and proudly.
What’s included:
- WAGOLL model text: Humphry’s Pebbles
- Text features checklist for pupils to annotate
- Journey story writing sheet with success criteria
- Grammar focus: apostrophes for possession and coordinating conjunctions (‘and’, ‘but’)
- Story idea cards for oral storytelling and planning
- Journey story planning sheet with sentence starters
- Themed writing paper for pupils' final drafts
- Teacher notes and guidance
Curriculum links:
- Support Year 1 pupils to say, plan and sequence ideas before writing
- Reinforce sentence structure using ‘and’ or ‘but’ to join clauses
- Help Year 2 pupils plan ideas using keywords and vocabulary
- Develop use of apostrophes for singular possession
- Build stamina for writing and confidence in storytelling
This pack supports children to write complete stories with clear structure, correct punctuation and imaginative ideas.