This WAGOLL resource pack gives you everything you need to teach pupils how to write a police report, a formal type of recount. Pupils work with clear models before planning and producing their own reports, drawing on stories they already know or texts you are currently reading in class.
The pack includes two complete model texts:
- Break In at The Bear’s Cottage – a police report based on the well-known tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This version includes all the key sections of a report: the date and time, reporting officer, incident details, location, witness statements, evidence and actions taken. Pupils can see how the report builds in chronological order, uses past tense and formal vocabulary, and adds specific detail such as fingerprints, photographs and witness accounts. A list of features is provided so pupils can annotate the model and spot the key elements of style and structure.
- Medusa – a police report set in Greek mythology. Witnesses describe encounters with Medusa, officers record evidence of people turned to stone, and further actions are set out. Like the Goldilocks report, this text includes a feature checklist so pupils can identify consistent use of third person, fronted adverbials, pronouns and parenthesis.
To support independent writing, you can use:
- Police report writing sheet – with success criteria for both LKS2 and UKS2. Pupils are reminded to use fronted adverbials and pronouns (LKS2) and formal vocabulary with parenthesis (UKS2).
- Police report writing plan – a scaffold that helps pupils organise their ideas step by step before drafting.
- Writing scaffold – a guide showing the key sections of a police report (date, time, officer, incident, location, details, witnesses, evidence, actions).
- Themed writing paper – for presenting final pieces in an engaging format.
Curriculum links
The resource directly supports national curriculum requirements:
- Years 3–4: Pupils discuss and analyse similar texts so they can learn from their structure, vocabulary and grammar before planning their own.
- Years 5–6: Pupils consider audience and purpose, select the right form and develop their own ideas by using model texts, reading and research.
By working through these activities, pupils gain practical experience of planning, structuring and writing formal recounts while building confidence with grammar, vocabulary and presentation.