How can staff teach proofreading to a pupil who cannot spot errors in their own writing?

Teach one check before asking for several

Choose a feature the pupil has been taught, such as sentence-ending punctuation or one spelling pattern. Model finding an error in a short teacher example and explain the clue. Ask the pupil to practise on a similar example before checking their own work. A long checklist of unfamiliar conventions increases the demand rather than teaching proofreading.

Change how the pupil sees the text

Allow a short gap after drafting, use a clear copy and check one sentence at a time. Covering surrounding text or pointing under words may help keep place. If spelling is the target, provide a usable reference and teach how to compare. Separate improving the meaning of a sentence from checking its surface features.

Review independent detection

Mark which errors the pupil noticed and corrected before adult help, rather than only counting the errors left. For example, give a fresh four-sentence passage containing two missing full stops, then check the pupil’s own paragraph using the same routine. If detection improves only in the prepared passage, model transfer explicitly and reduce prompts gradually.