This paper explores an investigation, based on action research, into the impact of contextualised grammar teaching on a high-attaining Year 9 class’s understanding of grammar. Prompted by previous findings that have shown traditional teaching of grammar as a set of rules to have little benefit for student writing, these lessons sought to present grammar as a tool to create effect in written work. The findings suggest that students are able to make use of grammatical concepts learned through contextualised grammar teaching, and that such teaching does not have any detrimental effect on enjoyment or confidence. This paper argues for the potential of contexualised grammar teaching as an answer to grammar’s contested position in the National Curriculum for some classes, and as a way to engage students more meaningfully in the study of grammar.