Writing

Year Group

Standardised Objectives

Year N

• Use some of their print and letter knowledge in their early writing. For example: writing a pretend shopping list that starts at the top of the page; writing ‘m’ for mummy.

• Write some or all of their name.

Year R

• Form lower-case and capital letters correctly.
• Spell words by identifying the sounds and then writing the sound with letter/s.
• Write short sentences with words with known sound-letter correspondences using a capital letter and full stop.
• Re-read what they have written to check that it makes sense.

Year 1

• Become familiar with and retell key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales
• Recognise and join in predictable phrases and use these in their writing
• Sequence sentences to form short narratives
•  

• Leave spaces between words
• Use punctuation for sentences including capital letters, full stop, question mark and exclamation mark
• Use “and” to join words and clauses
• Use capital letter for proper nouns such as names of people, places, days of the week and pronoun I

• Spell words containing the 40+ phonemes, common exception words and days of the week
• Name letters of the alphabet in order
• Add suffix –s and –es to create plural nouns/3^rd person singular for verbs
• Use prefix un-
• Use –ing, -ed, -er and –est where root word remains unchanged
• Write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs and common exception words taught so far
• Sit correctly at table holding pencil correctly
• Begin to form correctly-oriented lower-case letters, capital letters and digits 0-9
• Understand which letters belong to which handwriting families
• Using letter names to distinguish between alternative spellings of the same sound

• Say out loud what they are going to write about
• Compose sentences orally before writing
• Re-read what they have written to check it makes sense
• Discuss what they have written with teacher/pupils

• Use vocabulary from stories (eg fairy tales) to increase vocabulary in their own writing
• Understand how language can be used in narrative and non-fiction (eg to build surprise/present facts)
• Change meaning of adjectives/verbs using prefix -un

Year 2

• Draw on a wide range of stories, poems, plays and information books and understand their features
• Become increasingly familiar with and retell a wider range of stories, fairy stories and traditional tales
• Recognise simple, recurring language and discuss favourite words and phrases
• Understand the structure of non-fiction books
• Write for different purposes including narratives about personal experiences (real and fictional)
• Write about real events
• Write poetry
• Structure and sequence ideas orally and (where appropriate) through drama and role-play

• Demarcate most sentences in their writing with capital letters and full stops, and use question marks correctly when required
• Use commas in lists
• Use apostrophes for the contracted form
• Use apostrophes for singular possession
• Use sentences with different forms: statements, commands, questions and exclamations
• Use expanded noun phrases
• Use present/past tense correctly and consistently, including progressive forms of verbs
• Use subordination (when, if, that, because)
• Use co-ordination (or, and, but)
• Use and understand the grammatical terminology in English appendix 2 in discussing their writing

• Segment spoken words into phonemes and represent these by graphemes, spelling many correctly and making phonically-plausible attempts at others
• Learn new ways of spelling phonemes for which one or more spellings are already known
• Spell common exception words and those with contractions
• Distinguish between homophones and near homophones
• Use the possessive apostrophe (singular)
• Add suffixes –-ment, -ness, -ful, -less, -ly
• Form lower-case letters of correct size/proportion
• Start using diagonal/horizontal strokes to join letters and know which letters are best left unjoined
• Write capital letters of the right size, orientation and proportion
• Use correct spacing between letters and words
• Write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs, common exception words and punctuation taught so far

• Plan/say aloud what they are going to write, sentence by sentence
• Write down key ideas/words/vocabulary
• Evaluate own writing with teacher/other pupils
• Re-read for sense and check that verbs that indicate time are used correctly, including verbs in the continuous form
• Proof-read for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation and make corrections
• Read aloud what they have written with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear

• Recognise and use simple recurring literary language in stories and poems
• Discuss and clarify meanings of new words, making links to known vocabulary
• Use drama and role-play to identify with and explore characters
• Use suffixes –ful, -less, -ness, -ly, -er and –est to form and modify nouns, adjectives and adverbs

Year 3

• Build on KS1 wide range of stories, poetry, plays, myths, legends, non-fiction and reference books
• Retell stories orally
• Recognise themes eg good over evil, use of magical devices
• Be exposed to books that are structured in different ways
• Identify how language, structure, vocabulary, grammar and presentation contribute to meaning
• Build cohesion within a paragraph, choosing appropriate pronouns and nouns to avoid repetition
• Write for a range of purposes
• Link ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time, place and number or by varying tense
• Locate information using contents, index and glossaries
• Use simple organisational devices eg headings, sub-headings

• Use wider range of subordinating conjunctions (before, after, while, when, if, because, although)
• Use present perfect verb tense (I have seen)
• Express time, place and cause using conjunctions (when, before, after, while, because)
• Express time, place and cause using adverbs (then, next, soon, therefore)
• Express time, place and cause using prepositions (before, after, during, in, because of)
• Punctuate direct speech with inverted commas
• Use the forms a or an according to whether the next word begins with a consonant or a vowel

• Use a wider range of prefixes (e.g. -un, -dis, - mis, -in) and suffixes (e.g. -ation, -ly)
• Spell wide range of homophones
• Spell words that are often misspelt
• Use possessive apostrophe for plurals
• Use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary
• Write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher
• Use the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters
• Know which letters are best left unjoined
• Increase the legibility, consistency and quality of handwriting

• Draw on examples of writing (structure, vocabulary and grammar) when planning their own work
• Discuss and record ideas
• Compose and practise sentences orally using an increasingly wide range of vocabulary and sentence structure
• Organise paragraphs around a theme: Use paragraphs/sections help to organise content.
• Assess own and others’ writing, suggesting improvements
• Suggest changes to grammar and vocabulary
• Proof-read work for spelling and punctuation errors
• Read aloud their own writing using appropriate
• intonation and controlling the tone and volume so that the meaning is clear

• Use similar writing to identify and understand vocabulary and language (“magpie” words and phrases to use in own writing)
• Create characters, setting and plot
• Use varied and rich vocabulary including: adjectives, expanded noun phrases, adverbs, preposition phrases, collective nouns, similes and alliteration
• Vary sentences openers for effect eg adverbs, preposition phrases and subordinate clauses
• Discuss words and features of texts that capture the reader's interest
• Understand the following terminology: preposition, conjunction; word family, prefix; clause, subordinate clause; direct speech; consonant, consonant letter, vowel, vowel letter; and inverted commas (or 'speech marks)

Year 4

• Build on KS1 wide range of stories, poetry, plays, myths, legends, non-fiction and reference books
• Retell stories orally
• Recognise themes eg good over evil, use of magical devices
• Be exposed to books that are structured in different ways
• Identify how language, structure, vocabulary, grammar and presentation contribute to meaning
• Build cohesion within a paragraph, choosing appropriate pronouns and nouns to avoid repetition
• Write for a range of purposes
• Link ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time, place and number or by varying tense
• Locate information using contents, index and glossaries
• Use simple organisational devices eg headings, sub-headings

• Choose nouns/pronouns accurately for clarity and cohesion
• Use fronted adverbials (adverbs, phrases and subordinate clauses)
• Use commas after fronted adverbials
• Use apostrophe for plural possession
• Punctuate direct speech using inverted commas and other punctuation (for example, a comma after the reporting clause)
• Know the difference between Standard/non-Standard English

• Use a range of prefixes and be able to form nouns using some of them e.g. super-, auto
• Use a range of suffixes to change an adjective to an adverb and add suffixes beginning with a vowel letter to words of more than one syllable
• Spell wide range of homophones
• Spell words that are often misspelt
• Use possessive apostrophe for plurals and understand the difference between plural and possessive -s
• Use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary
• Write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher
• Use the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters
• • Know which letters are best left unjoined
• Increase the legibility, consistency and quality of handwriting

• Draw on examples of writing (structure, vocabulary and grammar) when planning their own work
• Discuss and record ideas
• Compose and practise sentences orally using an increasingly wide range of vocabulary and sentence structure
• Organise paragraphs around a theme: Use paragraphs/sections help to organise content.
• Assess own and others’ writing, suggesting improvements
• Suggest changes to grammar and vocabulary
• Proof-read work for spelling and punctuation errors
• Read aloud their own writing using appropriate intonation and controlling the tone and volume so that the meaning is clear

• Broaden range of figurative language to include metaphors, personification and repetition
• Begin to interweave character, setting, plot and dialogue
• Understand the following terminology: determiner, pronoun, possessive pronoun, adverbials

Year 5

• Summarise and present familiar stories in their own words
• Summarise main ideas from more than one paragraph using evidence
• Use knowledge of language and structure gained from stories, plays, poetry and non-fiction in their writing
• Reflect understanding of audience and purpose though choice of grammar, vocabulary and structure
• In fiction, consider how authors develop character and setting
• Be exposed to wide range of books including myths, legends, fairy stories, modern fiction, fiction from literary heritage and books from other cultures
• Evaluate how authors use language and consider effect on the reader
• Use a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
• Use further organisational and presentational devices such as headings, sub-headings, columns, bullets, or tables, to structure text
•  
• Convert nouns or adjectives into verbs using suffixes eg -ate; -ise; -ify
• Understand verb prefixes eg dis-, de-, mis-, over and re-
• Spell some words with silent letters
• Continue to distinguish between homophones and other words that are often confused
• Use knowledge of morphology and etymology as a strategy for spelling
• Use the first three or four letters of a word to check spelling, meaning or both of these in a dictionary
• Use a thesaurus to look for suitable synonyms
• Write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by: choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices and deciding whether or not to join specific letters
• Choose the writing implement best suited to the task

• Use dictionaries to check the spelling and meaning of words
• Identify audience and purpose of writing
• Note and develop initial ideas drawing on reading
• Select appropriate grammar and punctuation and understand how these can change/enhance meaning
• Use a wide range of cohesive devices within sentences and between ideas/paragraphs
• Use further organisational and presentational devices to structure text
• Assess effectiveness of own and others’ writing
• Propose changes to grammar, punctuation and vocabulary to enhance meaning/effectiveness
• Ensure correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural, distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing the appropriate register
• Précis longer passages
• Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors
• Ensure the consistent and correct use of tense throughout a piece of writing

• Use knowledge of language from stories, plays and poetry to enhance the effectiveness of their writing
• Select appropriate language and vocabulary to reflect their understanding of audience and purpose
• Become familiar with the language of writing eg figurative language, imagery, style and effect
• Develop characters, settings and atmosphere using language and vocabulary from reading/books
• Integrate dialogue to advance action and convey character
• Use dictionaries (and thesauruses) to check meaning of new words/language
• Understand the following terminology: modal verb, relative pronoun; relative clause; parenthesis, bracket, dash; and cohesion, ambiguity
• Understand the following terminology: Subject, object; active, passive; synonym, antonym; and ellipsis, hyphen, colon, semi-colon, bullet points

Year 6

• Summarise and present familiar stories in their own words
• Summarise main ideas from more than one paragraph using evidence
• Use knowledge of language and structure gained from stories, plays, poetry and non-fiction in their writing
• Reflect understanding of audience and purpose though choice of grammar, vocabulary and structure
• In fiction, consider how authors develop character and setting
• Be exposed to wide range of books including myths, legends, fairy stories, modern fiction, fiction from literary heritage and books from other cultures
• Evaluate how authors use language and consider effect on the reader
• Use a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
• Use further organisational and presentational devices such as headings, sub-headings, columns, bullets, or tables, to structure text
•  
• Use active/passive voice for effect
• Use verb tenses consistently and correctly throughout their writing
• Use perfect form to indicate time/cause
• Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity
• Use colons to introduce a list and mark boundaries between clauses
• Use the semi-colon, colon and dash when writing lists or as the boundary between independent clauses
• Punctuate bullet points consistently
• Use wider range of cohesive devices (repetition of word/phrase, adverbials and ellipsis)
• Identify formal/informal structures eg question tags, subjunctive form
• Know and understanding the differences between spoken and written language

• Convert nouns or adjectives into verbs using suffixes eg -ate; -ise; -ify
• Understand verb prefixes eg dis-, de-, mis-, overand re-
• Spell some words with silent letters
• Continue to distinguish between homophones and other words that are often confused
• Use knowledge of morphology and etymology as a strategy for spelling
• Use the first three or four letters of a word to check spelling, meaning or both of these in a dictionary
• Use a thesaurus to look for suitable synonyms
• Choose the writing implement best suited to the task
• Write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by: choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices and deciding whether or not to join specific letters

• Use dictionaries to check the spelling and meaning of words
• Identify audience and purpose of writing
• Note and develop initial ideas drawing on reading
• Select appropriate grammar and punctuation and understand how these can change/enhance meaning
• Use a wide range of cohesive devices within sentences and between ideas/paragraphs
• Use further organisational and presentational devices to structure text
• Assess effectiveness of own and others’ writing
• Propose changes to grammar, punctuation and vocabulary to enhance meaning/effectiveness
• Ensure correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural, distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing the appropriate register
• Précis longer passages
• Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors
• Ensure the consistent and correct use of tense throughout a piece of writing

• Use knowledge of language from stories, plays and poetry to enhance the effectiveness of their writing
• Select appropriate language and vocabulary to reflect their understanding of audience and purpose
• Become familiar with the language of writing eg figurative language, imagery, style and effect
• Develop characters, settings and atmosphere using language and vocabulary from reading/books
• Integrate dialogue to advance action and convey character
• Use dictionaries (and thesauruses) to check meaning of new words/language
• Understand the following terminology: modal verb, relative pronoun; relative clause; parenthesis, bracket, dash; and cohesion, ambiguity

Understand the following terminology: Subject, object; active, passive; synonym, antonym; and ellipsis, hyphen, colon, semi-colon, bullet points