In Year 1, pupils develop foundational writing skills that support both grammatical accuracy and narrative composition. They learn to apply plural noun suffixes (-s and -es) and verb suffixes where the root word remains unchanged, strengthening their understanding of word formation. Exploring the prefix un- helps them recognize how meaning can shift in verbs and adjectives. Structuring sentences correctly becomes a key focus, as they practice combining words, leaving appropriate spaces, and joining ideas using and. Through sequencing sentences, they begin to form short, coherent narratives that enhance storytelling ability. Capitalization rules are reinforced, ensuring proper use for names, places, days of the week, and the pronoun I. Punctuation skills advance as they correctly apply full stops, question marks, and exclamation marks. Before writing, pupils verbalize their ideas, composing sentences orally to organize their thoughts. Re-reading their work allows them to refine coherence and clarity, while discussions with teachers and peers encourage reflection on their writing choices. Finally, reading their work aloud strengthens their confidence in communication, ensuring their ideas are expressed clearly and fluently.
In Year 2, pupils refine their writing skills by expanding their grammatical and compositional knowledge. They begin forming nouns using suffixes such as -ness and -er, alongside compound words like whiteboard and superman, helping them understand word construction. Their adjective usage becomes more sophisticated as they apply suffixes such as -ful and -less, while comparative and superlative forms (-er, -est) deepen their descriptive ability. The introduction of -ly turns adjectives into adverbs, supporting more varied sentence structures. Writing becomes increasingly detailed with expanded noun phrases, allowing for richer descriptions (the blue butterfly, plain flour, the man in the moon). Pupils also strengthen their use of subordination (when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (or, and, but), improving sentence complexity. They develop confidence in using different sentence types—statements, questions, exclamations, and commands—enhancing both clarity and impact. Mastery of present and past tense ensures grammatical consistency, while the progressive verb form highlights ongoing actions (she is drumming, he was shouting). Their punctuation skills advance with the correct use of capital letters, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks, commas in lists, and apostrophes for contractions and singular possession (the girl’s name). Writing stamina builds through various tasks, including narratives, poetry, and real-event recounting, reinforcing purpose-driven writing. Pupils practice planning aloud, organizing ideas, and composing sentence by sentence to ensure structure and flow. Reviewing, editing, and discussing their work with peers and teachers helps refine their writing, while proof-reading ensures accuracy in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Finally, reading aloud with intonation fosters expressive communication, reinforcing both fluency and confidence in their written voice.
In Year 4, pupils refine their grammatical accuracy and writing fluency, strengthening their ability to communicate ideas with clarity and cohesion. They learn to distinguish between plural and possessive -s, ensuring correct usage in their writing. Standard English verb forms are reinforced, helping pupils move away from informal spoken variations (we were instead of we was). Their descriptive skills expand as they modify noun phrases with adjectives, nouns, and prepositional phrases (the strict maths teacher with curly hair), allowing for richer expression. Sentence structures become more sophisticated with multi-clause sentences, incorporating a wider range of conjunctions such as when, if, although, because. Organisational skills are enhanced as pupils group ideas into paragraphs and use headings and sub-headings to improve clarity. The use of fronted adverbials (later that day, I heard the bad news) strengthens sentence variety and cohesion, supported by the correct placement of commas. They refine their punctuation further by using apostrophes to indicate plural possession (the girls’ names) and mastering the conventions of direct speech with inverted commas (The conductor shouted, “Sit down!”). Writing development extends beyond grammar, with pupils actively planning compositions by discussing structure, vocabulary, and grammar in similar texts. Drafting involves oral rehearsal, vocabulary enrichment, and varied sentence structures, alongside narrative elements such as character, setting, and plot. Non-narrative writing benefits from clear organizational features like headings. Evaluative skills improve as pupils assess their writing’s effectiveness, suggest refinements for grammatical and vocabulary consistency, and proof-read for accuracy in spelling and punctuation. Reading their work aloud with appropriate intonation ensures that meaning is conveyed clearly and confidently, fostering their ability to communicate effectively.
In Year 6, pupils refine their writing by mastering formal structures and advanced grammatical techniques. They learn to recognize vocabulary suited for formal speech and writing, including the subjunctive form (If I were, Were they to come), strengthening their understanding of register and tone. Sentence structure becomes increasingly sophisticated with cohesive devices such as repetition, adverbials, and ellipsis, ensuring fluidity across paragraphs. Pupils develop greater control over the passive voice to manipulate sentence focus (I broke the window vs. The window was broken), improving stylistic choices. The correct use of semicolons, colons, and dashes allows them to mark clause boundaries clearly (It’s raining; I’m fed up), while punctuation techniques, such as hyphens, prevent ambiguity (man-eating shark vs. man eating shark). Layout devices, including bullet points and structured formatting, support clarity in writing. Planning becomes more deliberate, as pupils identify their audience and purpose, integrating ideas from reading and research. Their drafting process emphasizes precise grammar and vocabulary choices, vivid descriptions of settings and characters, and the integration of dialogue to develop narrative progression. Non-narrative pieces benefit from strong organizational devices. Editing focuses on refining consistency in tense, subject-verb agreement, and distinguishing between spoken and written language. Pupils assess the effectiveness of their writing, adjusting register where needed and proofreading for spelling and punctuation errors. By the end of Year 6, they demonstrate confidence in producing structured, expressive, and purposeful writing that is well-suited to different contexts and audiences.