St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy

English Curriculum

Writing Expectations

Nursery

Speaking

  • Using sentences of four to six words e.g. I went to the shops.
  • Use conjunctions ‘and’, ‘because’ ‘or’, in spoken language.
  • Apply future and past tense e.g. I went down the slide. (Begin to use irregular past tense verbs).

Writing

  • 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. 

Formation:

  • Write some well-known, lower case letters accurately.
  • Show a preference for a dominant hand

Reception

Oral Composition (Speaking ELG)

  • Express ideas and feelings using full sentences using past/ present/ future tenses and making use of conjunctions.
  • Use conjunctions ‘and’, ‘because’ ‘or’, in spoken language.

Writing (ELG)

  • Spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters 
  • Write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others.

Editing:

  • Capital letters
  • Full stops
  • Question marks
  • Subject and predicate
  • Adjectives
  • Finger spaces

Formation:

  • Write recognisable lowercase letters correctly.
  • Form capital letters correctly.
  • Write on a line.

Phonics application

  • Record all set 2 and most 3 sounds.
  • Apply set 2 sounds and some set 3 to writing to create phonetically plausible attempts.

Year 1

Sentence Structure

  • Use simple sentences
  • Use compound sentences containing the conjunctions and, so & but
  • Use complex sentences containing the word because (IC+DC)
  • Sentences expansion
    • – Why? because
    • – When? after/before/at/in/on
    • – Where? Prepositional language

* Sentence expansion for How? What? and Who? covered verbally.

Editing:

  • Capital letters
  • Full stops
  • Question marks
  • Subject and predicate
  • Adjectives
  • Finger spaces

Formation:

  • Write recognisable lowercase letters correctly.
  • Form capital letters correctly.
  • Write on a line.

Phonics application

  • Record all set 2 and most 3 sounds.
  • Apply set 2 sounds and some set 3 to writing to create phonetically plausible attempts.

Year 2

Sentence Structure

  • Use simple sentences
  • Use compound sentences (and, but, so)
  • Use complex sentences containing conjunctions listed below (at least one complex sentence per piece)
  • Sentences expansion 
    • Why? because
    • When? after/before/at/in/on/while/when
    • Where? Prepositional language
    • How? Single adverbs

* Minimum of one complex sentence per piece.

Editing:

  • Capital letters/full stops/subject & verb/adjectives/finger spaces
  • Run on sentences
  • Adverbs (not as fronted adverbial)
  • Pronouns to avoid repetition
  • Expanded noun phrases
  • Apostrophe (possessive & contraction)
  • Appropriate verb tense
  • Punctuation – Question marks and exclamation marks where appropriate/commas for lists if used

Genre specific:

Structure and vocabulary used are in keeping with the writing genre

Sequencing – Firstly, secondly, finally, next, after that

Year 3

Sentence Structure

  • Use simple sentences
  • Use compound sentences (and, but, so)
  • Use complex sentences containing conjunctions listed below
  • Sentences expansion
    • Why? because/since/as
    • When?  after/ before/ at/ in/ on/ while/ when/ whenever/ since
    • Where? Prepositional language
    • How? Single adverbs
  • Direct speech (use sparingly)

Editing:

  • Capital letters/full stops/subject & verb/adjectives/finger spaces
  • Run on sentences/commas splice
  • Adverbs (not as fronted adverbial)
  • Precise nouns & pronouns to avoid repetition
  • Expanded noun phrases
  • Apostrophe (possessive & contraction)
  • Appropriate verb tense
  • Punctuation – Question marks and exclamation marks where appropriate/commas for lists if used
  • New punctuation – speech marks (used sparingly); commas to separate clauses (DC + IC) & (adverb +IC)

Genre specific:

Structure and vocabulary used are in keeping with the writing genre

Develops own topic sentences from examples given.

Sequencing – Firstly, secondly, finally, next, after that

Cause & Effect – Although, even though

Year 4

Sentence Structure

  • Use simple sentences
  • Use compound sentences (and, but, so)
  • Use complex sentences containing conjunctions listed below
  • Some use of 3 clause sentences (or adverb>IC>DC / adverb>DC>IC)
  • Sentences expansion 
    • Why? because/since/as
    • When? after/before/at/in/on/while/         when/whenever/since
    • Where? Prepositional language
    • How? Adverbs (including fronted adverbials)
    • What?/Who? – Appositives & relative clauses
  • Direct speech (use sparingly)

Editing:

  • Capital letters/full stops/subject & verb/adjectives/finger spaces
  • Run on sentences/commas splice
  • Adverbs (including fronted adverbials)
  • Precise nouns & pronouns to avoid repetition
  • Expanded noun phrases
  • Apostrophe (possessive & contraction)
  • Verb tense
  • Punctuation – Question marks and exclamation marks where appropriate/ commas for lists if used/ speech marks (used sparingly)/
  • New punctuation – commas to separate clauses (DC+IC & after adverb); brackets

Genre specific:

Structure and vocabulary used are in keeping with the writing genre

Develops own topic sentences from examples given

Sequencing – Firstly, secondly, finally, next, after that

Cause & Effect – Although, even though

Year 5

Sentence Structure

  • Use simple sentences
  • Use compound sentences (and, but, so)
  • Use complex sentences containing conjunctions listed below
  • Use of 3 clause sentences (or adverb>IC>DC / adverb>DC>IC)
  • Sentences expansion 
    • Why? because/since/as
    • When? after/before/at/in/on/while/         when/whenever/since
    • Where? Prepositional language
    • How? Adverbs (including fronted adverbials)
    • What?/Who? – Appositives & relative clauses
  • Relative clauses to give further detail (beyond clarifying the noun)
  • Direct speech (speech must move the story along)

Editing:

  • Capital letters/full stops/subject & verb/adjectives/finger spaces
  • Run on sentences/commas splice
  • Adverbs (including fronted adverbials)
  • Precise nouns & pronouns to avoid repetition
  • Expanded noun phrases
  • Apostrophe (possessive & contraction)
  • Verb tense
  • Punctuation – Question marks and exclamation marks where appropriate/ commas for lists if used/ speech marks/commas to separate clauses (DC+IC & after adverb); brackets
  • New punctuation – dashes; hyphens

Genre specific:

Structure and vocabulary used are in keeping with the writing genre

Topic sentences to introduce paragraphs

Sequencing – Firstly, secondly, finally, next, after that

Cause & Effect – Although, even though, as a result

Adding – Furthermore, in addition/additionally, also

Contrasting – On the other hand, alternatively, however,

Year 6

Sentence Structure

  • Use simple sentences
  • Use compound sentences (and, but, so)
  • Use complex sentences containing conjunctions listed below
  • Use of 3 clauses sentences (or adverb>IC>DC / adverb>DC>IC)
  • Sentences expansion
    • Why? because/since/as
    • When? after/before/at/in/on/while/         when/whenever/since
    • Where? Prepositional language
    • How? Adverbs (including fronted adverbials)
    • What?/Who? – Appositives & relative clauses
  • Relative clauses to give further detail (beyond clarifying the noun)
  • Direct speech (speech must move the story along & convey character)

Editing:

  • Capital letters/full stops/subject & verb/adjectives/finger spaces
  • Run on sentences/commas splice
  • Adverbs (including fronted adverbials)
  • Precise nouns & pronouns to avoid repetition
  • Expanded noun phrases
  • Apostrophe (possessive & contraction)
  • Verb tense
  • Punctuation – Question marks and exclamation marks where appropriate/ commas for lists if used/ speech marks/commas to separate clauses (DC+IC & after adverb)/brackets/ dashes/ hyphens
  • New punctuation – colons (independent clause>list); semi colons (separate independent clauses)

Genre specific:

Structure and vocabulary used are in keeping with the writing genre

Topic sentences to introduce paragraphs

Sequencing – Firstly, secondly, finally, next, after that

Cause & Effect – Although, even though, as a result, therefore

Adding – Furthermore, in addition/additionally, also, moreover

Contrasting – On the other hand, alternatively, however, whereas

Illustrating – for example, for instance, such as, including

Writing Genres - EYFS & KS1

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

Reception

Year 1

Sentence structure

Sentence structure

Sentence structure

Sentence structure

Sentence structure

Sentence structure

Year 2

Information text

Information text

Recount/diary

Story writing

Story writing

Letter

Writing Genres - KS2

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

Year 3

Information text

Recount/diary

Story writing

Story writing

Persuasive writing

Letter

Year 4

Information text

Recount/diary

Story writing

Story writing

Persuasive writing

Letter

Year 5

Information text

Recount/diary

Story writing

Story writing

Balanced Argument

Letter

Year 6

Information text

Recount/diary

Story writing

Story writing

Balanced Argument

Letter