Writing Continuum
Year One Writing
Writing simple sentences.
Using new words in their writing.
Finding words to use in their writing.
Having ideas to write about.
Writing can be understood by the audience.
Using a picture to plan their writing.
Writing letters correctly.
Writing from left to right and leaving spaces.
Recording some sounds in unknown words.
Writing the frequently used words for year 1.
Using full stops and capital letters.
Year 2 Writing
Writing the frequently used words for year 2.
Using words like ‘and or because’ to join ideas.
Using a picture (brainstorm) to plan their story.
Using words from personal experience.
Using the appropriate word endings.
Making a close approximation to an unknown word.
Using topic related words.
Using a variety of sentence beginnings.
Using correct grammar.
Beginning to edit their work for meaning, grammar and spelling.
Showing an awareness of audience.
Writing several sentences about one idea.
Using a variety of sentence structures and ways of joining ideas.
Using basic punctuation appropriately.
Year 3 Writing
writing independently.
writing for a number of purposes.
using full stops, capitals, commas, exclamation marks, question marks and speech marks.
spelling basic words at year 3 level.
writing for others (audience awareness).
planning and organising ideas before writing.
writing on a topic and including detail.
including new and interesting topic based vocabulary in writing.
writing sentences using a variety of beginnings and lengths.
attempting to edit work for meaning, grammar, spelling using an editing guide.
beginning to build sentences into a paragraph.
Writing Year 4
writing for a number of purposes.
using a range of punctuation accurately.
spelling basic words and attempting more complex words.
writing for others (audience interest).
organising and writing ideas in order, for paragraphs and whole texts.
writing a variety of sentences with different beginnings, and of different lengths.
writing using a range of sentence types eg. simple, compound and complex, questions,
statements, speech, exclamation.
including detailed ideas, comments, experiences or information relevant to the topic.
using mostly correct English Grammar.
using a variety of interesting words and phrases to enhance the writing.
editing work for meaning, grammar, spelling and audience appeal using an editing guide
Year 5/6 Writing
Writing effectively in a variety of contexts for specific purposes.
Gaining impact according to audience and purpose.
Deliberately choosing language features to enhance writing.
Developing meaningful ideas, adding detail and comment, showing some selectivity.
Grouping ideas into paragraphs that have one key idea.
Linking sentences on from one another to add detail to the main idea.
Using a variety of sentence beginnings and types.
Using complex and simple sentences for effect.
Writing grammatically correct sentences.
Capturing the audience in the first paragraph (hooks, sets the scene, defines, appeals).
Linking paragraphs to develop ideas.
Writing an effective conclusion.
Using complex vocabulary appropriately.
Choosing words and phrases to create atmosphere and mood.
Year 7 Writing
Writing effectively in a variety of contexts for specific purposes.
Gaining impact according to audience and purpose.
Deliberately choosing language features and content that are relevant to the writing task
Refining meaningful ideas, adding detail and supporting choices.
Grouping ideas into paragraphs that have one key idea
Linking sentences logically
Using complex and simple sentences for effect
Consistently writing grammatically correct sentences
Getting buy in the the first paragraph (hooks, sets the scene, defines, appeals)
Linking paragraphs to develop ideas
Writing an effective conclusion
Using a range of specific vocabulary appropriately, and with increasing confidence.
Making careful and thoughtful choices of words and phrases according to the type of writing / appropriate to the text
Year 8 Writing
confidently and deliberately chooses the most appropriate processes and strategies for writing
show an understanding of the purpose for writing eg. choose the right text type to present their understanding
uses words and phrases that fit the topic, purpose and the audience
can plan effectively for writing
uses complex sentences that are grammatically correct
create paragraphs where the ideas are clearly related and link to other paragraphs
attempting to use more complex punctuation eg. brackets, semi-colons and colons
can create writing that is concise and relevant to a given task
effectively crafting and recrafting their writing
engaging their intended audience
actively seeking and responding to feedback given