English

Understand that reading is about making meaning, not just saying words correctly — a text that can be decoded but not understood has not been read

Notice the difference between decoding words and actually understanding them — recognise when you've read the words but not grasped the meaning, and do something about it

Recognise how an author's deliberate choices — of words, structure, tone, and perspective — create particular effects on you as a reader

Distinguish between what a text explicitly says and what you have inferred, assumed, or read in — knowing which is which is fundamental to honest comprehension

Evaluate whether your own writing achieves the effect you intended on a reader — go beyond checking for correctness to asking whether it actually works

Monitor your own vocabulary gaps — notice words you half-know, distinguish confident from uncertain knowledge, and develop strategies to resolve the uncertainty

Reflect on yourself as a language user — how your reading, writing, and speaking shift across audiences, purposes, and contexts, and where you want to develop further

Understand that words combine to make sentences — a sentence expresses a complete thought; produce and expand complete sentences in speech and writing

Separate words with spaces in writing; understand that spaces mark word boundaries in print

Begin sentences with a capital letter and end them with the appropriate mark (full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark); recognise and name end punctuation

Use frequently occurring nouns (people, places, things) and verbs (action words) appropriately in speech and writing

Understand and use question words (who, what, where, when, why, how) to form and answer questions

Join words and clauses using the conjunction 'and' to create longer sentences

Form and use regular plural nouns orally and in writing by adding -s or -es; understand that plural means more than one

Understand and use the most frequently occurring prepositions of location and direction (e.g. to, from, in, out, on, off, for, by, with)

Use basic grammatical terminology when discussing reading and writing: letter, capital letter, word, singular, plural, sentence, punctuation, full stop, question mark, exclamation mark

Use capital letters for proper nouns (names of people, places) the days of the week, and the personal pronoun 'I'

Use verbs to convey past and present tense correctly and consistently, including the progressive form (e.g., she is drumming, he was shouting), understanding how tense indicates time

Understand and use the four sentence types — statement, question, exclamation, and command — recognising how grammatical patterns indicate sentence function

Use commas to separate items in a list within a sentence (e.g., 'I bought apples, bananas, and oranges')

Use and understand Year 2 grammatical terminology in discussion: noun, noun phrase, statement, question, exclamation, command, compound, suffix, adjective, adverb, verb, tense (past/present), apostrophe, comma

Use subordination (when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (or, and, but) to join clauses and create compound and complex sentences

Use apostrophes in writing for both contraction (marking omitted letters) and singular possession, distinguishing the two uses

Use expanded noun phrases to describe and specify, adding adjectives and other modifiers before a noun (e.g., 'the blue butterfly', 'the old, creaky door')

Use personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns correctly (e.g., I/me/my, they/them/their, anyone/everything), replacing nouns to avoid repetition

Use singular and plural nouns with matching verbs in sentences, maintaining subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'He hops' vs 'We hop')

Use determiners (articles a/an/the and demonstratives this/that/these/those) correctly before nouns

Use the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the simple past tense, understanding how the present perfect indicates an action completed at an unspecified time or with ongoing relevance (e.g., 'He has gone out' vs 'He went out')

Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs correctly (e.g., sat, hid, told, went, came, ran), recognising that these do not follow the regular -ed pattern

Use and understand Year 3 grammatical terminology accurately when discussing reading and writing: preposition, conjunction, word family, prefix, clause, subordinate clause, direct speech, consonant letter, vowel letter, inverted commas/speech marks

Use conjunctions (when, before, after, while, so, because), adverbs (then, next, soon, therefore) and prepositions (before, after, during, in, because of) to express time, place and cause within and across sentences

Choose pronouns for clarity and cohesion, avoiding ambiguity and repetition; use reflexive pronouns correctly (e.g., myself, ourselves, himself)

Punctuate direct speech using inverted commas (speech marks), understanding that direct speech records the exact words spoken and must be enclosed in punctuation marks

Use adjectives and adverbs correctly, choosing between them depending on whether a noun or verb/adjective is being modified (e.g., 'She ran quickly' vs 'She is quick')

Form and use irregular plural nouns (e.g., children, teeth, mice, geese) in addition to regular plurals, recognising that some nouns have irregular plural forms that do not follow the -s/-es pattern

Use the correct form of the indefinite article — 'a' before words beginning with a consonant sound and 'an' before words beginning with a vowel sound (e.g., a rock, an open box, an hour, a unicorn)

Form and use the simple past, present, and future verb tenses consistently in writing

Use Standard English verb inflections in place of non-standard local forms

Know and use Year 4 grammar terminology including determiner, pronoun, possessive pronoun, and adverbial

Use fronted adverbials to vary sentence openings and punctuate them with commas

Distinguish between the plural -s suffix and the possessive -'s suffix in nouns

Expand noun phrases with modifying adjectives, nouns, and preposition phrases to add detail

Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, choosing correctly between them

Ensure subject-verb agreement and pronoun-antecedent agreement within and across sentences

Understand and use abstract nouns to name ideas, qualities, and states that cannot be perceived by the senses

Understand and use modal verbs (can, may, must, might, shall, will, could, should, would) and modal adverbs (perhaps, surely, certainly) to indicate degrees of possibility, necessity, and permission

Form and use the progressive (continuous) verb tenses — past progressive (was walking), present progressive (am walking), and future progressive (will be walking) — to convey ongoing actions at different times

Link ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time (later, meanwhile, after a while), place (nearby, far away, beyond the wall), and number (secondly, finally, in addition) to guide the reader through a multi-paragraph text

Use cohesive devices within a paragraph — including pronouns, adverbials (then, after that, firstly), and synonyms — to link sentences and build a coherent flow of ideas

Know and use Year 5 grammar terminology accurately when discussing reading and writing: modal verb, relative pronoun, relative clause, parenthesis, bracket, dash, cohesion, ambiguity

Form and use prepositional phrases (preposition + noun phrase) to add detail about time, location, or direction within sentences, recognising how they function as adjective or adverb phrases

Use brackets, dashes, and commas to indicate parenthesis — additional information inserted into a sentence that could be removed without changing the sentence's core meaning

Form and use relative clauses beginning with relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why) to add detail, qualify nouns, and create complex sentences

Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional English patterns (opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose) to produce natural-sounding descriptions

Convert nouns and adjectives into verbs by adding suffixes -ate, -ise (-ize), and -ify, understanding how word class changes affect sentence construction

Use verb prefixes (dis-, de-, mis-, over-, re-) to change verb meaning, understanding how each prefix modifies the action expressed by the root verb

Use commas to clarify meaning and avoid ambiguity in sentences where the absence of a comma could cause misreading

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet) when joining two independent clauses in a compound sentence

Recognise and correct sentence fragments (incomplete sentences lacking a subject or predicate) and run-on sentences (two or more independent clauses joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions)

Know and use Year 6 grammatical terminology accurately: subject, object, active voice, passive voice, synonym, antonym, ellipsis, hyphen, colon, semi-colon, bullet points

Use the passive voice to shift focus from the agent to the action or recipient, understanding how passive constructions affect the presentation of information in formal and objective writing

Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions, selecting tenses deliberately to express the precise timing and nature of actions and events

Recognise and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense within and across sentences and paragraphs, maintaining consistency unless a shift is required by meaning

Link ideas across paragraphs using a wider range of cohesive devices including word repetition, grammatical connections such as adverbials, and ellipsis to create coherent extended texts

Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity in compound modifiers and prefixed words, distinguishing between meanings that change based on hyphen placement

Use commas to set off the words yes and no, to set off tag questions, and to indicate direct address in sentences

Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works, applying conventions for different types of works such as books, stories, poems, songs, and articles

Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence, including introductory words, phrases, and clauses

Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader interest, and style, using techniques such as embedding clauses, using appositives, and varying sentence length

Use semi-colons, colons, and dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses, choosing the appropriate punctuation based on the relationship between the clauses

Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and in particular sentences, understanding how each word class contributes to meaning

Use the subjunctive form in formal writing and speech to express wishes, demands, suggestions, or hypothetical situations (e.g., 'If I were you', 'I suggest that he go', 'Were they to arrive')

Use correlative conjunctions correctly in sentences, pairing words such as either/or, neither/nor, both/and, not only/but also, and whether/or

Use a colon to introduce a list and semi-colons to separate items within lists, particularly when list items contain internal commas or are complex phrases

Punctuate bullet points consistently to list information clearly, applying conventions for capitalisation, end punctuation, and parallel structure across items

Analyse the effectiveness and impact of grammatical features in texts read — understanding how authors make deliberate grammatical choices (sentence length, passive voice, fronted adverbials, listing) to create specific effects on the reader

Discuss reading, writing, and spoken language with precise and confident use of linguistic and literary terminology — including terms for word classes, sentence types, clause types, literary devices, and text-level features

Understand and analyse the function of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, prepositional) and clauses (main, subordinate, relative) in general and in specific sentences, including recognising and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers

Use punctuation confidently and accurately for effect and clarity — including semicolons to link related clauses, colons to introduce lists or explanations, dashes and parentheses for parenthetical information, ellipsis for omission or suspense, and commas for coordinate adjectives and nonrestrictive elements

Choose among and construct simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal different relationships among ideas, varying sentence patterns deliberately for meaning, interest, and style

Know and understand the differences between spoken and written language — including differences in formality, register, grammar, and vocabulary — and between Standard English and other varieties of English, using Standard English confidently in writing and speech

Understand and use active and passive voice deliberately, and recognise verb moods (indicative, imperative, subjunctive, conditional) and their effects — choosing the appropriate voice and mood for purpose and audience

Sit correctly at a table holding a pencil comfortably and correctly; form lower-case letters in the correct direction starting and finishing in the right place

Form digits 0-9 correctly and legibly

Form capital letters correctly; print many upper- and lowercase letters legibly

Understand which letters belong to which handwriting families based on similar formation patterns and practise letters in groups

Begin to join letters using diagonal and horizontal strokes, understanding which letter pairs are best left unjoined, forming letters of correct size relative to one another

Demonstrate understanding that print carries meaning, follows left-to-right top-to-bottom directionality, and is organised page by page in books

Recognise and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet; name the letters in order and use letter names to distinguish between alternative spellings

Know the primary sound for each consonant and the short and long sounds for the five major vowels; respond speedily to single-letter graphemes

Blend and segment onsets and rimes in single-syllable words; isolate and pronounce individual phonemes (initial, medial, final) in CVC words; add or substitute phonemes to make new words

Recognise and produce rhyming words; join in with predictable phrases and rhymes in stories and poems; learn to appreciate and recite poems by heart

Apply phonic knowledge to blend sounds in unfamiliar words containing taught grapheme-phoneme correspondences; respond speedily to graphemes for all 40+ phonemes

Read and spell words containing common vowel digraphs (ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, oe, oo, oi, oy) including where a digraph can represent more than one sound

Read and spell words containing consonant digraphs and less common consonant spellings (ch, sh, th, ck, tch, ng, ph, wh, k for /k/)

Count, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words; divide written words into syllables as an aid to reading and spelling

Read common high-frequency and exception words automatically by sight, including words with irregular spelling patterns

Read aloud books matched to phonic ability accurately and with growing fluency; reread familiar texts to build confidence, speed, and expression

Read and understand contractions with apostrophes, knowing the apostrophe represents omitted letters

Recognise and spell compound words by identifying the two component words that combine to form a single word

Read words containing taught GPCs with common inflectional endings (-s, -es, -ing, -ed, -er, -est) and the prefix un-; read multi-syllable words with taught patterns

Read and spell words containing trigraphs — three-letter graphemes representing a single sound (igh, air, ear, are)

Read and spell words containing diphthongs and complex vowel patterns (ow, ou, ew, ue, ie, aw, au) and words ending in -y as a vowel sound

Read and spell words containing split digraphs (a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e, u-e) where a final 'e' makes the preceding vowel long

Read and spell words containing r-controlled vowels (ar, er, ir, ur, or, ore) and vowel-r patterns where 'r' modifies the vowel sound

Recognise alternative grapheme-phoneme correspondences for known phonemes (e.g., /dʒ/ as ge/dge/g, /s/ as c, /n/ as kn/gn, /r/ as wr, /ʒ/ as s), reading words with less common spellings for familiar sounds

Read aloud with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression (prosody), re-reading familiar texts to build fluency and confidence, and using context to self-correct

Decode words of two or more syllables by breaking them into syllable chunks, applying knowledge that every syllable must contain a vowel sound, and blending the parts together

Read Y3-4 exception words with unusual spelling-sound correspondences, applying growing knowledge of morphology and etymology to decode unfamiliar exception words

Read words containing common prefixes and suffixes from the Y3-4 programme, applying knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (morphology and etymology) to read aloud and understand new words

Predict what might happen next in a story based on what has been read so far; discuss the significance of titles and events

Listen to and discuss poems, stories, and non-fiction at a level beyond independent reading; confirm understanding of texts read aloud by asking and answering questions about key details

Identify characters, settings, and major events in stories; become familiar with key stories, fairy tales, and traditional tales and retell them with key details in sequence

Identify the main topic and retell key details of informational texts; describe connections between individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information

Ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts; make simple inferences based on what characters say and do

Check that text makes sense while reading and self-correct inaccurate reading by re-reading or using context

Identify front cover, back cover, and title page of a book; identify the reasons an author gives to support points in informational text

Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories; identify similarities and differences between two texts on the same topic

Link what is read or heard to own experiences; draw on background knowledge and vocabulary to support understanding of texts

Participate in discussions about what is read, taking turns and listening to others; explain understanding clearly; actively engage in group reading activities

Recognise common types of texts (storybooks, poems, non-fiction); name the author and illustrator and define the role of each in telling or presenting a text

Describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear; use pictures to support and extend comprehension

Discuss the sequence of events in narrative texts and how items of information are related in non-fiction, retelling stories including key details and demonstrating understanding of central message or lesson

Recognise different non-fiction text structures and features (headings, contents, glossary, index), understanding how texts are organised to present information

Identify and compare characters' points of view, recognise who is narrating a story, describe how characters respond to events and challenges, and compare characters' experiences across different stories or versions of the same story

Retell stories including key details in sequence, describe characters, settings, and major events using evidence from the text, and describe the overall structure of a story (beginning, middle, ending)

Recognise recurring literary language in stories and poetry, identify words and phrases that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses, and discuss favourite words and phrases

Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph informational text, determine the focus of specific paragraphs, and explain how key details support the main idea

Draw inferences from independently-read texts, such as inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence from the text

Identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarise them; retrieve and record information from non-fiction texts using notes, tables or other methods

Recognise different forms of poetry (free verse, narrative poetry, haiku) and discuss their features; prepare poems and play scripts to read aloud and perform with understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action

Identify recurring themes (good vs evil, friendship, bravery) and conventions (once upon a time, moral at the end, hero's journey) across a wide range of books including fairy stories, myths, legends and traditional tales

Determine the central message, lesson, or moral of a story, fable, or folktale, explaining what the story teaches the reader and supporting the interpretation with key details from the text

Identify how language choices, text structure and presentational features (illustrations, diagrams, bold print, layout) contribute to the overall meaning and effect of a text

Analyse character traits, motivations, and feelings using text evidence, and distinguish one's own point of view from that of the narrator or characters

Explain how the central message, lesson, or moral of a story is conveyed through key details across diverse text types including fables, folktales, and myths

Describe connections between events, ideas, or concepts in informational text using time, sequence, cause-and-effect, and comparison language, and identify logical connections between sentences and paragraphs

Distinguish one's own point of view from that of the author of an informational text and identify the author's purpose

Use structural terminology (chapter, scene, stanza) to refer to parts of literary texts and describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections

Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details from the text such as a character's thoughts, words, actions, and interactions

Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including distinguishing between first-person and third-person narration and explaining how the narrator's perspective shapes the reader's understanding

Recommend books to peers, giving reasons for choices based on knowledge of a wide range of genres, authors, and themes, and making comparisons within and across books

Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, identifying structural elements unique to each form: verse, rhythm, and meter in poetry; cast of characters, dialogue, and stage directions in drama; chapters and paragraphs in prose

Determine the theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, and provide an objective summary that captures the key events without personal opinions

Describe the overall structure of an informational text (chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) and explain how the author's chosen structure helps convey information and ideas

Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes, topics, and story patterns (e.g., good vs evil, quest narratives, trickster tales) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures

Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably, combining and comparing what each source contributes

Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in an informational text, including what happened and why, by citing specific textual evidence about causes, effects, and steps in a process

Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively in informational texts (e.g., charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, animations) and explain how it contributes to understanding the text

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as used in literary texts, including understanding references to mythology and cultural allusions (e.g., Herculean, Achilles' heel)

Compare and contrast a firsthand account (autobiography, diary, letter) with a secondhand account (biography, textbook, news report) of the same event or topic, identifying differences in focus and information provided

Explain how an author of an informational text uses reasons and evidence to support particular points, evaluating whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient

Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions from the text

Provide reasoned justifications for views about texts, supporting interpretations and opinions with evidence and logical arguments

Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or solve a problem efficiently

Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details about how characters interact, settings influence action, or events connect

Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described, recognising the difference between limited and omniscient narration and how perspective shapes storytelling

Make comparisons within and across books, identifying similarities and differences in themes, characters, settings, and authorial choices across multiple texts

Quote accurately from literary and informational texts when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences, using quotation marks and citations correctly

Determine two or more main ideas of an informational text and explain how they are supported by key details, then summarise the text without personal opinions

Compare and contrast the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more informational texts, identifying patterns such as chronology, comparison, cause/effect, or problem/solution

Compare and contrast stories in the same genre on their approaches to similar themes and topics, identifying how different authors treat common ideas

Evaluate how authors use language including figurative language, considering the impact of word choices, imagery, and literary devices on the reader

Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably, combining information without plagiarising

Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in historical, scientific, or technical texts based on specific information

Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a story, drama, or poem, analysing how each part contributes to the whole

Distinguish between statements of fact and statements of opinion in texts, recognising how authors blend factual information with subjective viewpoints

Analyse multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent

Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which specific points

Analyse how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text such as graphic novels, multimedia presentations, or illustrated editions of fiction and poetry

Evaluate arguments and claims in non-fiction texts — assess whether reasoning is sound, evidence is relevant and sufficient, distinguish between fact and opinion, and recognise bias, propaganda, and rhetorical techniques

Determine the meaning of figurative and connotative language in context, analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, and identify literary devices such as metaphor, simile, personification, allusion, and irony

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly and what can be inferred, distinguishing between strong and weak evidence and explaining how the evidence supports a point

Recognise and understand poetic conventions — including form (sonnet, ballad, free verse), metre, rhyme scheme, stanza structure, imagery, and sound devices (alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia) — and analyse how poets use them for effect

Analyse point of view and narrative perspective — including first person, third person limited and omniscient, and unreliable narrator — and how the author's or narrator's perspective shapes the reader's understanding and creates effects such as suspense, irony, or humour

Analyse how plot structure unfolds through episodes or key events, and how characters develop, respond to challenges, and change over the course of a narrative — including the relationship between character, setting, and plot

Understand how dramatists communicate meaning through performance — including staging, direction, set design, lighting, and actors' choices — and how different productions can interpret the same script differently

Make critical comparisons across texts — comparing themes, characters, settings, styles, or arguments in two or more works, including texts from different periods, genres, or cultures

Read widely and independently across fiction and non-fiction — including whole novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and non-fiction from different genres, periods, and cultures — building stamina, breadth, and personal taste as a reader

Determine and analyse the theme or central idea of a text, trace how it develops across the text through key details and events, and provide an objective summary distinct from personal opinion

Identify the purpose, audience, and context of a text and use this knowledge to support comprehension — recognising how writing aimed at different audiences (academic, popular, persuasive) uses different conventions, register, and tone

Analyse how a text's structure — including its overall organisation, use of chapters, stanzas, scenes, paragraphs, or sections — contributes to its meaning, style, and development of ideas

Listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers; follow agreed-upon rules for discussion such as listening to others and taking turns speaking

Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining, and exploring ideas; use strategies to build vocabulary through talk

Participate actively in collaborative conversations staying on topic; continue a conversation through multiple exchanges; maintain attention in discussions

Describe familiar people, places, things, and events with detail; speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly; give well-structured descriptions and explanations

Articulate and justify answers, arguments, and opinions; participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, and debates

Ask relevant questions to extend understanding; ask and answer questions to seek help, get information, or clarify something not understood

Learn poems by heart and recite with appropriate intonation, adding visual displays to descriptions when appropriate, and producing complete sentences in spoken presentations

Gain, maintain and monitor the interest of listeners when speaking; consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on others' contributions; begin to select appropriate language for different situations

Come to discussions prepared, draw on preparation and known information, and explain ideas in light of the discussion

Report on a topic or recount an experience with organised facts and descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace

Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points, evaluating whether the reasoning is logical and the evidence is relevant

Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, capturing the key ideas accurately in one's own words

Summarise the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence, evaluating the logic and relevance of the support

Summarise a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats including visually, quantitatively, and orally

Review the key ideas expressed in discussions and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussion

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation while adjusting tone, vocabulary, and style for different audiences

Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes

Pose and respond to specific questions in discussions, making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others

Improvise, rehearse, and perform play scripts and poetry — using role, intonation, tone, volume, mood, silence, stillness, and action to generate language, explore meaning, and add impact to performance

Use Standard English confidently in formal and informal spoken contexts — give short speeches and presentations expressing own ideas clearly, keeping to the point, and adapting register and vocabulary to the audience

Participate in formal debates and structured discussions — presenting a position with supporting evidence, responding to others’ points, summarising and building on what has been said, and following rules of discussion

Segment spoken words into phonemes and spell CVC and simple phonetically regular words by writing a letter or letters for each sound

Know and use the vocabulary of phonics and word structure — phoneme, grapheme, GPC (grapheme-phoneme correspondence), blend, segment, digraph, CVC, vowel, consonant, syllable, root word, suffix, prefix, and homophone — and understand that these words describe the building blocks that phonics instruction is built on

Spell words with common suffixes (-s/-es for plurals and third person verbs, -ing, -ed, -er, -est) where no change to the root word is needed

Spell words using the prefix un- to change meaning; understand that un- creates opposites or reverses actions

Spell common exception words from memory that do not follow regular phonic patterns, including the days of the week

Write simple sentences from memory when dictated by the teacher, applying taught GPCs, spelling rules, and common exception words

Use the possessive apostrophe with singular nouns to show ownership (e.g., the girl's book, the dog's bone)

Spell contracted forms correctly by placing the apostrophe where letters are omitted (can't, didn't, I'll, it's, etc.)

Spell words using alternative grapheme choices for known phonemes, learning new spellings for sounds already encountered (e.g., /ɔ:/ as 'a' before ll, /ʌ/ as 'o', words ending -tion), including distinguishing common homophones

Apply suffix spelling rules that require changes to the root word: dropping final -e before vowel suffixes, changing -y to -i, doubling final consonants in short-vowel words; use suffixes -ment, -ness, -ful, -less, -ly

Spell words using productive suffixes (-ation, -ly, -ous) and less common sound-spelling correspondences (/ɪ/ as y, /ʌ/ as ou, endings sounding like /ʒə/, /tʃə/, /ʒən/, /ʃən/) introduced in the Year 3-4 programme

Spell words from the statutory word list for Years 3 and 4, including commonly misspelt words that do not follow regular patterns

Use the possessive apostrophe accurately with both regular and irregular plural nouns (e.g., the girls' bags, the children's toys), distinguishing singular from plural possession

Distinguish and correctly spell common homophones and near-homophones encountered at Y3-4 level (e.g., accept/except, affect/effect, brake/break, grate/great), including using the /eɪ/ sound spelt ei, eigh, or ey

Spell words with a range of prefixes (dis-, mis-, un-, re-, pre-, anti-, auto-, super-) understanding how each prefix modifies the root word's meaning without changing its spelling

Use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary; consult reference materials including beginning dictionaries to verify and correct spellings

Spell words with etymological letter patterns from Greek (ch = /k/), French (ch = /ʃ/, -gue, -que), and Latin (sc = /s/) origins

Spell words from the statutory word list for Years 5 and 6, including words with irregular or uncommon spelling patterns that must be learned individually

Distinguish and correctly spell homophones and commonly confused words at Y5-6 level (e.g., affect/effect, practice/practise, advice/advise, complement/compliment, aisle/isle, led/lead), including confused words such as to/too/two and there/their/they're

Spell words using assorted Y5-6 conventions: doubling after -fer when the stress remains (referring but reference), using hyphens to join prefixes to root words (co-ordinate, re-enter), the /iː/ sound spelt ei after c (receive, ceiling), and the letter string ough representing different sounds (though, through, thought, thorough, plough)

Spell words containing silent letters that are remnants of earlier pronunciation or etymology, recognising common silent-letter patterns and using word origins to remember them

Spell words ending in -able/-ible and the corresponding adverb forms -ably/-ibly, applying patterns to determine which suffix to use based on the root word

Spell words with Latin and French suffix patterns: endings sounding like /ʃəs/ spelt -cious or -tious (e.g., precious, cautious), /ʃəl/ spelt -cial or -tial (e.g., official, essential), and words ending in -ant/-ance/-ancy vs -ent/-ence/-ency (e.g., observant/observance, confident/confidence)

Spell correctly and consistently, applying the spelling patterns and rules from KS1-2 to increasingly complex vocabulary encountered in KS3 reading and subject-specific study

Ask and answer questions about unknown words in texts; discuss word meanings and link new vocabulary to words already known

Sort common objects and words into categories to understand how concepts relate; demonstrate understanding of opposites (antonyms) for common verbs and adjectives

Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing similar actions and among adjectives differing in intensity; make real-life connections between words and their use

Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, being read to, and responding to texts in own speech and writing

Use knowledge of common inflections and affixes (-ed, -s, un-, -er) as clues to the meaning of unknown words; understand how the prefix un- changes meaning

Define words by category and by one or more key attributes (e.g., 'a duck is a bird that swims'), making real-life connections between words and their use

Identify frequently occurring root words and their inflectional forms (e.g., look/looks/looked/looking), using affixes as clues to word meaning and understanding how suffixes create nouns and adjectives

Recognise and compare formal and informal uses of English, understanding that language choices vary based on audience, purpose and context

Explore word families based on common root words, understanding how words are related in form and meaning through shared roots, prefixes and suffixes (e.g., solve → solution, solver, dissolve, insoluble)

Distinguish literal from nonliteral (figurative) language in context and interpret common idioms and phrases

Acquire and use accurately academic and domain-specific vocabulary relevant to grade-level topics, including words that signal precise meaning in informational texts across subject areas

Use knowledge of Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes and suffixes) and roots as clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, building a bank of common roots and their meanings

Understand and identify similes (comparisons using like or as) and metaphors (direct comparisons stating something is something else) in texts, explaining how each creates imagery and conveys meaning

Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their antonyms (opposites) and synonyms (words with similar meanings), using synonym and antonym relationships to refine vocabulary and improve precision in writing

Recognise and interpret common idioms (break the ice, hit the nail on the head), adages (actions speak louder than words), and proverbs (a stitch in time saves nine), understanding their figurative meanings and when to use them

Distinguish between formal and informal vocabulary, selecting words appropriate for formal speech and writing such as 'discover' instead of 'find out' and 'request' instead of 'ask for'

Use a thesaurus to find synonyms and extend vocabulary choices, selecting the most appropriate word based on context, connotation, and register

Compare and contrast the varieties of English used in stories, dramas, or poems, including dialects and registers, understanding how language varies by region, context, and purpose

Understand and interpret figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meaning — including allusion, irony, pun, oxymoron, and extended metaphor — and distinguish between connotation and denotation when analysing or choosing words

Acquire and use accurately a broad range of general academic vocabulary and domain-specific words — drawing new vocabulary from reading and listening and deploying it consciously in writing and speech to achieve particular effects

Determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases using a flexible range of strategies — including context clues, Greek and Latin affixes and roots, reference materials, and verification of inferred meaning

Say out loud what is going to be written; compose sentences orally before writing them down as preparation for independent writing

Know and use the vocabulary of the writing process — compose, plan, draft, revise, edit, proofread, genre, audience, purpose, narrative, recount, instruction, paragraph, sequence, and detail — and understand that these words describe distinct steps and decisions that all writers make, not just tasks to tick off

Write simple narratives by sequencing sentences to describe events in order; narrate a single event or linked events with a beginning, middle, and ending or reaction

With teacher guidance, re-read own writing aloud to check it sounds right; listen and respond to questions and suggestions from teacher or peers to add detail, clarify meaning, and strengthen writing — this is the scaffolded beginning of writing self-evaluation, not an independent skill

Compose informative or explanatory texts using drawing, dictating, or writing that name a topic and supply some information about it

Compose opinion pieces using drawing, dictating, or writing that name a topic or book and state a preference or opinion about it

Participate in shared research and writing projects; recall information from experiences or gather information from sources to answer a question

Read own writing aloud clearly enough to be heard by peers and the teacher; use digital tools to produce and publish writing

Proof-read own writing to check for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation; evaluate and revise writing with teacher/peer support, re-reading to ensure meaning is clear and tense is consistent

Write about real events and for different purposes, developing stamina for sustained writing across genres beyond narrative (e.g., recounts, letters, instructions)

Plan before writing by saying aloud or noting down what will be written, writing down ideas and key words, and encapsulating ideas sentence by sentence before composing

Write poetry, exploring patterns of language, rhyme and rhythm, and learning poems by heart for recitation with appropriate intonation

Compose informative or explanatory texts that introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section

Compose opinion pieces that introduce a topic, state a clear point of view, provide organised reasons linked with connecting words, and include a concluding statement or section

Evaluate and edit writing by assessing effectiveness, proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary for consistency, and proof-reading for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors at Y3-4 level

Organise writing into paragraphs, grouping related material around a theme, and use simple organisational devices such as headings and sub-headings in non-narrative writing

Write narratives with developed settings, characters and plot, using dialogue and description to develop experiences and show character responses to situations

Compose and rehearse sentences orally before writing, progressively building varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures including dialogue

Read back your own writing critically and independently — notice where meaning is unclear, where a word could be stronger, or where the reader might be confused; make revisions without needing teacher prompts, using your own judgment about what is and isn't working

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic, gather information from print and digital sources, and take brief organised notes

Know and use the vocabulary of writing craft and effect — form, structure, register, tone, voice, coherence, cohesion, argument, evidence, perspective, rhetoric, technique, formal, informal, and style — and understand that these words describe choices writers make intentionally to achieve a particular effect on the reader

Choose precise and vivid words and phrases to create specific effects in writing

Identify the audience for and purpose of writing before beginning, selecting the appropriate form, tone, and register to match the intended reader and communicative goal

Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research in writing, applying grade-level reading standards to non-fiction

Draw evidence from literary texts to support analysis, reflection, and research in writing, applying grade-level reading standards to literature

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organisation are appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience, maintaining a consistent style and structure throughout

Plan narrative writing by considering how authors have developed characters and settings, drawing on techniques observed in texts read, heard, or performed

Gather relevant information from print and digital sources, summarise or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a basic bibliography or list of sources

Use layout devices including headings, sub-headings, columns, bullets, and tables to structure text and guide the reader through informational and explanatory writing

Precis longer passages by summarising the main ideas and key information concisely while maintaining the essential meaning and removing non-essential detail

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence — including introducing claims, acknowledging counterclaims, organising reasons logically, maintaining a formal style, and providing a concluding statement

Apply growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, and text structure to writing — drawing on literary and rhetorical devices from reading (e.g., rhetorical questions, tricolon, anaphora, contrast) to enhance impact

Summarise and organise material from reading and research — gathering relevant information from multiple sources, assessing credibility, integrating evidence without plagiarising, and supporting ideas with factual detail

Plan, revise, and edit writing to improve coherence and effectiveness — considering how the writing reflects its intended audience and purpose, amending vocabulary, grammar, and structure, and proofreading for accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar

Write for a range of purposes and audiences beyond narrative — including scripts, poetry, personal and formal letters, notes for talks, and other forms — selecting the appropriate form, register, and conventions for each

Write narratives that develop real or imagined experiences using effective technique — including establishing context and point of view, developing characters through dialogue, pacing, and description, using varied transitions, and providing a reflective conclusion

Write informative and explanatory texts that examine a topic and convey ideas clearly — organising information logically with headings and formatting, developing the topic with relevant facts, definitions, details, and quotations, and using precise vocabulary

Use varied transitions, cohesive devices, and paragraph-linking strategies to create coherence across a whole piece of writing — including temporal transitions, causal connectives, and techniques for signalling shifts in argument, time, or setting