NATIONAL EXPECTATIONS

The following outlines National Curriculum levels that pupils should be expected to achieve at the end of each year. The planning,

pace of teaching, lesson content and approaches and strategies used, should enable pupils to achieve national levels.

Pupils Working Within National Expectations
Year 1 are expected to reach 1A
Year 2 are expected to reach 2B
Year 3 are expected to reach 2A/3C
Year 4 are expected to reach 3B
Year 5 are expected to reach 3A/4C
Year 6 are expected to reach 4B / Pupils Working Above National Expectations
Year 1 are expected to reach 2C+
Year 2 are expected to reach 3C

Year 3 are expected to reach 3B/A

Year 4 are expected to reach 4C
Year 5 are expected to reach 4B/A
Year 6 are expected to reach 5C
WRITING - PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTORS
Year R ELG (New Framework) / Level 1C (just L1) / Level 1B (L1 secure) / Level 1A (high L1)
Word Recognition - encoding
(Strand 5)
Word Structure and
Spelling
(Strand 6) / Links sounds to letters naming and sounding letter of the alphabet.
Hear and say sounds in words in the order that they occur.
Uses phonic knowledge to write simple regular words and makes phonetically plausible attempts at more complex words. / (Guide: PNS Phase 3)
Uses phonic knowledge to write simple regular CVC words and makes phonetically plausible attempts at more complex words.
Is beginning to recall visual patterns, e.g. changing initial letters – dog/fog. / (Guide: PNS Phase 4/5)
Correct spelling of longer (more than one syllable) words that are phonetically regular including words with common digraphs (en-joy), and adjacent consonants (brown).
Uses knowledge of simple common inflections in spelling (prefixes - e.g. unhappy/untie, suffixes e.g. plurals (s) cat/cats; -ed where there is no change to the root word e.g. looked, jumped… / (Guide: PNS Phase 5/6)
50% of high frequency (PNS Y1/2 words) spellings should be accurate.
Able to use knowledge of related words (analogy).
Spells phonically decodable 2- and 3-syllabled words, e.g. yesterday.
Creating and Shaping Texts (Strand 9)
Style:
Use of language and language effects
including awareness of reader/
viewpoint / Attempts writing for different purposes, using features of different forms such as lists, stories and instructions. / Writing may need mediation but some words are recognisable.
Simple words, phrases and/or statements are used.
Writing predominantly oral patterns / verbal communication.
Ideas may not be linked; writing may seem disjointed but the child can tell you what the writing says (it may not be the same every time they tell you). / Most of the sentences can be read without mediation from child’s help.
Beginning to use new and interesting words and phrases, including story language in own writing, e.g. Once upon a time, as he walked up the hill he huffed and he puffed, they all lived happily ever after.
Conveys information and ideas in simple non-narrative forms, e.g. sequencing a story (may be in pictures).
Some connection between ideas and some events linked as a simple sentence. / Most of the writing can be read without needing mediation – to get the sense of the piece/to know what is happening.
Uses new and interesting words and phrases, including story language in own writing, e.g. Once upon a time, as he walked up the hill he huffed and he puffed, they all lived happily ever after.
Conveys information and ideas in simple non-narrative forms, e.g. sequencing a story (may be in pictures).
Some connection between ideas and some events linked as a simple sentence.
Text Structure
and Organisation
(Strand 10) / Attempts writing for different purposes, using features of different forms such as lists, stories and instructions. / Can produce own ideas for writing.
Child’s writing communicates meaning through a sequence of words and/or phrases, e.g. it’s got four wheels / I put the seed in the soil / We went to the zoo. / Invents and writes own composition, e.g. lists, stories, instructions, in response to a given stimulus using simple structures, e.g. prompts, story starter.
Can group (order) written sentences together in chunks of meaning or subject (usually a minimum of three sentences). / Invents and writes own composition, e.g. lists, stories, instructions, in response to a given stimulus.
Writing shows evidence of a sequenced series of events appropriate to text type.
Sentence Structure and Punctuation
Strand 11) / Writes own names and simple text, e.g. labels and captions.
Begins to form simple sentences sometimes using punctuation. / Uses meaningful words and phrases some of which express ideas in sentence like structures, often using simplified oral language patterns. / Compose and writes simple sentences independently to communicate meaning.
Child understands subject (noun), verb, object construction, e.g. The boy played football. / Some of the simple sentences will be extended to include further detail, e.g. the use of adverbs and adjectives: The new boy came to my house for tea.
May use full stops at random, e.g. uses full stops at end of line rather than end of a sentence.
There may be some appropriate use of capital letters, e.g. at the beginning of the piece.
There may attempt to use other punctuation marks. / Begins to show an understanding of how full stops are used, particularly at the end of a piece.
Uses capital letters and full stops when punctuating a simple sentence when written in isolation. / Starts piece with a capital letter. Another occurrence of a capital letter is used appropriately elsewhere in the piece.
Full stop used to punctuate a single sentence.
Presentation
(Strand 12) / Uses a pencil and holds it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed. / Some commonly used letters are correctly shaped but may be inconsistent in size and orientation.
Flips or reverses letters. Leaves spaces between word like clusters of letters – these may vary. / Writes letters using the correct sequence of movements.
Most letters clearly shaped and correctly orientated.
Spacing may be irregular. / Letters are usually clearly shaped and correctly orientated.
Legible despite inconsistencies in orientation, size and use of upper and lower case letters.
WRITING - PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTORS
Level 2C (just L2) / Level 2B (L2 secure) / Level 2A (high L2)
Word Recognition - encoding
(Strand 5)
Word Structure and Spelling
(Strand 6) / Minimum requirement – at least 70% of high frequency (PNS Y1/2 words) words spelt correctly, e.g. want, like, they, must, lots.
Able to use knowledge of related words (analogy).
Is beginning to recall visual patterns.
Consolidating PNS Phase 5/6. / Minimum requirement – at least 90% of high frequency words (PNS Y1/2 words ) spelt correctly, e.g. these types of word in their writing should, could, don’t, can’t, their, people, school (not in a spelling test).
To accurately spell words with common suffixes and the use of double letters, e.g. ing (running) /es (branches).
Applies principles of all PNS phases in their writing, (e.g. snake - split digraph). / Don’t forget – L2A is an end of year national expectation for Year 3. Children in Year 2 have to be above average to achieve this.
Minimum requirement – aiming for 100% of high frequency words spelt correctly, e.g. Wednesday, February, fifteen, orange.
Uses these forms of double consonants correctly, e.g. sorry / bottle.
Creating and Shaping Texts
(Strand 9)
Style:
Use of language and language effects
including awareness of reader/
viewpoint / Confidently uses new and interesting words and phrases to interest the reader, clarify meaning and reflect text type, e.g. words gleaned from lesson content, word banks, stories and own reading.
Shows some characteristics of narrative/non-narrative writing but the form may not be sustained, e.g. drifts from a story to a recount.
Overall the writing draws more on the characteristics of spoken language rather than written language. / The chosen form (narrative or non-narrative) is used with some consistency and reflects the purpose of the writing but should be mostly sustained throughout. Sustain use of tense and person (1st, 3rd etc).
Make adventurous/precise word and language choices appropriate to style and purpose of text (firstly, then, next, after; use of powerful verbs; alternatives to said).
Some detail is given to engage the reader. / Organisation of the text type reflects the purpose of the writing, and is sustained.
Organisation matches purpose/audience, e.g. invitation, letter, set of instructions.
Maintain consistency in non-narrative, including purpose and tense.
Sustain form in narrative, including use of person and time.
Appropriate use of adventurous and precise vocabulary, e.g. eagle rather than bird, porsche instead of car.
The use of descriptive language to enhance meaning and support the chosen text form e.g. writing ‘the red dress’ does not necessarily add to a narrative unless the colour plays a part in the story whilst describing the weather as wet and blustery helps to create the mood and might give some indication of how a character is feeling. (It is not enough just to have a piece of writing littered with adjectives to achieve this level).
Text Structure
and Organisation
(Strand 10) / Communicates meaning beyond a simple statement.
Individual ideas develops in short sections.
Some use of basic layout conventions may be attempted, e.g. numbering/bullets in list, each step of an instruction starting on a new line. / Need more than 75 written words to confidently make a judgement at giving this level for assessment purposes. Evidence should be drawn from a body of work in a range of genres.
Clear sections of writing can be observed. Within each section an idea is developed over two or three sentences. This should not merely be repetition.
Connectives may signal time (or, then, next).
Evidence, from a body a work, shows a child can use the ‘story mountain’ structure (at least: beginning middle end). / Writes a mainly chronological sequence of events.
Simple layout conventions support presentation of the facts/ideas, e.g. bullet, numbers, index.
Some detail provided of either characterisation or setting.
Varied sentence structure contributes to the coherence of the piece (the way it hangs together), opening with a question, direct speech, adverbial phrase (In the garden…).
‘Story mountain’ structure is evident.
Sentence Structure and Punctuation
(Strand 11) / Writes simple sentences and may show evidence of compound sentences. / Writes using simple and compound sentences.
Uses connectives relating to time, e.g. Later that day… , and reason, e.g. The bell rang because (reason) it was lunchtime. / Uses simple and compound sentences.
Mainly consistent use of tense throughout the text.
Use of punctuation is shown in the use of capital letters and full stops. As a minimum - uses 2 full stops appropriately followed by a capital letter.
May attempt to use other punctuation, e.g. question marks. / There is evidence of some correct punctuation of sentences.
Increasing accuracy of sentence demarcation. Uses full stops and capital letters correctly in 50% of writing.
Uses commas in a list.
Attempts to use other punctuation, e.g. question marks and exclamation marks. / Growing understanding of use of punctuation.
Uses full stops and capital letters correctly in 75% of writing.
Uses commas in lists.
May be some use of speech marks.
Some question marks and exclamation marks may be used – mostly accurately.
Presentation
(Strand 12) / Handwriting is legible, despite some inconsistencies in orientation, size and use of upper and lower case letters.
Forms lower case letters correctly in a script, e.g. flick on t and h. / Handwriting is legible, with ascenders and descenders distinguished, and of a consistent height.
Uses the four basic handwriting joins.
Uses correct spacing within and between words.
Generally, upper and lower case letters are not mixed within words. / Joined handwriting demonstrates accurate and consistent letter formation and spacing.
The majority of letters are of a consistent height.
WRITING - PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTORS
Level 3C (just L3) / Level 3B (L3 secure) / Level 3A (high L3)
Word Structure
and Spelling
(Strand 6) / Don’t forget – L3C is an end of year national expectation for Year 3. Children have to be exceptional in Y2 to achieve this.
75% of spellings used in their own writing are spelt accurately.
Spells common monosyllabic words accurately.
Attempts to spell unfamiliar polysyllabic words using knowledge of conventions, rules and range of strategies (e.g. sometimes; bicycle; sandwiches) / Don’t forget – L3B is an end of year national expectation for Year 4.
90% of spellings used in their writing are spelt accurately.
Attempts to spell unfamiliar polysyllabic words using knowledge of conventions, rules and range of strategies, e.g. concertina; celebrating. / Aiming for 100% of spellings to be spelt accurately.
Doubles final consonant when necessary prior to adding a suffix, e.g. skipping.
Selects correct homophone and uses the correct spelling of it in own writing, e.g. witch, which, there, their, they’re, its, it’s.
Creating and Shaping Texts
(Strand 9)
Style:
Use of language and language effects
including awareness of reader/
viewpoint / Use beginning, middle and end to write narratives in which events are sequenced logically and conflicts are resolved.
Select and use a range of technical vocabulary.
There is precision in the choice of words for effect, e.g. The red Ferrari came to a stop. OR The red car screeched… instead of The red car stopped.
Uses structures and features of the chosen text type (see HIAS Writing Matters! publication to check stylistic feature for given text type).
Simple connectives link clauses, e.g. when the car raced past me…
Beginning to use literary devices more effectively than previous to help structure and shape their written text, and to link paragraphs: e.g. adverbial phrases; and fiction hooks: unfortunately, out of the blue). / Shows imagination through language used to create emphasis, humour, atmosphere or suspense.
Can choose and combine words (e.g. blistering heat)., images and other features for particular effect, e.g. metaphor (the clap of thunder), simile (as big as a bus), alliteration (dastardly devil).
Uses setting and characterisation to engage readers’ interest.
Connectives (eventually, after a while, before, meanwhile) are used to clarify the relation between time, place and setting. / Pace needs to be developed, e.g. there may be too lengthy an introduction; the distinction between the resolution and the ending may needs to be clarified/made distinct, to contribute to the overall balance of the piece.