Year 1 Expectations - Writing

In Year 1, students' writing abilities are categorised at three levels: 'Working Towards Expected Standard', 'Working at the Expected Standard', and 'Working at Greater Depth within the Expected Standard'. At the 'Working Towards' level, students have a basic grasp of sentence structure, often repeating patterns and relying on familiar story structures in their writing. Their compositions show attempts at sequencing events, but the overall concept of a sentence may not be fully secure, and their writing may resemble a list. In terms of grammar and vocabulary, sentence structures are basic, often drawn from spoken language, and punctuation use is emerging, with capital letters and full stops used inconsistently.

At the 'Working at the Expected Standard' level, students write meaningful sequences with secure sentence structure, using narrative and non-narrative forms. They demonstrate an understanding of different text types and can recount events in order. Grammar and sentence structure are mainly accurate, with some use of conjunctions and adjectives to add detail. Punctuation is mostly correct, with appropriate use of capital letters and full stops. Students at this level check their work for sense and make changes with some guidance. For those 'Working at Greater Depth', accuracy in sentence structure is consistent, and there is a growing awareness of the reader. Their writing shows a personal voice, careful word choice, and the use of a wider range of punctuation. These students can independently proofread and edit their work, demonstrating a strong grasp of spelling rules and handwriting skills taught in Year 1.