Year 2 Expectations - Writing

In the context of Year 2 writing expectations in the British education system, pupils working towards the expected standard are able to construct short narratives with sentence demarcation using capital letters and full stops. They demonstrate an understanding of phonemes and graphemes, with some correct spellings, particularly of common exception words. Their formation of lower-case letters is mostly in the correct direction and size, and they are mindful of spacing between words. As they progress to working at the expected standard, their narratives become more complex, with varied sentence forms and the use of punctuation such as question marks and exclamation marks. Their use of present and past tense is mostly accurate, and they begin to incorporate co-ordination and subordination into their writing. These students also show an understanding of joined-up writing and the correct sizing and orientation of capital letters and numbers.

For those pupils achieving greater depth within the expected standard, their writing is distinguished by a more sophisticated use of punctuation, consistent spelling of common exception words, and the correct application of contracted forms and suffixes. Their handwriting is largely joined and legible. Overall, writing at this level is engaging and demonstrates an awareness of the reader, with a strong grasp of grammar and vocabulary. The effectiveness of writing varies at each level, with those working towards the expected standard showing inconsistency, while those working at the expected standard apply their learning effectively and independently. Pupils writing at greater depth exhibit a deeper understanding and engagement with the reader, maintaining interest through accurate grammar and a richer vocabulary.