{"id":479,"date":"2026-03-29T11:01:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T10:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pioneerfederation.co.uk\/stonegate\/?page_id=479"},"modified":"2026-03-29T19:34:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T18:34:03","slug":"english","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.stonegate.e-sussex.sch.uk\/index.php\/curriculum\/english\/","title":{"rendered":"English"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Characteristics of a Writer<\/span><\/h3>
  • The ability to write fluently and with interesting detail on a number of topics throughout the curriculum.<\/li>
  • A vivid imagination which makes readers engage with and enjoy their writing.<\/li>
  • A highly developed vocabulary and an excellent knowledge of writing techniques to extend details or description.<\/li>
  • Well-organised and structured writing, which includes a variety of sentence structures.<\/li>
  • Excellent transcription skills that ensure their writing is well presented and punctuated, spelled correctly and neat.<\/li>
  • A love of writing and an appreciation of its educational, cultural and entertainment values.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>

    Implementation<\/span><\/h3>

    Our pupils should be able to organise their knowledge, skills and understanding around the following learning hooks:<\/p>

    • To present neatly<\/li>
    • To spell correctly<\/li>
    • To punctuate accurately<\/li>
    • To use sentences appropriately<\/li>
    • To write with purpose<\/li>
    • To use imaginative description<\/li>
    • To organise writing appropriately<\/li>
    • To use paragraphs<\/li>
    • To analyse writing<\/li>
    • To present writing<\/li><\/ul>

      These key concepts or as we like to explain them to children \u2013 learning hooks, underpin learning in each milestone. This enables pupils to reinforce and build upon prior learning, make connections and develop subject specific language.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

      Vertical accumulation of knowledge and skills from Years 1 to 6<\/span><\/h3>

      Threshold Concept<\/p>

      Key Skills<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      Milestone 1<\/strong><\/p>

      Years 1 and 2<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      Milestone 2<\/strong><\/p>

      Years 3 and 4<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      Milestone 3<\/strong><\/p>

      Years 5 and 6<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      To write with purpose<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Say first and then write to tell others about ideas.<\/p>

      \u2022 Write for a variety of purposes.<\/p>

      \u2022 Plan by talking about ideas and writing notes.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use some of the characteristic features of the type of writing used.<\/p>

      \u2022 Write, review and improve.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Use the main features of a type of writing (identified in reading).<\/p>

      \u2022 Use techniques used by authors to create characters and settings.<\/p>

      \u2022 Compose and rehearse sentences orally.<\/p>

      \u2022 Plan, write, edit and improve.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Identify the audience for writing.<\/p>

      \u2022 Choose the appropriate form of writing using\u00a0the main features identified in reading.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Note, develop and research ideas.<\/p>

      \u2022 Plan, draft, write, edit and improve.<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      To use imaginative description<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Use well-chosen adjectives to add detail.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Use names of people, places and things.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use well-chosen adjectives.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use nouns and pronouns for variety.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use adverbs for extra detail.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Create characters, settings and plots.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use alliteration effectively.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use similes effectively.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use a range of descriptive phrases including some\u00a0collective nouns.\u00a0<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Use the techniques that authors use to create\u00a0characters, settings and plots.<\/p>

      \u2022 Create vivid images by using alliteration, similes,\u00a0metaphors and personification.<\/p>

      \u2022 Interweave descriptions of characters, settings\u00a0and atmosphere with dialogue.<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      To organise writing appropriately<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Re-read writing to check it makes sense.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use the correct tenses.<\/p>

      \u2022 Organise writing in line with its purpose.\u00a0<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Use organisational devices such as headings and\u00a0sub headings.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use the perfect form of verbs to mark\u00a0relationships of time and cause.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Use connectives that signal time, shift attention,\u00a0inject suspense and shift the setting.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Guide the reader by using a range of\u00a0organisational devices, including a range of\u00a0connectives.<\/p>

      \u2022 Choose effective grammar and punctuation.<\/p>

      \u2022 Ensure correct use of tenses throughout a piece of writing.<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      To use paragraphs<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Write about more than one idea.<\/p>

      \u2022 Group related information.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Organise paragraphs around a theme.<\/p>

      \u2022 Sequence paragraphs.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Write paragraphs that give the reader a sense\u00a0of clarity.<\/p>

      \u2022 Write paragraphs that make sense if read alone.<\/p>

      \u2022 Write cohesively at length.<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      To use sentences appropriately<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Write so that other people can understand\u00a0the meaning of sentences.<\/p>

      \u2022 Sequence sentences to form clear narratives.<\/p>

      \u2022 Convey ideas sentence by sentence.<\/p>

      \u2022 Join sentences with conjunctions and\u00a0connectives.<\/p>

      \u2022 Vary the way sentences begin.\u00a0<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Use a mixture of simple, compound and complex\u00a0sentences.<\/p>

      \u2022 Write sentences that include:<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 conjunctions<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 adverbs<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 direct speech, punctuated correctly<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 clauses<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 adverbial phrases.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Write sentences that include:\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 relative clauses<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 modal verbs<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 relative pronouns<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 brackets<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 parenthesis<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 a mixture of active and passive voice<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 a clear subject and object<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 hyphens, colons and semi colons<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 bullet points.\u00a0<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      To present neatly<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Sit correctly and hold a pencil correctly. \u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Begin to form lower-case letters correctly.<\/p>

      \u2022 Form capital letters.<\/p>

      \u2022 Form digits 0-9.<\/p>

      \u2022 Understand letters that are formed in similar ways.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Form lower-case letters of a consistent size.<\/p>

      \u2022 Begin to join some letters.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Write capital letters and digits of consistent size.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Join letters, deciding which\u00a0letters are best left un-joined.<\/p>

      \u2022 Make handwriting legible by\u00a0ensuring downstrokes of\u00a0letters are parallel and letters\u00a0are spaced appropriately.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Write fluently and legibly with a personal style.<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      To spell correctly<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Spell words containing 40+ learned phonemes.<\/p>

      \u2022 Spell common exception words (the, said, one, two and the days of the week).<\/p>

      \u2022 Name letters of the alphabet in order.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Use letter names to describe spellings of words.<\/p>

      \u2022 Add prefixes and suffixes, learning the rule for adding s and es as a plural\u00a0marker for nouns, and the third person singular marker for verbs (I drink – he\u00a0drinks<\/strong>).<\/p>

      \u2022 Use the prefix un.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use suffixes where no change to the spelling of the root word is needed:\u00a0helping<\/strong>, helped<\/strong>, helper<\/strong>, eating<\/strong>, quicker<\/strong>, quickest<\/strong>.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use spelling rules.<\/p>

      \u2022 Write simple sentences dictated by the teacher.<\/p>

      \u2022 Spell by segmenting words into phonemes and represent them with the correct graphemes.<\/p>

      \u2022 Learn some new ways to represent phonemes.<\/p>

      \u2022 Spell common exception words correctly.<\/p>

      \u2022 Spell contraction words correctly (can\u2019t, don\u2019t).<\/p>

      \u2022 Add suffixes to spell longer words (-ment, -ness, -ful and -less).<\/p>

      \u2022 Use the possessive apostrophe. (singular) (for example, the girl’s book)<\/p>

      \u2022 Distinguish between homophones and near-homophones.\u00a0<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Use prefixes and\u00a0suffixes and understand how\u00a0to add them.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Spell homophones correctly.<\/p>

      \u2022 Spell correctly often misspelt\u00a0words.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Place the possessive apostrophe accurately in words with regular plurals (for\u00a0example, girls\u2019, boys\u2019) and in\u00a0words with irregular plurals\u00a0(for example, children\u2019s).<\/p>

      \u2022 Use the first two or three\u00a0letters of a word to check its\u00a0spelling in a dictionary.<\/p>

      \u2022 Write from memory simple\u00a0sentences, dictated by the\u00a0teacher, that include words\u00a0and punctuation taught so\u00a0far.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Use prefixes appropriately.<\/p>

      \u2022 Spell some words with silent\u00a0letters (knight, psalm and solemn).<\/p>

      \u2022 Distinguish between homophones\u00a0and other words that are often\u00a0confused.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use knowledge of morphology\u00a0and etymology in spelling and\u00a0understand that some words\u00a0need to be learned specifically.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Use dictionaries to check spelling\u00a0and meaning of words.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Use the first three or four letters of a word to look up the meaning or spelling of words in a\u00a0dictionary.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use a thesaurus.<\/p>

      \u2022 Spell the vast majority of words correctly.<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      To punctuate accurately<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Leave spaces between words.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u2022 Use the word \u2018and\u2019 to join words and sentences.<\/p>

      \u2022 Begin to punctuate using a capital letter for the name of people, places, the days of the week and I.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use both familiar and new punctuation correctly,\u00a0including full stops, capital letters, exclamation\u00a0marks, question marks, commas for lists and apostrophes for contracted forms.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation and command.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use extended noun phrases to describe and specify (e.g. the blue butterfly).<\/p>

      \u2022 Use subordination (when, if, that or because).<\/p>

      \u2022 Use coordination (or, and, but).<\/p>

      \u2022 Use some features of standard written English.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use the present and past tenses correctly, including the progressive form.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Develop understanding of writing\u00a0concepts by:\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 Extending the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the past tense.<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Choosing nouns or pronouns appropriately for clarity and cohesion and to avoid repetition.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time and cause.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using fronted adverbials.<\/p>

      \u2022 Indicate grammatical and other features by:<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using commas after fronted adverbials.<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Indicating possession by using the possessive apostrophe with plural nouns.<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using and punctuating direct speech.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Develop understanding of writing concepts by:\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Recognising vocabulary and structures that\u00a0are appropriate for formal speech and writing,\u00a0including subjunctive forms.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using passive verbs to affect the presentation of information in a sentence.<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using the perfect form of verbs to mark relationships of time and cause.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using expanded noun phrases to convey complicated information concisely.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using modal verbs or adverbs to indicate degrees of possibility.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that or with an implied (i.e. omitted) relative pronoun.<\/p>

      \u2022 Indicate grammatical and other features by:<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity in writing.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using hyphens to avoid ambiguity.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using semi-colons, colons or dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Using a colon to introduce a list.\u00a0<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 Punctuating bullet points consistently.<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      To analyse writing<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Discuss writing with the teacher and other pupils.<\/p>

      \u2022 Use and understand grammatical terminology in discussing writing:<\/p>

      Year 1<\/strong><\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 word, sentence, letter, capital letter, full stop, punctuation, singular, plural, question mark, exclamation mark.<\/p>

      Year 2<\/strong><\/p>

      \u2022 Use and understand grammatical terminology in discussing writing:<\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 verb, tense (past, present), adjective, noun, suffix, apostrophe, comma.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Use and understand grammatical terminology when discussing writing and reading:<\/p>

      \u00a0Year 3<\/strong><\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 word family, conjunction, adverb, preposition, direct speech, inverted commas (or \u2018speech marks\u2019), prefix,\u00a0consonant, vowel, clause, subordinate clause.<\/p>

      \u00a0Year 4<\/strong><\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022 pronoun, possessive pronoun, adverbial.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Use and understand grammatical terminology when discussing writing and reading:<\/p>

      \u00a0Year 5<\/strong><\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 relative clause, modal verb, relative pronoun, parenthesis, bracket, dash, determiner, cohesion, ambiguity.<\/p>

      \u00a0Year 6<\/strong><\/p>

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 active and passive voice, subject and object, hyphen, synonym, colon, semi-colon, bullet\u00a0points.<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      To present writing<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Read aloud writing clearly enough to be heard\u00a0by peers and the teacher.<\/p>

      \u2022 Read aloud writing with some intonation.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Read aloud writing to a group or whole class, using appropriate intonation.<\/p><\/td>

      \u2022 Perform compositions, using appropriate intonation and volume.<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

      Impact<\/span><\/h3>

      Assessment<\/strong><\/p>

      Through the explicit teaching of the Writing skills, both the teachers and the pupils assess their learning continuously throughout the lesson.<\/p>

      Our assessment systems enable teachers to make informed judgements about the depth of their learning and the progress they have made over time. \u00a0<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Characteristics of a Writer The ability to write fluently and with interesting detail on a number of topics throughout the curriculum. A vivid imagination which makes readers engage with and enjoy their writing. A highly developed vocabulary and an excellent knowledge of writing techniques to extend details or description. Well-organised and structured writing, which includes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":467,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-479","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stonegate.e-sussex.sch.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stonegate.e-sussex.sch.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stonegate.e-sussex.sch.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonegate.e-sussex.sch.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonegate.e-sussex.sch.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=479"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonegate.e-sussex.sch.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/479\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":488,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonegate.e-sussex.sch.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/479\/revisions\/488"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonegate.e-sussex.sch.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stonegate.e-sussex.sch.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}