📖 English – Key Stage 1

Years 1-2

Official GOV.UK source

Topics

Spoken Language12 objectives + 4 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-SL-01listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
EN-KS1-SL-02ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
EN-KS1-SL-03use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary
EN-KS1-SL-04articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
EN-KS1-SL-05give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings
EN-KS1-SL-06maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments
EN-KS1-SL-07use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas
EN-KS1-SL-08speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English
EN-KS1-SL-09participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play/improvisations and debates
EN-KS1-SL-10gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s)
EN-KS1-SL-11consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others
EN-KS1-SL-12select and use appropriate registers for effective communication

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-SL-13These statements apply to all years. The content should be taught at a level appropriate to the age of the pupils. Pupils should build on the oral language skills that have been taught in preceding years.
EN-KS1-SL-14Pupils should be taught to develop their competence in spoken language and listening to enhance the effectiveness of their communication across a range of contexts and to a range of audiences. They should therefore have opportunities to work in groups of different sizes - in pairs, small groups, large groups and as a whole class. Pupils should understand how to take turns and when and how to participate constructively in conversations and debates.
EN-KS1-SL-15Teachers should also pay attention to increasing pupils' vocabulary, ranging from describing their immediate world and feelings to developing a broader, deeper and richer vocabulary to discuss abstract concepts and a wider range of topics, and enhancing their knowledge about language as a whole.
EN-KS1-SL-16Pupils should receive constructive feedback on their spoken language and listening, not only to improve their knowledge and skills but also to establish secure foundations for effective spoken language in their studies at primary school, helping them to achieve in secondary education and beyond.

Year 1

Reading - Word Reading9 objectives + 4 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y1-RW-01apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words
EN-KS1-Y1-RW-02respond speedily with the correct sound to graphemes (letters or groups of letters) for all 40+ phonemes, including, where applicable, alternative sounds for graphemes
EN-KS1-Y1-RW-03read accurately by blending sounds in unfamiliar words containing GPCs that have been taught
EN-KS1-Y1-RW-04read common exception words, noting unusual correspondences between spelling and sound and where these occur in the word
EN-KS1-Y1-RW-05read words containing taught GPCs and -s, -es, -ing, -ed, -er and -est endings
EN-KS1-Y1-RW-06read other words of more than one syllable that contain taught GPCs
EN-KS1-Y1-RW-07read words with contractions [for example, I'm, I'll, we'll], and understand that the apostrophe represents the omitted letter(s)
EN-KS1-Y1-RW-08read books aloud, accurately, that are consistent with their developing phonic knowledge and that do not require them to use other strategies to work out words
EN-KS1-Y1-RW-09reread these books to build up their fluency and confidence in word reading

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y1-RW-10Pupils should revise and consolidate the GPCs and the common exception words taught in reception year. As soon as they can read words comprising the year 1 GPCs accurately and speedily, they should move on to the year 2 programme of study for word reading.
EN-KS1-Y1-RW-11The number, order and choice of exception words taught will vary according to the phonics programme being used. Ensuring that pupils are aware of the GPCs they contain, however unusual these are, supports spelling later.
EN-KS1-Y1-RW-12Young readers encounter words that they have not seen before much more frequently than experienced readers do, and they may not know the meaning of some of these. Practice at reading such words by sounding and blending can provide opportunities not only for pupils to develop confidence in their decoding skills, but also for teachers to explain the meaning and thus develop pupils' vocabulary.
EN-KS1-Y1-RW-13Pupils should be taught how to read words with suffixes by being helped to build on the root words that they can read already. Pupils' reading and rereading of books that are closely matched to their developing phonic knowledge and knowledge of common exception words supports their fluency, as well as increasing their confidence in their reading skills. Fluent word reading greatly assists comprehension, especially when pupils come to read longer books.

Reading - Comprehension13 objectives + 6 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y1-RC-01develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-02develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: being encouraged to link what they read or hear to their own experiences
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-03develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, retelling them and considering their particular characteristics
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-04develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: recognising and joining in with predictable phrases
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-05develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: learning to appreciate rhymes and poems, and to recite some by heart
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-06develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: discussing word meanings, linking new meanings to those already known
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-07understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to by: drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-08understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to by: checking that the text makes sense to them as they read, and correcting inaccurate reading
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-09understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to by: discussing the significance of the title and events
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-10understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to by: making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-11understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to by: predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-12participate in discussion about what is read to them, taking turns and listening to what others say
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-13explain clearly their understanding of what is read to them

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y1-RC-14Pupils should have extensive experience of listening to, sharing and discussing a wide range of high-quality books with the teacher, other adults and each other to engender a love of reading at the same time as they are reading independently.
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-15Pupils' vocabulary should be developed when they listen to books read aloud and when they discuss what they have heard. Such vocabulary can also feed into their writing. Knowing the meaning of more words increases pupils' chances of understanding when they read by themselves. The meaning of some new words should be introduced to pupils before they start to read on their own, so that these unknown words do not hold up their comprehension.
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-16However, once pupils have already decoded words successfully, the meaning of those that are new to them can be discussed with them, thus contributing to developing their early skills of inference. By listening frequently to stories, poems and non-fiction that they cannot yet read for themselves, pupils begin to understand how written language can be structured in order, for example, to build surprise in narratives or to present facts in non-fiction. Listening to and discussing information books and other non-fiction establishes the foundations for their learning in other subjects. Pupils should be shown some of the processes for finding out information.
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-17Through listening, pupils also start to learn how language sounds and increase their vocabulary and awareness of grammatical structures. In due course, they will be able to draw on such grammar in their own writing.
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-18Rules for effective discussions should be agreed with and demonstrated for pupils. They should help to develop and evaluate them, with the expectation that everyone takes part. Pupils should be helped to consider the opinions of others.
EN-KS1-Y1-RC-19Role play can help pupils to identify with and explore characters and to try out the language they have listened to.

Writing - Transcription (Spelling)10 objectives + 4 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y1-WT-01spell: words containing each of the 40+ phonemes already taught
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-02spell: common exception words
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-03spell: the days of the week
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-04name the letters of the alphabet: naming the letters of the alphabet in order
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-05name the letters of the alphabet: using letter names to distinguish between alternative spellings of the same sound
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-06add prefixes and suffixes: using the spelling rule for adding -s or -es as the plural marker for nouns and the third person singular marker for verbs
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-07add prefixes and suffixes: using the prefix un-
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-08add prefixes and suffixes: using -ing, -ed, -er and -est where no change is needed in the spelling of root words [for example, helping, helped, helper, eating, quicker, quickest]
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-09apply simple spelling rules and guidance, as listed in English appendix 1
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-10write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs and common exception words taught so far

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y1-WT-11Reading should be taught alongside spelling, so that pupils understand that they can read back words they have spelt.
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-12Pupils should be shown how to segment spoken words into individual phonemes and then how to represent the phonemes by the appropriate grapheme(s). It is important to recognise that phoneme-grapheme correspondences (which underpin spelling) are more variable than grapheme-phoneme correspondences (which underpin reading). For this reason, pupils need to do much more word-specific rehearsal for spelling than for reading.
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-13At this stage pupils will be spelling some words in a phonically plausible way, even if sometimes incorrectly. Misspellings of words that pupils have been taught to spell should be corrected; other misspelt words should be used to teach pupils about alternative ways of representing those sounds.
EN-KS1-Y1-WT-14Writing simple dictated sentences that include words taught so far gives pupils opportunities to apply and practise their spelling.

Writing - Handwriting5 objectives + 2 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y1-WH-01sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly
EN-KS1-Y1-WH-02begin to form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place
EN-KS1-Y1-WH-03form capital letters
EN-KS1-Y1-WH-04form digits 0-9
EN-KS1-Y1-WH-05understand which letters belong to which handwriting 'families' (ie letters that are formed in similar ways) and to practise these

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y1-WH-06Handwriting requires frequent and discrete, direct teaching. Pupils should be able to form letters correctly and confidently. The size of the writing implement (pencil, pen) should not be too large for a young pupil's hand. Whatever is being used should allow the pupil to hold it easily and correctly so that bad habits are avoided.
EN-KS1-Y1-WH-07Left-handed pupils should receive specific teaching to meet their needs.

Writing - Composition6 objectives + 2 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y1-WC-01write sentences by: saying out loud what they are going to write about
EN-KS1-Y1-WC-02write sentences by: composing a sentence orally before writing it
EN-KS1-Y1-WC-03write sentences by: sequencing sentences to form short narratives
EN-KS1-Y1-WC-04write sentences by: re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense
EN-KS1-Y1-WC-05discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils
EN-KS1-Y1-WC-06read their writing aloud, clearly enough to be heard by their peers and the teacher

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y1-WC-07At the beginning of year 1, not all pupils will have the spelling and handwriting skills they need to write down everything that they can compose out loud.
EN-KS1-Y1-WC-08Pupils should understand, through demonstration, the skills and processes essential to writing: that is, thinking aloud as they collect ideas, drafting, and rereading to check their meaning is clear.

Writing - Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation6 objectives + 2 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y1-VGP-01develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English appendix 2 by: leaving spaces between words
EN-KS1-Y1-VGP-02develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English appendix 2 by: joining words and joining clauses using 'and'
EN-KS1-Y1-VGP-03develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English appendix 2 by: beginning to punctuate sentences using a capital letter and a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark
EN-KS1-Y1-VGP-04develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English appendix 2 by: using a capital letter for names of people, places, the days of the week, and the personal pronoun 'I'
EN-KS1-Y1-VGP-05develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English appendix 2 by: learning the grammar for year 1 in English appendix 2
EN-KS1-Y1-VGP-06use the grammatical terminology in English appendix 2 in discussing their writing

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y1-VGP-07Pupils should be taught to recognise sentence boundaries in spoken sentences and to use the vocabulary listed in English appendix 2 ('Terminology for pupils') when their writing is discussed.
EN-KS1-Y1-VGP-08Pupils should begin to use some of the distinctive features of Standard English in their writing. 'Standard English' is defined in the glossary.

Appendix 1: Spelling14 objectives

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-APP1-Y1-00-01The sounds /f/, /l/, /s/, /z/ and /k/ spelt ff, ll, ss, zz and ck
EN-APP1-Y1-00-02Division of words into syllables
EN-APP1-Y1-00-03The /tʃ/ sound spelt -tch
EN-APP1-Y1-00-04The /v/ sound at the end of words
EN-APP1-Y1-00-05Adding s and es to words (plural of nouns and the third person singular of verbs)
EN-APP1-Y1-00-06Adding the endings -ing, -ed and -er to verbs where no change is needed to the root word
EN-APP1-Y1-00-07Adding -er and -est to adjectives where no change is needed to the root word
EN-APP1-Y1-00-08Vowel digraphs and trigraphs: ai, oi, ay, oy, a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e, u-e, ar, ee, ea, er, ir, ur, oo, oa, oe, ou, ow, ue, ew, ie, igh, or, ore, aw, au, air, ear, are
EN-APP1-Y1-00-09Words ending -y (/iː/ or /ɪ/)
EN-APP1-Y1-00-10New consonant spellings ph and wh
EN-APP1-Y1-00-11Using k for the /k/ sound
EN-APP1-Y1-00-12Adding the prefix un-
EN-APP1-Y1-00-13Compound words
EN-APP1-Y1-00-14Common exception words

Appendix 2: Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation10 objectives

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-APP2-Y1-00-01Regular plural noun suffixes -s or -es [for example, dog, dogs; wish, wishes], including the effects of these suffixes on the meaning of the noun
EN-APP2-Y1-00-02Suffixes that can be added to verbs where no change is needed in the spelling of root words (e.g. helping, helped, helper)
EN-APP2-Y1-00-03How the prefix un- changes the meaning of verbs and adjectives [negation, for example, unkind, or undoing: untie the boat]
EN-APP2-Y1-00-04How words can combine to make sentences
EN-APP2-Y1-00-05Joining words and joining clauses using and
EN-APP2-Y1-00-06Sequencing sentences to form short narratives
EN-APP2-Y1-00-07Separation of words with spaces
EN-APP2-Y1-00-08Introduction to capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks to demarcate sentences
EN-APP2-Y1-00-09Capital letters for names and for the personal pronoun I
EN-APP2-Y1-00-10Terminology for pupils: letter, capital letter, word, singular, plural, sentence, punctuation, full stop, question mark, exclamation mark

Year 2

Reading - Word Reading8 objectives + 4 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y2-RW-01continue to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words until automatic decoding has become embedded and reading is fluent
EN-KS1-Y2-RW-02read accurately by blending the sounds in words that contain the graphemes taught so far, especially recognising alternative sounds for graphemes
EN-KS1-Y2-RW-03read accurately words of two or more syllables that contain the same graphemes as above
EN-KS1-Y2-RW-04read words containing common suffixes
EN-KS1-Y2-RW-05read further common exception words, noting unusual correspondences between spelling and sound and where these occur in the word
EN-KS1-Y2-RW-06read most words quickly and accurately, without overt sounding and blending, when they have been frequently encountered
EN-KS1-Y2-RW-07read aloud books closely matched to their improving phonic knowledge, sounding out unfamiliar words accurately, automatically and without undue hesitation
EN-KS1-Y2-RW-08reread these books to build up their fluency and confidence in word reading

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y2-RW-09Pupils should revise and consolidate the GPCs and the common exception words taught in year 1. The exception words taught will vary slightly, depending on the phonics programme being used. As soon as pupils can read words comprising the year 2 GPCs accurately and speedily, they should move on to the years 3 and 4 programme of study for word reading.
EN-KS1-Y2-RW-10When pupils are taught how to read longer words, they should be shown syllable boundaries and how to read each syllable separately before they combine them to read the word.
EN-KS1-Y2-RW-11Pupils should be taught how to read suffixes by building on the root words that they have already learnt. The whole suffix should be taught as well as the letters that make it up.
EN-KS1-Y2-RW-12Pupils who are still at the early stages of learning to read should have ample practice in reading books that are closely matched to their developing phonic knowledge and knowledge of common exception words. As soon as the decoding of most regular words and common exception words is embedded fully, the range of books that pupils can read independently will expand rapidly. Pupils should have opportunities to exercise choice in selecting books and be taught how to do so.

Reading - Comprehension15 objectives + 7 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y2-RC-01develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: listening to, discussing and expressing views about a wide range of contemporary and classic poetry, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-02develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: discussing the sequence of events in books and how items of information are related
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-03develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: becoming increasingly familiar with and retelling a wider range of stories, fairy stories and traditional tales
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-04develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: being introduced to non-fiction books that are structured in different ways
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-05develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: recognising simple recurring literary language in stories and poetry
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-06develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: discussing and clarifying the meanings of words, linking new meanings to known vocabulary
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-07develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: discussing their favourite words and phrases
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-08develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: continuing to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart, appreciating these and reciting some, with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-09understand both the books that they can already read accurately and fluently and those that they listen to by: drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-10understand both the books that they can already read accurately and fluently and those that they listen to by: checking that the text makes sense to them as they read, and correcting inaccurate reading
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-11understand both the books that they can already read accurately and fluently and those that they listen to by: making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-12understand both the books that they can already read accurately and fluently and those that they listen to by: answering and asking questions
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-13understand both the books that they can already read accurately and fluently and those that they listen to by: predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-14participate in discussion about books, poems and other works that are read to them and those that they can read for themselves, taking turns and listening to what others say
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-15explain and discuss their understanding of books, poems and other material, both those that they listen to and those that they read for themselves

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y2-RC-16Pupils should be encouraged to read all the words in a sentence and to do this accurately, so that their understanding of what they read is not hindered by imprecise decoding (for example, by reading 'place' instead of 'palace').
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-17Pupils should monitor what they read, checking that the word they have decoded fits in with what else they have read and makes sense in the context of what they already know about the topic.
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-18The meaning of new words should be explained to pupils within the context of what they are reading, and they should be encouraged to use morphology (such as prefixes) to work out unknown words.
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-19Pupils should learn about cause and effect in both narrative and non-fiction (for example, what has prompted a character's behaviour in a story; why certain dates are commemorated annually). 'Thinking aloud' when reading to pupils may help them to understand what skilled readers do.
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-20Deliberate steps should be taken to increase pupils' vocabulary and their awareness of grammar so that they continue to understand the differences between spoken and written language.
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-21Discussion should be demonstrated to pupils. They should be guided to participate in it and they should be helped to consider the opinions of others. They should receive feedback on their discussions.
EN-KS1-Y2-RC-22Role play and other drama techniques can help pupils to identify with and explore characters. In these ways, they extend their understanding of what they read and have opportunities to try out the language they have listened to.

Writing - Transcription (Spelling)9 objectives + 3 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y2-WT-01spell by: segmenting spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly
EN-KS1-Y2-WT-02spell by: learning new ways of spelling phonemes for which 1 or more spellings are already known, and learn some words with each spelling, including a few common homophones
EN-KS1-Y2-WT-03spell by: learning to spell common exception words
EN-KS1-Y2-WT-04spell by: learning to spell more words with contracted forms
EN-KS1-Y2-WT-05spell by: learning the possessive apostrophe (singular) [for example, the girl's book]
EN-KS1-Y2-WT-06spell by: distinguishing between homophones and near-homophones
EN-KS1-Y2-WT-07add suffixes to spell longer words including -ment, -ness, -ful, -less, -ly
EN-KS1-Y2-WT-08apply spelling rules and guidance, as listed in English appendix 1
EN-KS1-Y2-WT-09write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs, common exception words and punctuation taught so far

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y2-WT-10In year 2, pupils move towards more word-specific knowledge of spelling, including homophones. The process of spelling should be emphasised: that is, that spelling involves segmenting spoken words into phonemes and then representing all the phonemes by graphemes in the right order. Pupils should do this both for single-syllable and polysyllabic words.
EN-KS1-Y2-WT-11At this stage, children's spelling should be phonically plausible, even if not always correct. Misspellings of words that pupils have been taught to spell should be corrected; other misspelt words can be used as an opportunity to teach pupils about alternative ways of representing those sounds.
EN-KS1-Y2-WT-12Pupils should be encouraged to apply their knowledge of suffixes from their word reading to their spelling. They should also draw from and apply their growing knowledge of word and spelling structure, as well as their knowledge of root words.

Writing - Handwriting4 objectives + 1 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y2-WH-01form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another
EN-KS1-Y2-WH-02start using some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined
EN-KS1-Y2-WH-03write capital letters and digits of the correct size, orientation and relationship to one another and to lower-case letters
EN-KS1-Y2-WH-04use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y2-WH-05Pupils should revise and practise correct letter formation frequently. They should be taught to write with a joined style as soon as they can form letters securely with the correct orientation.

Writing - Composition11 objectives + 4 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y2-WC-01develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional)
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-02develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing about real events
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-03develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing poetry
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-04develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing for different purposes
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-05consider what they are going to write before beginning by: planning or saying out loud what they are going to write about
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-06consider what they are going to write before beginning by: writing down ideas and/or key words, including new vocabulary
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-07consider what they are going to write before beginning by: encapsulating what they want to say, sentence by sentence
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-08make simple additions, revisions and corrections to their own writing by: evaluating their writing with the teacher and other pupils
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-09make simple additions, revisions and corrections to their own writing by: rereading to check that their writing makes sense and that verbs to indicate time are used correctly and consistently, including verbs in the continuous form
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-10make simple additions, revisions and corrections to their own writing by: proofreading to check for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation (for example, ends of sentences punctuated correctly)
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-11read aloud what they have written with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y2-WC-12Reading and listening to whole books, not simply extracts, helps pupils to increase their vocabulary and grammatical knowledge, including their knowledge of the vocabulary and grammar of Standard English. These activities also help them to understand how different types of writing, including narratives, are structured. All these can be drawn on for their writing.
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-13Pupils should understand, through being shown these, the skills and processes essential to writing: that is, thinking aloud as they collect ideas, drafting, and rereading to check their meaning is clear.
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-14Drama and role play can contribute to the quality of pupils' writing by providing opportunities for pupils to develop and order their ideas through playing roles and improvising scenes in various settings.
EN-KS1-Y2-WC-15Pupils might draw on and use new vocabulary from their reading, their discussions about it (one-to-one and as a whole class) and from their wider experiences.

Writing - Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation8 objectives + 1 guidance

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-KS1-Y2-VGP-01develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English appendix 2 by: learning how to use both familiar and new punctuation correctly - see English appendix 2, including full stops, capital letters, exclamation marks, question marks, commas for lists and apostrophes for contracted forms and the possessive (singular)
EN-KS1-Y2-VGP-02learn how to use: sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command
EN-KS1-Y2-VGP-03learn how to use: expanded noun phrases to describe and specify [for example, the blue butterfly]
EN-KS1-Y2-VGP-04learn how to use: the present and past tenses correctly and consistently, including the progressive form
EN-KS1-Y2-VGP-05learn how to use: subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but)
EN-KS1-Y2-VGP-06learn how to use: the grammar for year 2 in English appendix 2
EN-KS1-Y2-VGP-07learn how to use: some features of written Standard English
EN-KS1-Y2-VGP-08use and understand the grammatical terminology in English appendix 2 in discussing their writing

Teaching guidance (non-statutory)

EN-KS1-Y2-VGP-09The terms for discussing language should be embedded for pupils in the course of discussing their writing with them. Their attention should be drawn to the technical terms they need to learn.

Appendix 1: Spelling26 objectives

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-APP1-Y2-00-01The /dʒ/ sound spelt as ge and dge at the end of words, and sometimes spelt as g elsewhere in words before e, i and y
EN-APP1-Y2-00-02The /s/ sound spelt c before e, i and y
EN-APP1-Y2-00-03The /n/ sound spelt kn and (less often) gn at the beginning of words
EN-APP1-Y2-00-04The /r/ sound spelt wr at the beginning of words
EN-APP1-Y2-00-05The /l/ or /əl/ sound spelt -le at the end of words
EN-APP1-Y2-00-06The /l/ or /əl/ sound spelt -el at the end of words
EN-APP1-Y2-00-07The /l/ or /əl/ sound spelt -al at the end of words
EN-APP1-Y2-00-08Words ending -il
EN-APP1-Y2-00-09The /aɪ/ sound spelt -y at the end of words
EN-APP1-Y2-00-10Adding -es to nouns and verbs ending in -y
EN-APP1-Y2-00-11Adding -ed, -ing, -er and -est to a root word ending in -y with a consonant before it
EN-APP1-Y2-00-12Adding the endings -ing, -ed, -er, -est and -y to words ending in -e with a consonant before it
EN-APP1-Y2-00-13Adding -ing, -ed, -er, -est and -y to words of one syllable ending in a single consonant letter after a single vowel letter
EN-APP1-Y2-00-14The /ɔː/ sound spelt a before l and ll
EN-APP1-Y2-00-15The /ʌ/ sound spelt o
EN-APP1-Y2-00-16The /iː/ sound spelt -ey
EN-APP1-Y2-00-17The /ɒ/ sound spelt a after w and qu
EN-APP1-Y2-00-18The /ɜː/ sound spelt or after w
EN-APP1-Y2-00-19The /ɔː/ sound spelt ar after w
EN-APP1-Y2-00-20The /ʒ/ sound spelt s
EN-APP1-Y2-00-21The suffixes -ment, -ness, -ful, -less and -ly
EN-APP1-Y2-00-22Contractions
EN-APP1-Y2-00-23The possessive apostrophe (singular nouns)
EN-APP1-Y2-00-24Words ending in -tion
EN-APP1-Y2-00-25Homophones and near-homophones
EN-APP1-Y2-00-26Common exception words

Appendix 2: Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation12 objectives

Pupils should be taught to:

EN-APP2-Y2-00-01Formation of nouns using suffixes such as -ness, -er and by compounding [for example, whiteboard, superman]
EN-APP2-Y2-00-02Formation of adjectives using suffixes such as -ful, -less
EN-APP2-Y2-00-03Use of the suffixes -er, -est in adjectives and the use of -ly in Standard English to turn adjectives into adverbs
EN-APP2-Y2-00-04Subordination (using when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (using or, and, but)
EN-APP2-Y2-00-05Expanded noun phrases for description and specification [for example, the blue butterfly, plain flour, the man in the moon]
EN-APP2-Y2-00-06How the grammatical patterns in a sentence indicate its function as a statement, question, exclamation or command
EN-APP2-Y2-00-07Correct choice and consistent use of present tense and past tense throughout writing
EN-APP2-Y2-00-08Use of the progressive form of verbs in the present and past tense to mark actions in progress [for example, she is drumming, he was shouting]
EN-APP2-Y2-00-09Use of capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks to demarcate sentences
EN-APP2-Y2-00-10Commas to separate items in a list
EN-APP2-Y2-00-11Apostrophes to mark where letters are missing in spelling and to mark singular possession in nouns [for example, the girl's name]
EN-APP2-Y2-00-12Terminology for pupils: noun, noun phrase, statement, question, exclamation, command, compound, suffix, adjective, adverb, verb, tense (past, present), apostrophe, comma

Practise English with free games

These games are aligned to the English national curriculum objectives above.

Spelling Bee

Spelling

Word Builder

Spelling & Vocabulary

Sentence Doctor

Grammar & Punctuation

Grammar Goblins

Grammar & Punctuation

Reading Detective

Reading Comprehension

Story Snap

Reading Comprehension

Content sourced from the English programmes of study, Department for Education, published September 2013. Crown copyright. Each objective carries a reference code (e.g. EN-KS1-...) for identification. Verify any objective by searching the GOV.UK source page linked above. Last verified against GOV.UK: April 2026. About this data