Do you have enough independent writing to assess your Year 6 pupils against the writing Teacher Assessment Framework for the end of Key Stage 2?
Plazoom has created a selection of writing activities linked to the foundation subjects to provide opportunities for cross-curricular writing.
In this writing task, pupils are asked to write a formal letter of complaint about a faulty product (a game). This could be used within a design technology unit, evaluating existing products, before designing and creating their own games.
What is a formal letter?
A formal letter is a type of writing used in professional situations. Examples might include a job application, letter of complaint, a letter to a customer or to parents.
Formal letters should be written using a formal tone. The use of Standard English and formal vocabulary is needed.
What is included in this resource?
- Personal writing skills checklist
for pupils to write their own writing checklists to encourage independent editing
- Formal letter writing skills checklist
a list of features, without modelled examples, for pupils to use as a checklist for editing writing
- How to write a formal letter poster
a poster for display with the key features of a formal letter
a series of posters to display explaining the subjunctive form
a collection of images to inspire writing
a PDF worksheet for pupils to record initial ideas for writing
- Formal letter KS2 planning sheet
to support pupils when planning, providing a letter writing template to organise ideas
a PDF writing sheet for pupils to use when writing their final draft
- Teacher assessment sheets
for teachers to use to assess pupils against the year 6 writing TAF statements which could be placed in pupils’ books as a record of evidence seen
How can this resource support assessment against the TAF statements?
The resource will provide an opportunity for pupils to produce writing independently in the form of a formal letter. Posters displaying formal letter writing standards and a writing skills checklist listing formal writing features are included to support writing. The year 6 writing checklists with TAF statements can be used to assess pupils against the year 6 writing standards for working towards, expected and greater depth, which could be used for internal or external moderation.
End of KS2 TAF Statements the writing could provide evidence for:
WTS
- To write for a range of purposes
- To use simple devices to structure writing and support the reader
EXS
- To write effectively for a range of purposes and audience, selecting language that shows good awareness of the reader
- To select vocabulary and grammatical structures that reflect what the writing requires doing this mostly appropriately (modal verbs, passive voice)
GDS
- To exercise an assured and conscious control over levels of formality, particularly through manipulating grammar and vocabulary to achieve this
- To use the range of punctuation taught at KS2 correctly (colons and semi-colons)