Preparing pupils for the end of Key Stage 2 writing assessments can be a complex process. Year 6 teachers often face the challenge of balancing the need to secure key writing skills with fostering creativity, independence, and enjoyment in writing. The 2024 external moderation process has highlighted a clear benefit: pupils who were given more choice in their writing were not only more likely to meet the expected standard but were also more likely to achieve greater depth within the expected standard. Importantly, teachers who embedded choice into their writing curriculum found it easier to make accurate and robust assessment judgements.
Final writing assessment judgements are a team effort
It’s essential to remember that the statutory writing judgement at the end of Key Stage 2 is not just based on Year 6 teaching and learning. The framework used for assessment focuses on secure learning of key skills developed across all of Key Stage 2—from Year 3 through to Year 6. Writing is a cumulative process, where each year builds upon the last, meaning that every Key Stage 2 (and indeed Primary) teacher has a vital role in preparing pupils for success. The 2024 moderation cycle showed that schools, where pupils were consistently given choice and independence in writing, saw better results because these approaches were embedded across all year groups, not just Year 6.
Senior leaders should ensure that the whole team understands the progression of skills and how they feed into the final assessments at the end of Key Stage 2. This shared responsibility helps create a consistent writing curriculum where pupils are given ample opportunities to develop key skills and independence from Year 3 onwards. This includes providing all staff with opportunities to familiarise themselves with the end-of-key-stage writing framework, exemplification materials and the Standards and Testing Agency’s (STA) guidance on independent writing.
The role of writing enjoyment in achieving better outcomes
Research from the National Literacy Trust shows that pupils who enjoy writing are more likely to achieve age-related expectations or better. Providing pupils with choice—whether that’s in topic, genre, or style—plays a critical role in fostering this enjoyment. When pupils are genuinely interested in what they’re writing, they engage more deeply, apply skills more creatively, and produce higher-quality work.
One excellent resource to support more choice is using Pobble 365, which offers a daily image paired with a word bank and story starter—an ideal foundation for creative writing. A great way to use Pobble 365 with your class is to present the same image and word bank to everyone, but allow pupils to select their focus, genre, or form for their writing. Whether they choose to write a narrative, diary entry, poem, or letter, this choice encourages independence while still working within a shared stimulus. Alternatively, you could offer pupils a choice of different images and story starters and let them pick the one that excites or inspires them most. This flexibility encourages pupils to take ownership of their work, leading to richer, more varied outcomes that align with their individual interests.
Independent writing and the National Curriculum
The National Curriculum for English supports the development of independence in writing by promoting varied and flexible opportunities for pupils to write for different purposes and audiences. This emphasis on independence aligns well with the STA’s guidance on independent writing, which is used when making assessment judgements at the end of Key Stage 2. Overly prescriptive tasks limit pupils’ ability to demonstrate true independence, whereas offering more choice allows them to apply skills more authentically and creatively.
Views from some of our favourite educators
Perhaps it would also be good to consider the views of some of Pobble’s favourite educators on this subject:
Mary Myatt emphasises that a deep understanding of concepts enables students to apply their knowledge fluently in various contexts. She notes that independent application is crucial for embedding learning in long-term memory. This process relies on students not just recalling information but being able to use it flexibly across different tasks and writing styles.
Pie Corbett, known for his “Talk for Writing” approach, stresses the importance of giving students the tools to explore creative and independent expression. He argues that providing choice in writing encourages a sense of ownership and motivates students to draw on their own experiences and ideas. This autonomy fosters more authentic and purposeful writing, essential for building confident writers.
Bob Cox, through his work on opening up high-quality texts and encouraging rich discussion, advocates for empowering students to make choices in how they approach writing tasks. By understanding the underlying principles of writing, students can independently apply techniques to a range of topics and genres, enhancing their creative freedom and critical thinking. Bob Cox’s book Opening Doors to Ambitious Primary English provides frameworks and principles for any school wishing to be more ambitious in developing pupils’ speaking, listening, reading, writing and thinking with a greater sense of curiosity and more originality.
These perspectives highlight that independent skill application and choice in writing are vital for fostering confident, capable, and motivated writers who can express their thoughts creatively and critically across different contexts.
The 2024 moderation process confirmed that pupils who had regular opportunities to choose their writing topics and formats produced stronger, more consistent evidence of secure skills. For teachers, this made it easier to meet the assessment framework requirements and confidently judge whether pupils had met the expected standard or achieved greater depth. It was clear that in these schools moderation discussions on all year groups were also centred around independent skill application. By no means did this mean schools using ‘cold writing tasks’ but it meant teachers were transparent about the extent to which pupils had made their own choices.
Conclusion: A balanced approach for writing success
The evidence from the 2024 moderation process shows that offering more choice in writing not only improves outcomes but also makes assessments more straightforward and accurate. Using resources like Pobble 365 in a flexible, open-ended way is just one example of how teachers can embed choice into their writing curriculum. By giving pupils the freedom to select their own topics, genres, and styles, we encourage them to develop as independent, motivated writers capable of producing their best work.
Last year, the schools and MATs we partnered with to develop effective moderation practices made sure that discussions around independent skill application were central to every moderation meeting. These schools prioritised exploring how students could autonomously apply their learning in different contexts, ensuring that this was a key focus in evaluating both teaching effectiveness and individual pupil assessments.
Ultimately, the journey to success in writing is built over several years, with every Key Stage 2 teacher playing a role in building the skills and confidence pupils need. By embedding choice, promoting creativity, and maintaining a shared understanding of the assessment framework, we set our pupils up not just for success at the end of Primary but for a lifelong love of writing.If your school is keen to develop your moderation practices and think more deeply about the writing opportunities you provide and indeed discuss then explore our subscriptions and the training we offer.
