KS1 Writing Report Comments (Years 1-2)

Writing covers composing sentences, stories and non-fiction for a purpose and reader, organising ideas into sentences and paragraphs, grammar and punctuation as taught, editing and proofreading, and handwriting. Spelling is reported under Phonics and Spelling.

Below are 9 sample sentences for KS1 (Years 1-2): one strength and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Extending / Confident / Developing / Beginning), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 119 writing sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.

Jump to: Extending · Confident · Developing · Beginning · Writing tips

Student name Pronouns

Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Extending E

Strengths

[Name] independently decides when to link ideas with 'and' and when to begin a new sentence, helping each part of a story or recount read clearly.

Next step

To go further, [Name] could write sentences in different forms, such as questions, commands and exclamations, to make [his/her/their] writing more lively.

Confident C

Strengths

When writing, [Name] often uses 'and' to link related ideas while keeping the order of events easy for the reader to follow.

Next step

Using commas to separate items in a list, such as 'apples, pears and plums', would be a useful next step in [Name]'s writing.

Developing D

Strengths

[Name] is learning to join two ideas with 'and' or 'because', and sometimes does this when writing about something that happened.

Next step

Practising letter formation little and often, starting each letter in the right place, will help [Name]'s handwriting become clearer.

Beginning B

Strengths

With a sentence stem such as 'Yesterday I went', [Name] is beginning to write a simple sentence about something [he/she/they] did.

Next step

With an adult modelling first, [Name] could add a describing word to a noun in a sentence, such as 'the big dog' or 'a wet day'.

Support at home

Reading together and pointing out interesting words or phrases an author has chosen can give your child ideas for their own writing.

How to write writing comments for KS1 (Years 1-2)

Write punctuation as words, such as capital letters and full stops, and name the joining word the child uses, like 'and', 'because' or 'when'. Parents can listen for that word when the child writes at home.
Mention saying a sentence aloud before writing it. This routine is central in KS1, and families can copy it easily when writing a birthday card or a shopping list together.
Comment on handwriting separately from ideas: letter formation and finger spaces in Year 1, starting to join in Year 2. A child can compose lively sentences while still forming letters carefully.

Watch out: Avoid listing every punctuation mark covered in class. Choose the one or two features that matter most in the child's own writing and pair each with a next step they can practise.

The scale describes how independently the child shows the learning. Extending suits independently, applies it in new contexts and explains reasoning; Confident suits usually and with occasional support; Developing suits sometimes, or with a model or word mat; Beginning names what the child does with adult support. Show the point through one piece of learning rather than writing the scale word itself.

What Writing covers

In these comments, writing covers these behaviours:

plans, says out loud and writes sentences, narratives and non-fiction for different purposes and audiences
organises writing into sentences, paragraphs and sections, with ideas that are linked
chooses vocabulary and grammar for effect and uses punctuation taught in class accurately
proofreads, edits and improves writing, and reads it aloud to others
forms letters correctly and develops legible, joined handwriting

More UK primary subjects comments

How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.