Year 6 English Scheme of Work
In Year 6, pupils refine and extend their skills as readers and writers in preparation for the transition to secondary school and KS3. Reading comprehension focuses on the most demanding skill areas, including the evaluation of language, structure and authorial intent. Pupils are expected to draw on a wide personal reading experience and to articulate their thinking clearly in discussion and writing.
Grammar in Year 6 covers the most complex aspects of the NC: passive voice, subjunctive mood, colons, semicolons, hyphens and a wide range of cohesive devices. Writing is expected to show a high degree of technical accuracy, sophisticated vocabulary choices and a clear sense of audience and purpose. The SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) assessment at the end of KS2 draws on all the grammar and punctuation taught across KS2.
Expected prior knowledge
- ✓Ability to use relative clauses, modal verbs and parenthesis correctly
- ✓Ability to write in formal and informal registers across a range of text types
- ✓Knowledge of the full range of KS2 punctuation including apostrophes, inverted commas and commas for fronted adverbials
- ✓Reading comprehension skills at a high level including inference, evaluation and comparison
Units across the year
Six half-term units covering all strands of the KS2 English programme of study.
Passive Voice
- –Using the passive voice to affect the presentation of information in a sentence
- –Understanding the difference between the active and passive voice
- –Transforming active sentences into passive using a sentence manipulation activity
- –Discussing why writers choose the passive voice (to conceal the agent or create formality)
- –Identifying passive constructions in science reports and newspaper articles
- –Writing a balanced news report using both active and passive constructions appropriately
Cohesive Devices
- –Using a range of cohesive devices including repetition, adverbials and ellipsis
- –Ensuring grammatical and structural choices enhance cohesion within and across paragraphs
- –Identifying cohesive devices in a shared model text and categorising them
- –Rewriting a disjointed passage using cohesive devices to improve flow
- –Writing a sustained non-fiction text demonstrating a range of cohesive devices
- –Evaluating the cohesion of a partner's writing and suggesting targeted improvements
Colons and Semicolons
- –Using colons to introduce a list and to mark the boundary between independent clauses
- –Using semicolons to mark the boundary between independent clauses
- –Exploring the difference between colons and semicolons through model sentences
- –Practising writing pairs of related clauses separated by a semicolon
- –Using colons to introduce lists and explanations in non-fiction writing
- –Identifying and correcting misuse of colons and semicolons in model texts
Formal and Informal Writing
- –Identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the appropriate form
- –Selecting vocabulary and grammar that reflects and enhances the chosen form
- –Sorting language features into formal and informal columns and discussing the effect
- –Transforming an informal email into a formal letter on the same topic
- –Writing a formal job application letter and an informal message to a friend on the same subject
- –Evaluating the register of published texts and justifying whether it is appropriate for its audience
Subjunctive Mood
- –Using the subjunctive form to express doubt, wishes and hypothetical situations
- –Recognising the subjunctive in formal and literary contexts
- –Identifying examples of the subjunctive in formal texts, speeches and literature
- –Practising forming the subjunctive using were rather than was and using be rather than is
- –Writing formal recommendations and conditional statements using the subjunctive
- –Debating whether certain constructions sound formal or natural in modern English
KS2 Writing Preparation: Extended Writing
- –Writing effectively and coherently for different purposes, drawing on reading
- –Making stylistic and grammatical choices to create particular effects
- –Undertaking extended independent writing tasks across narrative and non-fiction forms
- –Applying the full range of KS2 grammar, punctuation and spelling knowledge
- –Using the writing process: plan, draft, revise, edit and publish
- –Reflecting on growth as a writer through portfolios and self-assessment
Progression into KS3
At KS3, pupils will build on these foundations by studying a wider range of literary texts including pre-1914 literature, developing analytical writing skills, and applying the full range of grammar and punctuation with increasing sophistication and independence.
Individual lesson plans
Full lesson frameworks — learning objectives, vocabulary, lesson structure, and common misconceptions — for each unit in this scheme.
View all Year 6 English lesson plans →