Is there a SATs writing exam paper?

No. Writing is the only core KS2 subject assessed entirely by teacher judgement. There is no writing exam paper. The teacher’s judgement is based on evidence collected across Year 6 and reported as Working Towards, Expected Standard, or Greater Depth alongside the externally marked SATs results for reading, maths, and GPS.

How does the writing assessment affect the overall SATs results?

The teacher assessment for writing is reported separately from the scaled scores in reading, maths, and GPS. It contributes to the school’s headline performance measures, including the percentage of pupils achieving the Expected Standard in reading, writing, and maths combined. This makes the writing judgement high-stakes for schools.

What happens if our school is selected for writing moderation?

A local authority moderator visits the school to review a sample of pupil evidence portfolios and discuss your judgements. They focus on borderline pupils and check that evidence is independent, annotated, and supports the judgement given. If your evidence is strong and well-organised, the visit is straightforward. If judgements are not supported, the moderator can change them.

Can pupils use a word processor for their writing evidence?

The STA guidance allows typed work to be included as evidence, but handwriting must also be demonstrated separately since the TAF includes handwriting criteria. In practice, most evidence is handwritten. If a pupil has an identified need that makes handwriting difficult, reasonable adjustments should be documented.

SATs Writing

SATs Writing Preparation Guide

Unlike reading, maths, and GPS, writing at KS2 is assessed by teacher judgement, not an exam paper. This guide explains exactly how the SATs writing assessment works, what evidence you need to collect, and how to prepare Year 6 pupils to demonstrate their best independent writing.

What This Question Asks

Writing is the only core subject at Key Stage 2 that is not assessed through an externally marked test paper. Instead, it is assessed by the class teacher using the Teacher Assessment Framework (TAF) and reported as part of the KS2 SATs results alongside reading, maths, and grammar/punctuation/spelling scores. This creates a unique challenge: there is no single writing “test” to prepare for, but rather a year-long process of evidence collection and judgement. The teacher’s writing assessment is submitted alongside SATs scores and is subject to external moderation by the local authority. Schools can be selected for moderation visits where a moderator reviews pupil evidence portfolios and may adjust judgements if they are not adequately supported. Preparing for the SATs writing assessment therefore means two things: ensuring pupils can write independently at the highest standard they are capable of, and ensuring that sufficient evidence of independent writing is collected and annotated to support accurate teacher judgements. Many schools use “assessment windows” — designated weeks where pupils complete writing tasks under controlled conditions — alongside ongoing classwork evidence. The most effective preparation combines regular independent writing practice with explicit teaching of the skills the TAF demands at each standard.

Mark Scheme Breakdown

Working Towards the Expected StandardWTS

Writes for a range of purposes with some features of the intended text type.
Uses paragraphs to organise ideas.
Demarcates sentences with capital letters, full stops, question marks, and exclamation marks mostly correctly.
Uses some co-ordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
Spells most words from the Year 3/4 statutory spelling list correctly.
Produces legible joined handwriting.

Working at the Expected StandardEXS

Writes effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting language that shows awareness of the reader.
Describes settings, characters, and atmosphere with carefully chosen vocabulary in narratives.
Uses organisational devices in non-narrative writing (headings, bullet points).
Uses cohesive devices including adverbials, conjunctions, and pronouns.
Uses verb tenses consistently and correctly.
Uses the range of KS2 punctuation mostly correctly, including commas for clarity and inverted commas.
Spells most words from the Year 5/6 statutory spelling list correctly.

Working at Greater DepthGDS

Selects appropriate form and draws on reading as models for writing.
Distinguishes between language of speech and writing with conscious register control.
Exercises assured control over formality through precise vocabulary and grammatical manipulation.
Uses colons and semicolons correctly to mark clause boundaries.
Varies clause structures and their position within sentences.

How to Structure Your Answer

Plan the Year 6 writing curriculum around TAF requirements

Map the TAF criteria onto your yearly plan and ensure pupils have taught opportunities to write in every genre the framework requires: narrative, persuasion, discussion, explanation, recount, formal letter, informal writing, and report. Plan at least one independent “assessment piece” per half-term from autumn onwards so evidence accumulates steadily.

Autumn 1: narrative linked to class novel. Autumn 2: formal persuasive letter. Spring 1: balanced discussion. Spring 2: explanation text. Summer 1: historical recount. Summer 2: informal diary entry and formal report.

Teach independent writing skills explicitly

Many pupils write well with scaffolding but struggle independently. Build independence gradually: model writing together, then remove supports one at a time. Practise “cold writes” (writing in a genre without prior genre-specific teaching) to build confidence and reveal genuine independent ability. These cold writes also produce the strongest moderation evidence.

Focus on the skills that distinguish EXS from WTS

The biggest jump in the TAF is from WTS to EXS. Target these areas: consistent verb tense control across a whole piece, varied cohesive devices (not just “and” and “then”), accurate use of commas for clarity and inverted commas for speech, and vocabulary that shows reader awareness rather than just recounting events.

Build stamina for sustained independent writing

Year 6 pupils need to produce extended pieces of writing independently. Practise timed writing sessions of 30–45 minutes where pupils plan, write, and check a complete piece without teacher intervention. This builds both writing stamina and the habits of independence that produce strong evidence.

Prepare evidence portfolios systematically

Create a folder per pupil from the start of Year 6. Include 6–8 dated, annotated independent pieces across genres. Add a cover sheet with the TAF grid showing which pieces evidence which criteria. Annotate each piece with colour-coded highlights matching the TAF statements. For borderline pupils, include a brief rationale note.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Treating the SATs writing assessment like a test and cramming in the summer term — the TAF requires evidence of consistent, independent writing across the year, not a single strong performance.

Over-scaffolding writing to make pupils look more capable than they are — moderators are trained to spot evidence that looks too similar across a class or too polished for independent work.

Neglecting non-fiction genres in favour of narrative — the TAF requires writing for “a range of purposes and audiences”, and an evidence folder dominated by stories will not satisfy this criterion.

Focusing exclusively on grammar and punctuation accuracy without developing composition skills — the Expected Standard requires effective writing with reader awareness, not just technically correct writing.

Leaving moderation preparation to the last week — evidence folders should be built incrementally throughout the year, with internal moderation sessions each half-term to calibrate judgements.

Top Tips

Use the autumn term to identify which TAF standard each pupil is currently working at, then target teaching at moving them to the next standard. Do not wait until spring to assess where pupils are.

Teach pupils to self-edit by giving them a simplified checklist: Have I used capital letters and full stops? Have I varied my sentence starters? Have I chosen interesting vocabulary? Does my writing make sense when I read it aloud? Self-editing is a skill the TAF values and evidence of editing strengthens portfolios.

Collect at least one strong cross-curricular writing piece per pupil — a science explanation or history recount written independently in another subject demonstrates genuine transferable skill and is difficult for moderators to challenge.

Run half-termly internal moderation sessions with Year 6 colleagues. Bring anonymised borderline portfolios and agree on judgements together. Schools that moderate internally are significantly less likely to have judgements changed at external moderation.

Read the STA exemplification materials with your team and discuss what “mostly correctly” looks like in practice. The most common source of moderation disagreement is inconsistent interpretation of the TAF’s qualifying language.

Practise This Question Type

You have been asked to write an article for the school website persuading parents to support a new after-school reading club. Include a clear argument with reasons and evidence, address potential objections, and use a formal but friendly tone appropriate for a parent audience.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

KS2 Writing Assessment Framework

KS2 Greater Depth Writing

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