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EnglishAges 8–9

Plural vs Possessive in Nouns

Grammar & Punctuation

Distinguish between the plural -s suffix and the possessive -'s suffix in nouns

EnglishAges 8–11

Preparing for and Explaining in Discussions

Speaking & Listening

Come to discussions prepared, draw on preparation and known information, and explain ideas in light of the discussion

EnglishAges 8–11

Reporting & Recounting

Speaking & Listening

Report on a topic or recount an experience with organised facts and descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace

EnglishAges 8–10

Reviewing Own Writing

English Thinking

Evaluate whether your own writing achieves the effect you intended on a reader — go beyond checking for correctness to asking whether it actually works

EnglishAges 8–9

Revising and editing (age 8+)

Writing Composition

Read back your own writing critically and independently — notice where meaning is unclear, where a word could be stronger, or where the reader might be confused; make revisions without needing teacher prompts, using your own judgment about what is and isn't working

EnglishAges 8–11

Short Research Projects

Writing Composition

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic, gather information from print and digital sources, and take brief organised notes

EnglishAges 8–9

Simple Past, Present and Future

Grammar & Punctuation

Form and use the simple past, present, and future verb tenses consistently in writing

EnglishAges 8–10

Spellings from Greek, French and Latin

Spelling & Word Study

Spell words with etymological letter patterns from Greek (ch = /k/), French (ch = /ʃ/, -gue, -que), and Latin (sc = /s/) origins

EnglishAges 8–9

Standard English Verbs

Grammar & Punctuation

Use Standard English verb inflections in place of non-standard local forms

EnglishAges 8–9

Structural terminology

Reading Comprehension

Use structural terminology (chapter, scene, stanza) to refer to parts of literary texts and describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections

EnglishAges 8–10

Vivid Word Choices

Writing Composition

Choose precise and vivid words and phrases to create specific effects in writing

EnglishAges 8–9

Why the author wrote it

Reading Comprehension

Distinguish one's own point of view from that of the author of an informational text and identify the author's purpose

EnglishAges 8–11

Writing Craft Vocabulary

Writing Composition

Know and use the vocabulary of writing craft and effect — form, structure, register, tone, voice, coherence, cohesion, argument, evidence, perspective, rhetoric, technique, formal, informal, and style — and understand that these words describe choices writers make intentionally to achieve a particular effect on the reader

EnglishAges 9–10

Adjective Order in Sentences

Grammar & Punctuation

Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional English patterns (opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose) to produce natural-sounding descriptions

EnglishAges 9–10

Advanced Spelling Conventions

Spelling & Word Study

Spell words using assorted Y5-6 conventions: doubling after -fer when the stress remains (referring but reference), using hyphens to join prefixes to root words (co-ordinate, re-enter), the /iː/ sound spelt ei after c (receive, ceiling), and the letter string ough representing different sounds (though, through, thought, thorough, plough)

EnglishAges 9–11

Antonyms & Synonyms

Vocabulary

Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their antonyms (opposites) and synonyms (words with similar meanings), using synonym and antonym relationships to refine vocabulary and improve precision in writing

EnglishAges 9–10

Brackets and dashes for parenthesis

Grammar & Punctuation

Use brackets, dashes, and commas to indicate parenthesis — additional information inserted into a sentence that could be removed without changing the sentence's core meaning

EnglishAges 9–10

Choosing Form and Tone for Your Audience

Writing Composition

Identify the audience for and purpose of writing before beginning, selecting the appropriate form, tone, and register to match the intended reader and communicative goal

EnglishAges 9–11

Cohesion within paragraphs

Grammar & Punctuation

Use cohesive devices within a paragraph — including pronouns, adverbials (then, after that, firstly), and synonyms — to link sentences and build a coherent flow of ideas

EnglishAges 9–10

Combining information from texts

Reading Comprehension

Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably, combining and comparing what each source contributes

EnglishAges 9–11

Commas Before Joining Words

Grammar & Punctuation

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet) when joining two independent clauses in a compound sentence

EnglishAges 9–10

Commas to avoid ambiguity

Grammar & Punctuation

Use commas to clarify meaning and avoid ambiguity in sentences where the absence of a comma could cause misreading

EnglishAges 9–10

Converting Words into Verbs

Grammar & Punctuation

Convert nouns and adjectives into verbs by adding suffixes -ate, -ise (-ize), and -ify, understanding how word class changes affect sentence construction

EnglishAges 9–10

Cultural Allusions and Word Meaning

Reading Comprehension

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as used in literary texts, including understanding references to mythology and cultural allusions (e.g., Herculean, Achilles' heel)