1. 2017 English SATS
This year will be the second year group to sit the new SATS papers.
The new tests reflect the new curriculum, they are tougher than the old curriculum.
Year 6 English - will sit a reading test and a spelling, punctuation and grammar test, which are marked externally (tests are completed in their subject teacher’s classroom.)
Writing will be completed in English lessons and some foundation subjects (towards their writing portfolio) and will assessed by their English teacher internally.
Every three years writing can be moderated by an external agency.

2. Reading
The Reading Test consists of a single test paper with three unrelated reading texts.
Children are given 60 minutes in total, which includes reading the texts and answering the questions.
A total of 50 marks are available.
Questions are designed to assess the comprehension and understanding of a child’s reading.
Some questions are multiple choice or selected response, others require short answers and some require an extended response or explanation.

3. Make a point that links directly back to the question to show that you have addressed it. What is your opinion?
How to answer in P.E.E (three mark questions) Point Evidence Explanation Question: Why do you think the rabbit didn’t stop to talk to Alice?
Point – The rabbit didn’t stop to talk to Alice because he didn’t notice her, he was too busy. Evidence - The text tells us that the rabbit said to itself “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late.” Explanation – This tells us that the rabbit was in a hurry therefore he didn’t stop to talk to Alice because he didn’t notice her.
Use evidence from the text that backs up your point.
Why have you made the point? Why does your evidence back up your point? What is your opinion? What does it suggest?

4. Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar
A Spelling test is administered containing 20 words, lasting approximately 15 minutes.
A separate test is given on Punctuation, Vocabulary and Grammar
This test lasts for 45 minutes and requires short answer questions, including some multiple choice.
Marks for these two tests are added together to give a total for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar.

5. Sample Questions
Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Paper 1

6. Sample Questions
Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Paper 1

7. Old Level 6 Reading and SPAG
Higher ability students don’t take a separate paper anymore…
Instead, students have the opportunity to score higher on the same paper as everyone else. The paper gets progressively harder and the last text and questions will be the toughest.

8. Writing Test
Pupils produce a variety of written work set by their English teachers, which is assessed internally.
They write in a range of different styles: stories, poetry, newspaper articles, instructions, formal and informal letter writing etc.
The writing judgement comes from the teacher assessment – Mainly English lessons and some foundation subjects such as Geography, History and Science.
Writing is assessed against the new national expectations criteria.

9. National expectations writing criteria – what is the writing judged against?
The pupil can write for a range of purposes and audiences
Creating atmosphere, and integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the action
Selecting vocabulary and grammatical structures that reflect the level of formality required mostly correctly
Using a range of cohesive devises, including adverbials, within and across sentences and paragraphs
Using passive and modal verbs mostly appropriately
Using a wide range of clause structures, sometimes varying their position within a sentence
using mostly correctly:
inverted commas
commas for clarity
punctuation for parenthesis
Making some correct use of:
semi-colons
dashes
colons
hyphens
spelling most Y5/6 words correctly
Maintaining legibility, fluency and speed in handwriting through choosing whether or not to join specific letters

10. Writing in greater depth All of the previous national standard expectations plus the following:
managing shifts between levels of formality through selecting vocabulary precisely and by manipulating grammatical structures
selecting verb forms for meaning and effect
using the full range of punctuation taught at key stage 2 mostly correctly including:
semi-colons to make the boundary between independent clauses
colons to mark the boundary between independent clauses

11. How to Help Your Child with Reading
Listening to your child read can take many forms.
First and foremost, focus developing an enjoyment and love of reading.
Enjoy stories together – reading stories to your child at KS1 and KS2 is equally as important as listening to your child read.
Read a little at a time but often, rather than rarely but for long periods of time!
Talk about the story before, during and afterwards – discuss the plot, the characters, their feelings and actions, how it makes you feel, predict what will happen and encourage your child to have their own opinions.
Look up definitions of words together – you could use a dictionary, the internet or an app on a phone or tablet.
All reading is valuable – it doesn’t have to be just stories. Reading can involve anything from fiction and non-fiction, poetry, newspapers, magazines, football programmes, TV guides.
Visit the local library - it’s free!

12. How to Help Your Child with Writing
Practise and learn weekly spelling lists – make it fun!
Encourage opportunities for writing such as letters to family or friends, shopping lists, notes or reminders, stories or poems.
Write together – be a good role model for writing.
Encourage use of a dictionary to check spelling and a thesaurus to find synonyms and expand vocabulary
Allow your child to use a computer for word processing, which will allow for editing and correcting of errors without lots of crossing out.
Remember that good readers become good writers! Identify good writing features when reading (e.g. vocabulary, sentence structure, punctuation).
Show your appreciation: praise and encourage, even for small successes!

13. GCSE Ready
The most important thing is for each student to try their best.
Essentially the skills and knowledge that they are learning now are what is tested during SATS and later GCSE but at a higher level.
We are trying to help and encourage students to learn the literacy skills that they need for their GCSEs and beyond.

14. Home Learning
Year 6 English homework is set on a Wednesday and collected in on a Tuesday.
They should have a writing task, spellings, grammar and reading activities on a weekly basis.
Extra resources – Last years reading test and SPAG paper are at the back of the hall for you to attempt with your children at home. On the school website we will post the link to the website to access the papers and mark scheme, as well as the writing national expectations guidelines.