• Years 5 and 6 • English

What should pupils learn in English in Years 5 and 6? This guide sets out the national curriculum for upper Key Stage 2: reading, writing, spelling, grammar and spoken language, plus how each part is assessed at the end of Year 6.

The Quick Answer

The Big Picture

The national curriculum says that by the end of Year 6, pupils’ reading and writing should be fluent and effortless enough for them to manage the general demands of the curriculum in Year 7. Teachers should make sure pupils can consciously control sentence structure in their writing and understand nuances in vocabulary. Pupils should also choose vocabulary and grammar to suit the audience and purpose of their writing.

Reading

Word reading. Pupils use their knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes to read aloud and understand new words. For almost all pupils there should be no need for further direct teaching of word reading.

Comprehension. Pupils should be taught to:

• read and discuss a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books
• recommend books to their peers, giving reasons for their choices
• identify and discuss themes and make comparisons within and across books
• learn a wider range of poetry by heart and perform poems and plays
• ask questions to improve their understanding
• draw inferences about characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives and justify them with evidence
• predict what might happen from details stated and implied
• summarise the main ideas from more than one paragraph
• identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
• discuss how authors use language, including figurative language
• distinguish between statements of fact and opinion
• retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction
• explain and discuss their understanding, including through formal presentations and debates

Writing

Composition. Pupils plan, draft, evaluate and edit their writing. They identify the audience and purpose, use other writing as models, describe settings, characters and atmosphere, use dialogue to convey character and advance the action and use devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs. They also proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors and perform their own compositions.

Handwriting. Pupils write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed, choosing letter shapes, whether to join letters and the best writing implement for the task.

Spelling

Pupils use further prefixes and suffixes, spell words with silent letters, distinguish homophones and use dictionaries and a thesaurus. They also learn the statutory Year 5 and 6 word list. See our guide to the Year 5 and 6 spelling list for all 100 words.

Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation

Pupils should be taught to:

• recognise vocabulary and structures for formal speech and writing, including subjunctive forms
• use passive verbs to change how information is presented
• use the perfect form of verbs to show relationships of time and cause
• use expanded noun phrases to convey complicated information concisely
• use modal verbs or adverbs to show degrees of possibility
• use relative clauses
• use commas, hyphens, brackets, dashes, semi-colons and colons accurately

Our guide to KS2 grammar terms explains each term with examples.

Spoken Language

In Years 5 and 6, pupils’ confidence, enjoyment and mastery of language should be extended through public speaking, performance and debate. The government has also said it will create a new oracy framework for primary schools. Read more about oracy in the new national curriculum.

How English Is Assessed in Year 6

See assessing English writing at Key Stage 2 for how writing judgements are made.

Supporting Pupils

• Read aloud to pupils, including whole books, so they meet authors they might not choose themselves.
• Teach vocabulary explicitly, including the meaning and pronunciation of new words.
• Model the writing process by thinking aloud, drafting and rereading.
• Use short, regular practice for spelling and grammar so knowledge sticks.

Monster Learning’s Challenge Zone includes English spelling, grammar and vocabulary exercises. Its Topic Explorer has short, curriculum-aligned activities pupils can revisit as often as they need.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do children learn in English in Year 6?

Year 6 English covers reading comprehension, writing composition, spelling, handwriting, grammar and spoken language. Pupils learn grammar such as the passive, the subjunctive and semi-colons.

Is spoken language assessed at the end of KS2?

There is no statutory test or teacher assessment for spoken language at the end of KS2, but it is part of the English programme of study.

What is inference in KS2 reading?

Inference means working out what is implied rather than stated, such as a character’s feelings or motives. Pupils back it up with evidence from the text.

Will the English curriculum change?

A revised national curriculum is due for first teaching from September 2028. The government has said it will make speaking and listening more prominent in English.

Related Guides

Sources: Department for Education, National curriculum in England: English programmes of study (Years 5 and 6 statutory requirements and English Appendix 2); Standards and Testing Agency, KS2 test administration guidance; Curriculum and Assessment Review: government response.