How to prepare for KS2 writing moderation
Prepare Y6 for KS2 writing moderation with expert advice. Learn what moderators look for, how to evidence writing, and feel confident.
Updated for the 2025/2026 academic year.
If you’re wondering how to prepare year 6 for the KS2 writing moderation, you’re not alone. As a KS2 writing moderator, assistant headteacher, and experienced year 6 teacher, Charlotte Gauld has supported schools through this process many times and shares her tips and tricks to help make your experience just that little bit more comfortable.
Got questions on supporting year 6 through moderation, SATs and beyond? Our Ultimate Guide to SATs has you covered.
What’s in this article?
Key dates for KS2 writing moderation 2026
How to prepare for KS2 writing moderation
How does KS2 writing moderation work?
How can you feel secure with high-quality non-fiction evidence?
How do you create non-fiction pieces from taught texts for writing moderation?
What do moderators look for in editing and published writing?
How should you use your team when preparing for moderation?
Can you go back in the archives for evidence?
How do you ensure a strong range of writing for KS2 moderation?
Key dates for KS2 writing moderation 2026
Take note of these important dates from the Key stage 2 assessment and reporting arrangements for 2026:
Friday 15 May - Local authorities begin informing schools if they will receive an external moderation visit for TA
Monday 18 May - ‘Submit TA data’ form available on the PAG
Monday 1 June to Friday 26 June - Local authorities undertake external moderation of KS2 English writing TA
Friday 26 June - Deadline to submit KS2 TA data on the PAG
By now, the majority of the writing work is done, but here’s some last-minute advice for the run up to (potential) moderation!
How to prepare for KS2 writing moderation
Year 6 teachers, picture this. You’re working through that post-SATs Friday with a mega ‘Friday Feeling’, when all of a sudden your bubble may feel ever so slightly burst as your admin team ping you an email, or maybe SLT put their head round the door and give you ‘the nod’. Yes - your school has been notified that your year 6 cohort has been selected for KS2 writing moderation this year.
The good news? You may have a couple of weeks (or slightly more) to get organised, and with the right focus, you can feel confident and prepared.
Fear not! As a moderator of many years, a previous (and current) year 6 teacher, and one who is herself preparing for the anticipation of being moderated, find my expert tips below.
How does KS2 writing moderation work?
KS2 writing moderation is a statutory process where local authority moderators review a sample of year 6 pupils’ writing to check that teacher assessments are accurate and consistent with national standards, using the Teacher Assessment Framework (TAF).
Moderators will review a range of writing and discuss how judgements have been made, with a strong focus on the full writing journey rather than just final outcomes.
How can you feel secure with high-quality non-fiction evidence?
To secure strong non-fiction evidence for KS2 writing moderation, pupils need opportunities to write with genuine purpose, supported by strong prior knowledge and a sense of ownership over their topic.
Often, teachers find non-fiction writing more difficult to evidence. Foundation subject books are needed to supplement evidence in writing books, otherwise non-fiction reports can sometimes be a product of sentences copied during ‘research’ in the computer room and then regurgitated. Many children often read substantially less non-fiction texts, so exposure to the organisational features is limited, and therefore outcomes less successful.
This can particularly be a sticking point when distinguishing between EXS and GDS, and I’ve had many conversations with fellow year 6 teachers who have told me, ‘Their narrative work is phenomenal, but I just can’t seem to get the same quality from them with non-fiction pieces’.
One of the most effective ways to improve this is by increasing pupil agency, since non-fiction work can often appear less enthusing than fiction-based tasks.
Writing to explain the water cycle or how a science experiment on circuits played out will only ignite so much passion for many 11-year-olds. Instead, allow them to select areas of non-fiction to write about, and hugely encourage them to base this on an area they have vast knowledge about.
A great example of this is an explanation piece from the end of the KS2 teacher assessment exemplification How Pointe Shoes Came to Be (p27), where a child uses her dance background to produce something where she could centre herself as the expert – as much of great non-fiction writing really does rely on the level of prior knowledge held by the child in advance of teaching the conventions of the text.
But what, you may be thinking, if I teach a class who don’t show a great deal of enthusiasm for many subject areas, and perhaps who don’t read widely nor show a passion which would translate well into an outcome? In this case, please, please don’t feel that all non-fiction writing has to be entirely true! Literary non-fiction based on your taught text can be absolutely key in providing a shared platform for all your pupils to successfully meet the criteria on the TAF related to non-narrative work.
How do you create non-fiction pieces from taught texts for writing moderation?
Here’s an example on how to derive non-fiction pieces from taught texts for KS2 writing moderation. It’s taken from some training I delivered on how to devise tasks based on a set text, in order to meet those objectives.
What do moderators look for in editing and published writing?
Moderators look for clear evidence of the writing process, including drafting, editing, and how feedback has been used to improve outcomes - not just polished final pieces.
Different schools lay out different processes for ‘publishing’ final pieces, often on bordered paper or into a different book. Please be aware that moderators will want to discuss the entire journey to the final outcome, including the build-up lessons which led to it.
Published pieces can look impressive, and support the objective for legible handwriting, however there will certainly be discussions around how the child was supported to achieve this final outcome.
Moderators are far more interested in development over time than perfectly presented work. It’s therefore a good idea to have their main writing book (or ‘draft’ book) with any ‘neat versions’ alongside it ready to support this dialogue.
The editing process is particularly valuable to show how effectively feedback has been used, how peers have supported one another, and how pupils have used feedback to up-level their writing. Please don’t think that books have to be perfectly neat – crossing out, using asterisks and drawing arrows perfectly demonstrates the writer’s process and this is something moderators will be interested to see, far more than a perfectly neat and untouched page.
How should you use your team when preparing for moderation?
Preparing for year 6 writing moderation should be a collaborative process, supported by colleagues, leaders, and external moderation opportunities. If you are a one-form entry, it’s important that you don’t feel like an island during this process. Year 6 teachers should be supported by both English leads and SLT where appropriate, to ensure that the judgements made are accurate and well-evidenced.
Moderators will want to know how year 6 teachers have been supported throughout the entire year, not just in the final couple of weeks, to develop their understanding of the framework. This support may look like:
- attending meetings with the Local Authority
- holding cross-school moderations
- moderating with teachers across different year groups
- attending KS2 writing workshops.
If you are notified, please reach out to your team and seek support – the more time you have to discuss the children’s work with others you know, the better prepared you will feel for this type of dialogue during the moderation session.
Can you go back in the archives for evidence?
Yes - if you are notified to be moderated in the early part of the moderation window, a really quick win can be re-visiting one of the children’s earlier pieces (from Spring or even Autumn) and re-drafting. And no – not all children have to re-draft the same piece – play to their strengths.
Because the content is familiar, pupils can focus more on improving the quality of writing, such as:
- refining sentence structure
- correcting errors
- adding previously omitted features (such as dialogue or varied punctuation).
It’s also a great way of evidencing progress throughout the year.
How do you ensure a strong range of writing for KS2 moderation?
A strong year 6 writing moderation collection must demonstrate writing for a range of audiences and purposes across different contexts. Within a collection of evidence, it is important to ensure opportunity has been given for the children to meet this.
That sounds simple, but is often overlooked amongst trying to tick off all the various other objectives.
It might help to map out your collection of your cohort’s strongest pieces (this will differ for different children, but in general, you as a teacher will know which outcomes have been most successful).
It’s helpful to look at lots of different examples of collections of work at KS2 before considering what it could look like for your pupils.
Final thoughts
KS2 writing moderation can feel daunting, particularly if it’s your first experience, but it is also an opportunity to validate your judgments and celebrate your pupils’ progress. Focusing on authentic writing, clear evidence of process and confident professional dialogue will put you in a strong position.
Wishing you all the best on your writing moderation journeys!
Frequently asked questions
What is writing moderation in schools?
Writing moderation in schools is the process of checking that teacher assessments are accurate, consistent, and aligned with national standards across different schools and settings.
How do you moderate year 6 writing?
To moderate year 6 writing, teachers assess a range of independent writing against the Teacher Assessment Framework and justify their judgements through professional discussion and evidence.
What happens during a moderation visit?
Moderators review selected pupils’ work, discuss teacher judgements, and may adjust outcomes if evidence does not align with national standards.
What are the writing expected standards for KS2?
At KS2, pupils are assessed against the Teacher Assessment Framework (TAF), typically at Expected Standard (EXS) or Greater Depth Standard (GDS), based on consistent performance across a range of writing.
How much evidence is needed for KS2 writing moderation?
There is no fixed number of pieces - moderators look for a consistent range of writing across genres and purposes.
Do all writing pieces need to be independent?
Most should be independent, but some supported work can help demonstrate the writing process and development.
What counts as independent writing?
Independent writing is work a pupil produces on their own, without direct adult input, even if it follows class discussion or general success criteria.
It can still be independent if pupils:
- use their own ideas and make choices
- edit their own work
- draw on prior learning or shared texts
It is not independent if it is heavily scaffolded, closely copied, directly corrected by an adult, or supported by AI or automated tools.
Teachers must base KS2 writing moderation judgements only on writing that demonstrates independence in line with part 6.2 of the STA guidance.
What is a ‘particular weakness’ in KS2 writing moderation?
A ‘particular weakness’ is a specific area where a pupil does not meet one or more ‘pupil can’ statements, but their overall writing still meets the standard.
Teachers can use professional judgement to decide that this weakness is an exception, as long as the pupil’s overall attainment is secure and supported by evidence.
This judgement must be justified during moderation and should reflect that the weakness is not typical of the pupil’s writing overall.