Karen Pickles brings a wealth of assessment expertise to Literacy Counts. With over a decade as the Lead Moderator for KS1 SATs in her Local Authority, she has played a pivotal role in advising and training schools and moderators to ensure high-quality writing assessments. She continues to serve as a Lead LA Moderator for Year 6, providing training, Quality Assurance, and leadership in moderation. Karen is also a Ready Steady Phonics and Ready Steady Spell Consultant, offering invaluable support to schools. Her extensive experience has been instrumental in developing moderation documents, leading training sessions, and delivering expert support—both in person and online.

As we move closer to Year 6 SATs, it’s important to turn our focus to writing assessment and moderation. Understanding the process and expectations will not only help ensure a smooth experience but also support children in achieving their best possible outcomes.

The Role of Moderators in Y6 Writing Assessment

By now, all Year 6 writing moderators have been selected and have undertaken the moderation assessment. This assessment requires them to independently assess three collections of writing and determine an appropriate standard based on their knowledge. Their judgements are then reviewed by STA, and if accurate, they are awarded a moderation certificate. This allows them to be part of the moderation team in your local area, going into schools and working alongside you, as the Year 6 teacher, to agree judgements.

As a Year 6 teacher, this process provides you with reassurance that the moderators visiting your school are not only experienced Year 6 practitioners who understand the challenges of the curriculum and SATs pressures, but that they also have a clear and secure understanding of the national standards in writing. This ensures a robust and consistent approach to assessment, ensuring fair and accurate judgements across schools.

Moderator Training and Resources: How Can These Be Used in the Classroom?

Moderators receive specific training based on modules provided by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) for 2024. These materials, accessible via the Primary Assessment Gateway (using your school’s login credentials), offer invaluable insights into key areas of the Year 6 writing curriculum.

The training has a range of useful materials, focusing on key aspects of the Year 6 writing curriculum and improving teacher knowledge. They also provide examples of work and activities to support understanding. In particular, I would suggest taking time to look at the training on dialogue. This set of training materials focuses on:

The purposes of speech and dialogue in writing.

The specific ways dialogue is used in pupils' work.

Evidencing the ‘pupil can’ statement for the expected standard (EXS) in the teacher assessment framework.

It also addresses how dialogue can be evidenced in relation to the statement in the KS2 Teacher Assessment Framework (TAF):

A single, comprehensive example of writing may be sufficient to show that a pupil can ‘describe settings, characters and atmosphere and integrate dialogue to convey character and advance the action’.

By engaging with these materials, teachers can reflect on their pupils' writing, identify gaps, and plan targeted teaching opportunities to strengthen these skills.

Final Thoughts

Taking the time to explore the STA training resources can deepen your understanding of assessment expectations and help refine your approach to teaching writing. By focusing on areas such as dialogue and ensuring robust evidence for writing standards, you can better prepare your pupils for success in the Year 6 SATs.

Stay proactive, make use of the available resources, and work closely with moderators to ensure a fair and thorough assessment process. The effort you put in now will pay off in confident, well-prepared pupils ready to showcase their writing abilities.

This is the first in a series of blog posts offering practical guidance on assessment and moderation. Stay tuned for the next post: ‘What Do I Need to Do to Prepare for Year 6 Moderation?’, followed by a blog on preparing for the Phonics Screening Check.

At Literacy Counts, we provide expert consultancy to support schools with their bespoke needs, whether it’s moderation, assessment or tailored training. Contact us to discuss how we can support your school: https://www.literacycounts.co.uk/contact.