Inspire your Year 6 pupils to write creatively while demonstrating their historical understanding and independent writing skills. This narrative task asks pupils to imagine discovering an object from the past and to build a story around it.
It provides a practical way for teachers to gather Key Stage 2 writing TAF evidence for working towards, expected and greater depth standards.
The resource pack blends history, storytelling and independent research. Pupils will plan, draft and edit their narratives using success criteria and checklists, while teachers can assess progress confidently.
This approach aligns with guidance that “pupils’ writing, on which teachers base their judgements, must be produced independently”, and that scaffolding should not model the final outcome.
This task is ideal for history lessons, allowing pupils to draw on prior learning about artefacts and time periods. It also supports cross-curricular writing, helping pupils strengthen narrative skills while applying historical knowledge.
TAF statements covered
Working Towards Standard (WTS)
- Use paragraphs to organise ideas
- Describe characters and settings
- Use capital letters, full stops, question marks, commas for lists and apostrophes mostly correctly
Expected Standard (EXS)
- Describe characters, settings and atmosphere
- Select vocabulary appropriate for the narrative and purpose
- Use punctuation taught at KS2 mostly correctly, including direct speech
Greater Depth Standard (GDS)
- Use punctuation taught at KS2 correctly, including colons, semicolons, dashes and hyphens
- Apply punctuation precisely to enhance meaning and avoid ambiguity
- Independently draw on reading to enhance narrative form and style
Pack contents
- Personal writing skills checklist – pupils track and edit their own progress
- Narrative writing skills checklist – key features for pupils to self-assess writing
- Features of a Finding Tale poster – supports planning and story structure
- Year 6 punctuation poster – highlights punctuation expected in KS2 narratives
- ‘A Discovery From The Past’ story start – engaging opening to spark creativity
- Historical artefacts image cards – visual prompts to inspire ideas
- Narrative planning sheet – helps pupils structure characters, settings and plot
- Themed writing paper – includes story start and space for final draft
- Teacher assessment sheets – evidence collection for WTS, EXS and GDS
Suggested teaching approach
Pupils will explore the story starter, discussing possible objects, settings and character reactions while using artefact image cards to build descriptive vocabulary.
Using the planning sheet and Features of a Finding Tale poster, pupils will shape their narrative before drafting their story with effective description and accurate punctuation.
Finally, they’ll edit their work independently or in pairs using checklists, while teachers assess the writing against the Year 6 TAF statements.
Browse more Year 6 SATs TAF Evidence resources.