Support your Year 6 pupils in producing purposeful, independent writing while demonstrating their understanding of online safety.
This resource centres on choosing the most appropriate form and level of formality for a real audience, asking pupils to communicate key messages about staying safe online. It provides clear opportunities to gather evidence against the KS2 writing Teacher Assessment Framework (TAF) for working towards, expected and greater depth standards.
The pack takes a structured but low-scaffold approach to cross-curricular writing, combining computing knowledge, discussion and independent decision-making. Pupils will explore online safety guidance before selecting whether a letter, leaflet or poster best suits their intended audience.
Pupils are supported through success criteria and editing checklists, while teachers are provided with clear assessment materials. This aligns with statutory guidance stating that “pupils’ writing, on which teachers base their judgements, must be produced independently,” and that teachers should avoid excessive modelling or scaffolding.
This writing task fits naturally within a computing unit on using technology safely, but can also be used during Safer Internet Day. Pupils revisit key safety messages, consider purpose and audience and apply formal or semi-formal language choices as appropriate.
TAF statements covered
Working Towards Standard (WTS)
- Use simple organisational features in non-narrative writing, such as headings, subheadings or bullet points, to support the reader
Expected Standard (EXS)
- Write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, showing awareness of the reader
- Choose vocabulary and grammatical structures that suit the task, including the appropriate use of modal verbs
Greater Depth Standard (GDS)
- Demonstrate confident control of formality, manipulating grammar and vocabulary to match purpose and audience
Pack contents
- Personal writing skills checklist – enables pupils to set their own editing targets
- Keeping safe online writing checklist – feature-based guidance for independent editing, without modelled examples
- Modal verbs poster – shows how modal verbs can indicate possibility or importance
- Formal language poster – examples of vocabulary and grammatical features used in formal writing
- Online safety posters – key information to support subject understanding
- Matching cards – prompts for discussion about staying safe online
- Writing idea cards – suggested angles and purposes for online safety writing
- Planning sheet – supports pupils in organising ideas, audience and form
- Themed writing paper – for drafting the final piece
- Teacher assessment sheets – track evidence against Year 6 writing TAF statements
Suggested teaching approach
Introduce the focus on online safety and revisit key guidance using the posters and discussion cards. Pupils will consider purpose and audience, then decide independently on the most suitable form and level of formality for their writing. Using the planning sheet and checklists, they'll organise ideas before drafting their piece.
Pupils then edit their work independently or with a partner, referring to the feature checklists rather than teacher modelling. Teachers assess the final writing against the Year 6 TAF statements using the provided assessment sheets.
Browse more Year 6 SATs TAF Evidence resources.