What percentage of Year 6 pupils achieve Greater Depth in writing?

Nationally, around 15–20% of pupils are judged as GDS in writing at KS2, though this varies widely between schools and local authorities. There is no target proportion — the judgement should be based solely on whether the pupil meets every GDS criterion consistently.

Do semicolons and colons need to be used in every piece of writing?

No, but they must appear in independent writing at least two or three times across the evidence collection, and they must be used correctly. A single correct semicolon in one piece is unlikely to satisfy a moderator that the skill is secure. Evidence across multiple pieces is much stronger.

How do I distinguish between a strong EXS writer and a GDS writer?

Ask three questions: Does the pupil consciously control formality and register? Do they select vocabulary precisely for effect (not just use varied words)? Do they use colons and semicolons correctly? If the answer to all three is yes, consistently, across the evidence collection, the pupil is likely GDS. If any of these is absent, they are a strong EXS writer.

Can a pupil achieve GDS if their handwriting is messy?

Handwriting is assessed at the Expected Standard, not the Greater Depth standard. However, a pupil must meet all EXS criteria before being considered for GDS. If their handwriting does not meet the EXS requirement for legibility and fluency in joined writing, they cannot achieve EXS and therefore cannot reach GDS.

KS2 Greater Depth

Greater Depth Writing at KS2

Greater Depth at Key Stage 2 requires Year 6 pupils to demonstrate assured, conscious control over their writing choices. This guide unpacks every GDS criterion, explains how it differs from Expected Standard, and shows you what moderators are looking for in evidence portfolios.

What This Question Asks

Working at Greater Depth within the Expected Standard (GDS) at KS2 represents writing that goes significantly beyond what is expected of a typical Year 6 pupil. Where the Expected Standard asks pupils to write effectively with mostly correct grammar and punctuation, Greater Depth demands something qualitatively different: conscious, deliberate control over language choices. A GDS writer does not just use varied vocabulary — they select vocabulary precisely for effect. They do not just vary sentence structure — they manipulate clause position deliberately to control pace, emphasis, and meaning. The most challenging aspect of the GDS standard is the requirement to “distinguish between the language of speech and writing” and to exercise “assured and conscious control over levels of formality.” This means a Greater Depth writer can shift between formal and informal registers appropriately and demonstrate awareness of why those shifts matter. For example, they might write a formal letter using impersonal constructions and then write a diary entry in a conversational, personal voice — and the shift is clearly deliberate, not accidental. Technically, GDS also requires correct use of semicolons and colons to mark clause boundaries, and a wider range of punctuation for parenthesis. All of these features must be demonstrated consistently across the evidence collection.

Mark Scheme Breakdown

Expected Standard (for comparison)EXS

Writes effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting language that shows good awareness of the reader.
Uses paragraphs to organise ideas around a theme.
Uses a range of cohesive devices including adverbials, conjunctions, and pronouns.
Uses verb tenses consistently and correctly.
Uses the range of punctuation taught at KS2 mostly correctly.
Spells most words correctly from the Year 5/6 statutory spelling list.

Greater Depth — Composition and RegisterGDS

Writes effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting the appropriate form and drawing independently on what they have read as models for their own writing.
Distinguishes between the language of speech and writing, and selects the appropriate register.
Exercises an assured and conscious control over levels of formality through selecting vocabulary precisely and manipulating grammatical structures.

Greater Depth — Technical ControlGDS

Uses the range of punctuation taught at KS2 correctly, including colons and semicolons to mark the boundary between independent clauses.
Uses a wide range of clause structures, sometimes varying their position within the sentence.
Uses inverted commas, commas for clarity, and punctuation for parenthesis mostly correctly.

How to Structure Your Answer

Understand the core distinction: control, not just competence

The difference between EXS and GDS is not about making fewer mistakes. It is about making deliberate choices. An EXS writer uses varied vocabulary; a GDS writer selects vocabulary precisely for a specific effect on the reader. An EXS writer uses different sentence types; a GDS writer manipulates clause position to control emphasis and pace. When assessing, ask: “Is this a lucky accident or a deliberate choice?”

Assess register and formality across the evidence collection

The GDS standard requires pupils to distinguish between formal and informal registers and control them consciously. Look for evidence of both formal writing (letters, reports, balanced arguments using impersonal constructions, passive voice, and formal conjunctions) and informal writing (diary entries, dialogue, personal recounts). The key evidence is that the pupil shifts appropriately between registers across different pieces.

Formal: "It has been brought to our attention that the school field is being misused during break times." Informal: "I couldn’t believe it when Mrs Thompson said we could go on the trip — I’d been waiting for ages!" The same pupil writing both shows conscious register control.

Check for semicolons and colons used correctly

GDS requires correct use of colons and semicolons to mark boundaries between independent clauses. This is one of the most commonly failed criteria. The colon should introduce a related second clause that explains or expands the first (e.g. “She knew what she had to do: run.”). The semicolon should link two closely related independent clauses (e.g. “The hall fell silent; every eye turned to the door.”). Check that these appear in independent writing, not just grammar exercises.

Evaluate clause structure variety and manipulation

GDS writers vary clause position within sentences for effect. Look for fronted adverbials, embedded relative clauses, and sentences where the subordinate clause appears before the main clause. The variation should serve a purpose — building tension, adding detail, or controlling pace — not just appear random.

Confirm consistency across the full evidence portfolio

Every GDS criterion must be demonstrated across the evidence collection, not just in a single piece. Review the full portfolio and check that register control, precise vocabulary, varied clause structures, and correct semicolon/colon use appear in at least two or three different pieces. One outstanding piece surrounded by average work does not meet the GDS threshold.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing technical accuracy with Greater Depth — a pupil who makes very few errors but writes in a consistently simple style is a strong EXS writer, not a GDS writer.

Teaching semicolons and colons as a formulaic trick rather than a meaningful punctuation choice — moderators can spot mechanically inserted semicolons that do not genuinely mark clause boundaries.

Overlooking the register requirement because the pupil’s evidence is all in the same genre — if every piece is narrative, there is no opportunity to demonstrate formal writing and register shifts.

Accepting reading-influenced vocabulary only in narrative — GDS writers should also draw on reading models in non-fiction, using the language patterns of persuasion, argument, and explanation encountered in non-fiction texts.

Awarding GDS because a pupil is the best writer in the class rather than because they meet every criterion — Greater Depth is criterion-referenced, not norm-referenced.

Top Tips

Teach register explicitly — give pupils the same content to write about in both formal and informal styles and discuss the specific language changes required. This builds the conscious awareness the TAF demands.

Model the difference between “using a semicolon” and “using a semicolon well.” Show pupils that a semicolon connects two ideas that are so closely related they deserve to share a sentence. Practise identifying where semicolons work and where they do not.

Use high-quality non-fiction as writing models, not just novels and stories. Greater Depth persuasive and discursive writing draws on the register and structures of real journalism, formal letters, and academic writing.

Create opportunities for pupils to write for genuine audiences — letters to real people, articles for the school website, reports for governors. Authentic purpose drives genuine register choices that feel natural rather than forced.

At moderation, lead with the register and formality evidence. This is the criterion that most sharply distinguishes GDS from EXS and the one moderators will scrutinise most closely.

Practise This Question Type

Write two pieces about the same event: first, a formal report for the school newsletter about your class trip to the museum, and then a diary entry describing the same trip in your own voice. Think carefully about how your language changes between the two.

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KS2 Writing Assessment Framework

KS1 Greater Depth Writing

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