7+ English: Reading Aloud, Comprehension, Writing and Handwriting Expectations

7+ English expects the reading, writing and spelling skills of the top of Key Stage 1, with some Year 3 word reading and comprehension at the upper edge. Latymer Prep School states that children at 7+ would be working in line with expectations at the top of KS1 for English, and St Paul's Prep School says its English paper incorporates the Year 2 National Curriculum programme of study, with applicants ideally working at a Greater Depth standard within Year 2. The tasks themselves differ by school, so each school's own admissions page gives the definitive list.

For a parent of a Year 1 or Year 2 child, that standard translates into a child who reads accurately and fluently, can explain what a story says, forms letters neatly and spells and punctuates sentences with care. The National Curriculum Year 2 programme of study describes each of these skills in detail, and short, regular practice at home usually fits around a child's normal routine.

What does a 7+ English assessment contain?

The tasks differ at each school, so the admissions page of each school you are considering gives the definitive list. Latymer Prep School runs three formal papers, English Comprehension, Creative Writing and Maths, with entry into Year 3. St Paul's Prep School sets a dictation exercise as its English task within a written exam that also includes Mathematics and Reasoning. Alleyn's Junior School and Alleyn's Oakfield assess comprehension and creative writing, and candidates who show the necessary academic potential are invited to a second assessment that includes a reading test.

Westminster Under School describes its English as writing, including creative and accurate expression such as continuing a story or writing a diary, with attention to spelling, punctuation and grammar, alongside reading aloud and discussing stories and new vocabulary. University College School Junior Branch invites applicants in small groups to listening and discussion exercises and a reading assessment, and the school says performance at that stage counts toward the decision. Its entrance assessment then includes an English test held in classrooms.

What standard is the English assessment set at?

The standard is Year 2, the top of Key Stage 1, with some Year 3 word reading and comprehension at the upper edge. Latymer Prep School describes children at 7+ as working in line with expectations at the top of KS1. St Paul's Prep School's guidance hopes applicants are working at a Greater Depth standard within Year 2, and adds that the paper may include aspects of word reading and comprehension from the Year 3 programme of study.

Alleyn's expects candidates to have followed the National Curriculum syllabus for English and mathematics, and says that some elements are standardised and that relative age is considered. Schools phrase the standard differently, so the wording on each admissions page tells you which description applies. For a child in Year 1, the Year 2 programme of study is the document that describes what lies ahead.

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What should a Year 2 child be able to do in reading and comprehension?

A Year 2 pupil continues to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words, reading accurately by blending the sounds in words that contain the graphemes taught so far. The programme adds that pupils should read most words quickly and accurately, without overt sounding and blending, once those words have been frequently encountered. Reading aloud features in Westminster Under School's English assessment, and University College School Junior Branch includes a reading assessment.

Comprehension in the same programme means understanding books pupils can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to, taking part in discussion about books, poems and other works, and explaining their understanding. St Paul's Prep School tests this through a comprehension exercise within its Reasoning paper that assesses the ability to retrieve information and draw inferences from a text, and boys are also asked to recognise the meaning of words and apply vocabulary knowledge when solving puzzles.

What do Year 2 spelling and grammar cover?

Year 2 spelling covers segmenting spoken words into phonemes and representing them with graphemes, so that many words are spelt correctly, and adding suffixes such as -ment, -ness, -ful, -less and -ly. In grammar, pupils use familiar and new punctuation correctly, write sentences of different forms (statement, question, exclamation, command), use subordination (when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (or, and, but), and use the present and past tenses correctly and consistently.

These are the features a dictation or a creative writing task brings into play. St Paul's Prep School expects boys in the dictation exercise to apply a sound understanding of grammar, punctuation and spelling and to check their writing for accuracy in line with top-end KS1 expectations, and Westminster Under School pays attention to the same three areas in its writing task. The Year 2 list above therefore doubles as a checklist for reading your child's own sentences.

What does writing reasonably neatly mean for handwriting?

Writing reasonably neatly is the phrase St Paul's Prep School uses for its dictation exercise, where boys are expected to write reasonably neatly while applying grammar, punctuation and spelling and checking for accuracy. The nearest published description of neat writing at this stage is the set of Year 2 handwriting statements in the National Curriculum.

Those statements require pupils to form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another, to write capital letters and digits of the correct size, orientation and relationship to one another and to lower-case letters, and to use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters. Pupils also start using some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters.

The programme adds that pupils should revise and practise correct letter formation frequently and be taught to write with a joined style as soon as they can form letters securely with the correct orientation. Securing formation therefore comes first, and joining follows once letters are reliably shaped and oriented.

How can you support reading, vocabulary and handwriting at home?

Short, regular activities around books and writing support all three areas and fit the approach Latymer Prep School advises, in which parental preparation stays low-key, the child's routine stays as normal as possible and favourite activities carry on. Westminster Under School does not recommend excessive practice.

Practical steps that follow the Year 2 programme of study and the tasks the schools describe include the following.

• Listen to your child read aloud and notice whether familiar words are read quickly without sounding out.
• Talk about books, poems and other material after reading, asking your child to explain what happened and why.
• Ask questions answered directly from the text, then questions about what the text suggests, which mirror the retrieval and inference skills St Paul's Prep School describes.
• Collect new words met in stories and invite your child to use them in conversation, since schools such as Westminster Under School discuss new vocabulary with candidates.
• Practise letter formation little and often, checking letter size, spacing and capital letters, and introduce joining once formation is secure.
• Read a sentence aloud for your child to write down, then ask them to check the punctuation and spelling, which resembles a dictation exercise.

For one-to-one help with comprehension, writing and handwriting at 7+ level, read about our 7+ tutors for English, maths and reasoning, or tell us about your child and the schools on your list and we will reply with tutor recommendations.

What do schools say about practice materials and outside help?

Latymer Prep School sends exemplar Maths and English papers after registration to show the expected standard, whilst St Paul's Prep School says it does not publish past papers and links a suggested reading list and Maths and English guidance for 7+. Check each admissions page for what is offered before searching elsewhere.

On outside help, Latymer Prep School gives no advice about tutoring. Westminster Under School advises parents to avoid outside tuition, which it feels can dull the freshness and eagerness to learn that it values, and University College School Junior Branch's page gives no specific preparation guidance. Schools differ here, so the preparation wording on each page is the guide.

One-to-one help is one option some families use alongside school and home practice, particularly where a child needs a specific skill such as handwriting or comprehension looked at closely. Whichever route you choose, the registration and assessment details on the school's own page come first.

Related guides

• 7+ tutors for English, maths and reasoning
• 7+ exam: format, schools and preparation
• Recommended reading for 7+ preparation
• Developing early reading skills
• 7+ vocabulary preparation
• What is assessed at 7+

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