PIVATS Milestones and the Pre-Key Stage Standards

For pupils working below the standard of national curriculum assessments, this document can be used to support the optional assessment of pupils engaged in subject-specific study at the end of KS1 and for the statutory assessment of such pupils at KS2.

Pupils engaged in subject-specific study

The pre-key stage standards can be used for optional assessment at the end of KS1 and must be used for statutory assessment at end of KS2 for pupils working below the standard of national curriculum assessments engaged in subject-specific study. Please note – the PIVATS P Scale milestones are still relevant for ongoing formative assessment and for in-school summative assessments.

Pupils not engaged in subject-specific study

The Engagement Model was published in March 2020. This should be used of end of key stage assessments for children not engaged in subject-specific study.

 

In response to the statutory requirements of assessing against the pre-key stage standards, the PIVATS team have produced the following guidance for schools who use PIVATS assessment. However, attention must be drawn to the following points:

  • The pre-key stage standards focus on certain key aspects of English reading, English writing and mathematics for the specific purpose of statutory end-of-key stage assessment.
  • Teachers should be confident that pupils have met the standard(s) preceding the one at which they judge them to be working. However, they are not required to have specific evidence for that judgement. A pupil's work which demonstrates a standard is met is sufficient to show that they are working above the preceding standards.
  • Each subject framework has standards of attainment containing 'pupil can' statements upon which teachers will base their judgements. Teachers should follow the specific guidance for each subject.
  • The standards are not a formative assessment tool: they should not be used to track progress throughout the key stage or to guide individual programmes of study, classroom practice or methodology. Teachers should assess individual pieces of pupils' work in line with their school's own, more detailed assessment policy and not against these standards. This is where PIVATS continues to be a viable assessment resource.

 

(Pre-key stage 1: pupils working below the national curriculum assessment standard – Guidance updated 15 April 2024)

 

With the above in mind, we would like to draw attention to the following:

  • PIVATS is still a relevant assessment tool showing progression in learning which can be used to assess and track progress and inform pupils' targeted learning plans.
  • The guidance given shows that, if pupils are working well within, or have attained, the given milestone, it is likely that they will have, or are capable of, achieving the corresponding pre-key stage standard.
  • HOWEVER, the pre-key stage standards give exact criteria which may not necessarily be mentioned in the PIVATS indicators. It is therefore imperative that teachers ensure they have evidence that pupils have met these criteria in order for the standard to be achieved.

 

2024

Pre-Key Stage Standards

Guidance re PIVATS Milestones

Reading

Writing

Maths

Standard 6 –(working at the KS1 expected standard)

PIVATS Milestone Two Stage 3

 

Standard 6 (working at KS1 expected standard)

Word reading

The pupil can:

• read accurately most words of two or more syllables

• read most words containing common suffixes*

• read most common exception words.*

In age-appropriate1 books, the pupil can:

• read most words accurately without overt sounding and blending, and sufficiently

fluently to allow them to focus on their understanding rather than on decoding

individual words2

• sound out most unfamiliar words accurately, without undue hesitation.

Language comprehension

In a book that they can already read fluently, the pupil can:

• check it makes sense to them, correcting any inaccurate reading

• answer questions and make some inferences

• explain what has happened so far in what they have read.

PIVATS Milestone Two Stage 3

 

Standard 6 (working at KS1 expected standard)

Composition

The pupil can, after discussion with the teacher:

• write simple, coherent narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real or fictional)

• write about real events, recording these simply and clearly

• demarcate most sentences in their writing with capital letters and full stops, and use question marks correctly when required

• use present and past tense mostly correctly and consistently

• use co-ordination (e.g. or / and / but) and some subordination (e.g. when / if / that / because) to join clauses.

Transcription

The pupil can:

• segment spoken words into phonemes and represent these by graphemes, spelling many of these words correctly and making phonically plausible attempts at others

• spell many common exception words*

• form capital letters and digits of the correct size, orientation and relationship to one another and to lower-case letters

• use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters

PIVATS Milestone Two Stage 3

 

Standard 6 (End of KS1 Standard)

The pupil can:

• read scales3 in divisions of ones, twos, fives and tens

• partition any two-digit number into different combinations of tens and ones, explaining their thinking verbally, in pictures or using apparatus

• add and subtract any 2 two-digit numbers using an efficient strategy, explaining their method verbally, in pictures or using apparatus (e.g. 48 + 35; 72 – 17)

• recall all number bonds to and within 10 and use these to reason with and calculate bonds to and within 20, recognising other associated additive relationships

(e.g. If 7 + 3 = 10, then 17 + 3 = 20; if 7 – 3 = 4, then 17 – 3 = 14; leading to if 14 + 3 = 17, then 3 + 14 = 17, 17 – 14 = 3 and 17 – 3 = 14)

• recall multiplication and division facts for 2, 5 and 10 and use them to solve simple problems, demonstrating an understanding of commutativity as necessary

• identify 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/4, 3/4, of a number or shape, and know that all parts must be equal parts of the whole

• use different coins to make the same amount

• read the time on a clock to the nearest 15 minutes

• name and describe properties of 2-D and 3-D shapes, including number of sides, vertices, edges, faces and lines of symmetry

 

Reading

Writing

Maths

Standard 5 – (working towards the KS1 expected standard)

PIVATS Milestone One Stage 3

 

Standard 5 (working towards the KS1 expected standard)

Word reading

The pupil can:

• read accurately by blending the sounds in words that contain the common graphemes for all 40+ phonemes*

• read accurately some words of two or more syllables that contain the same grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs)*

• read many common exception words*

In a book closely matched to the GPCs as above, the pupil can:

• read aloud many words quickly and accurately without overt sounding and blending

• sound out many unfamiliar words accurately.

Language comprehension

In a familiar book that is read to them, the pupil can:

• answer questions in discussion with the teacher and make simple inferences.

PIVATS Milestone One Stage 3

 

Standard 5 (working towards the KS1 expected standard)

Composition

The pupil can, after discussion with the teacher:

• write sentences that are sequenced to form a short narrative (real or fictional)

• demarcate some sentences with capital letters and full stops.

Transcription

The pupil can:

• segment spoken words into phonemes and represent these by graphemes, spelling some words correctly and making phonically-plausible attempts at others

• spell some common exception words*

• form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place

• form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another in some of their writing

• use spacing between words.

 

PIVATS Milestone One Stage 3 into  Milestone 2

 

Standard 5 (working towards the KS1 expected standard)

 The pupil can:

• read and write numbers in numerals up to 100

• partition a two-digit number into tens and ones to demonstrate an understanding of place value, though they may use structured resources1 to support them

• add and subtract two-digit numbers and ones, and two-digit numbers and tens, where no regrouping is required, explaining their method verbally, in pictures or using apparatus (e.g. 23 + 5; 46 + 20; 16 – 5; 88 – 30)

• recall at least four of the six2 number bonds for 10 and reason about associated facts (e.g. 6 + 4 = 10, therefore 4 + 6 = 10 and 10 – 6 = 4)

• count in twos, fives and tens from 0 and use this to solve problems

• know the value of different coins

• name some common 2-D and 3-D shapes from a group of shapes or from pictures of the shapes and describe some of their properties (e.g. triangles, rectangles, squares, circles, cuboids, cubes, pyramids and spheres).

 

Standard 4

PIVATS Milestone One Stage 2

 

Word reading

The pupil can:

  • say sounds for at least 40 graphemes, including one grapheme for each of the 40+ phonemes*
  • read accurately by blending the sounds in words with up to 5 known graphemes
  • read some common exception words*
  • read aloud books that are consistent with their phonic knowledge, without guessing words from pictures or the context of the sentence

 

*Teachers should refer to the English appendix 1: spelling of the national curriculum to exemplify the words that pupils should be able to read as well as spell.

 

Language comprehension

In a familiar story or rhyme, the pupil can, when being read to by an adult (one-to-one or in a small group):

  • talk about events in the story and link them to their own experiences
  • retell some of the story

 

PIVATS Milestone One Stage 1

 

Standard 4

Composition

The pupil can:

• make up their own sentences and say them aloud, after discussion with the teacher

• write down one of the sentences that they have rehearsed.

Transcription

The pupil can:

• form most lower-case letters correctly

• identify or write the 40+ graphemes in Standard 4 of English language comprehension and reading on hearing the corresponding phonemes

• spell words by identifying the phonemes and representing the phonemes with graphemes, including words with consonant clusters and simple digraphs (e.g. frog, hand, see, chop, storm, splash)

• spell a few common exception words (e.g. I, the, he, said, of).

PIVATS Milestone 1

 

Standard 4

The pupil can:

• read and write numbers in numerals from 0 to 9

• demonstrate an understanding of the mathematical symbols of add, subtract and equal to

• solve number problems involving the addition and subtraction of single-digit numbers up to 10

• demonstrate an understanding of the composition of numbers to 5 and a developing ability to recall number bonds to and within 5 (e.g. 2 + 2 = 4 and 3 + 1 = 4)

• demonstrate an understanding of the commutative law (e.g. 3 + 2 = 5, therefore 2 + 3 = 5 )

• demonstrate an understanding of inverse relationships involving addition and subtraction (e.g. if 3 + 2 = 5, then 5 – 2 = 3)

• demonstrate an understanding that the total number of objects changes when objects are added or taken away

• demonstrate an understanding that the number of objects remains the same when they are rearranged, providing nothing has been added or taken away

• count to 20, demonstrating that the next number in the count is one more and the previous number is one less

• recognise some common 2-D shapes.

 

 

Reading

Writing

Maths

Standard 3

PIVATS Milestone P8

 

Word reading

The pupil can:

  • say a single sound for at least 20 graphemes
  • read accurately by blending the sounds in words with 2 and 3 known graphemes
  •  

Language comprehension

In a familiar story or rhyme, the pupil can, when being read to by an adult (one-to-one or in a small group):

  • respond to questions that require simple recall
  • recount a short sequence of events – for example, by sequencing images or manipulating objects

 

PIVATS Milestone P8

 

Standard 3

Composition

The pupil can:

• make up their own phrases or short sentences to express their thoughts aloud about stories or their experiences

• write a caption or short phrase using the graphemes that they already know.

Transcription

The pupil can:

• form correctly most of the 20+ lower-case letters in Standard 3 of English language comprehension and reading

• identify or write these 20+ graphemes on hearing the corresponding phonemes

• spell words (with known graphemes) by identifying the phonemes and representing the phonemes with graphemes (e.g. in, cat, pot).

PIVATS Milestone P8

 

Standard 3

The pupil can:

• identify how many objects there are in a group of up to 10 objects, recognising smaller groups on sight and counting the objects in larger groups up to 10.

• demonstrate an understanding that the last number counted represents the total number of the count

• use real-life materials (e.g. apples or crayons) to add and subtract 1 from a group of objects and indicate how many are now present

• copy and continue more advanced patterns using real-life materials (e.g. apple, apple, orange, apple, apple, orange, etc

Standard 2

PIVATS Milestone P7

 

Word reading

The pupil can:

  • say a single sound for at least 10 graphemes
  • read words by blending sounds with known graphemes, with help from their teacher

At Standard 2 only, teachers can consider the small number of pupils who can read words as ‘sight words’ to have met the word reading statements.

 

Language comprehension

In a familiar story or rhyme, the pupil can, when being read to by an adult (one-to-one or in a small group):

  • demonstrate understanding – for example, by answering questions such as ‘Where is he/she/it?’, ‘What is this?’, ‘Who is this?’, ‘What is he/she doing?’
  • join in with predictable phrases or refrains

 

PIVATS Milestone P7

 

Standard 2

Composition

The pupil can:

• say a clause to complete a sentence that is said aloud (e.g. ‘When we went to the beach today, … we ate ice cream / I played in the sand / it was hot’).

 

Transcription

The pupil can:

• form correctly most of the 10+ lower-case letters in Standard 2 of English language comprehension and reading

• identify or write these 10+ graphemes on hearing corresponding phonemes.

 

PIVATS Milestone P6/7

 

Standard 2

The pupil can:

• identify the big or small object from a selection of two

• sort objects according to a stated characteristic (e.g. group all the small balls together, sort the shapes into triangles and circles)

• say the number names to 5 in the correct order (e.g. in a song or by joining in with the teacher)

• demonstrate an understanding of the concept of numbers up to 5 by putting together the right number of objects when asked

• copy and continue simple patterns using real-life materials (e.g. apple, orange, apple, orange, etc.).

Standard 1

PIVATS Milestone P5

 

Language comprehension

In a familiar story or rhyme, the pupil can, when being read to by an adult (one-to-one or in a small group):

  • correctly indicate pictures of characters and objects in response to questions such as ‘Where is (the)…?’
  • show anticipation about what is going to happen – for example, by turning the page
  • join in with some actions or repeat some words, rhymes and phrases when prompted

 

PIVATS Milestone P5

 

Standard 1

Composition

The pupil can:

• say an appropriate word to complete a sentence when the adult pauses (e.g. ‘We’re going to the…zoo/park/shop/beach’).

Transcription

The pupil can:

• draw lines or shapes on a small or a large scale (e.g. on paper or in the air or sand).

PIVATS Milestone P5/6

 

Standard 1

The pupil can:

• demonstrate an understanding of the concept of transaction (e.g. by exchanging a coin for an item, or one item for another, during a role-play activity)

• distinguish between ‘one’ and ‘lots’, when shown an example of a single object and a group of objects

• demonstrate an understanding of the concept of 1:1 correspondence (e.g. giving one cup to each pupil).

Notes at the bottom of the standards