The Grade 6 English assessment shows an overall mean score of 44.3%, with a notable portion of learners performing at-risk. Performance across the five curriculum strands indicates one strand is below the threshold, three are approaching, and one is developing.
The assessment relied heavily on single items per topic outcome, which can limit the reliability of strand-level conclusions. A closer look at the Writing strand would help, as results suggest learners are performing at or near chance level in this area.
Primary analysis
Content area mastery
Sorted from weakest to strongest — CI lower bound tells you the most you can confidently rule out.
Strands = the CBC content areas that make up this subject. Performance is reported per strand because a subject-wide average hides where the gap actually is.
WritingAt-risk
CI: likely 7–21%·emerging·108 responses
G6
2 learning outcomes
Advocate the use of a rich vocabulary in writingG61 question
33%most wrong: C
Identify synonyms and antonyms correctly for writing fluencyG6
35%most wrong: D
Language useApproaching
CI: likely 10–23%·emerging·162 responses
G6
3 learning outcomes
Use conjunctions correctly in varied contextsG61 question
30%most wrong: B
Use prepositions correctly in varied textsG6
35%most wrong: B
Use active and passive voice correctlyG61 question
48%most wrong: A
Grammar in useApproaching
CI: likely 17–35%·emerging·108 responses
G4G5
5 learning outcomes
Use the modals could and would and the phrase how many could would in sentences correctlyG51 question
33%most wrong: B
Use definite and indefinite articles in sentences for effective communicationG41 question
37%most wrong: B
Use collective nouns and reflexive pronouns in sentences correctlyG5
42%most wrong: bouquet
Use interrogatives how much more when who why what else accurately in sentencesG51 question
44%most wrong: B
Use the language patterns in sentences correctlyG51 question
59%most wrong: B
ReadingApproaching
CI: likely 18–29%·emerging·297 responses
G3G5G6
6 learning outcomes
Use contextual clues to infer the meaning of vocabulary such as words proverbs fixed phrases similes and phrasal verbsG61 question
33%most wrong: A
Identify the opposites of different words for effective communicationG3
33%most wrong: whlesa
Answer factual and inferential questions correctly for comprehensionG6
38%most wrong: A
Infer the meaning of words similes proverbs metaphors and idioms with straight forward meanings using contextual cluesG6
41%most wrong: A
Answer direct and inferential questions for comprehensionG5
50%most wrong: park
Answer direct and inferential questions for comprehensionG6
54%most wrong: C
Listening and speakingDeveloping
CI: likely 46–65%·135 responses
G5G6
2 learning outcomes
Use turn taking and polite interruption during a conversationG6
67%most wrong: D
Respond to information from an oral textG5
81%most wrong: stripes and
Prerequisite gaps
Foundational skills to re-assess
These prerequisite skills connect to multiple later outcomes. A gap here can cascade. Evidence is limited — treat as a prompt to re-assess, not a diagnosis.
Foundational prerequisite
Infer the meaning of words similes proverbs metaphors and idioms with straight forward meanings using contextual clues
Connects to 9 later outcomes. 59% gap on this item — worth re-assessing before building on it.
Foundational prerequisite
Use contextual clues to infer the meaning of vocabulary such as words proverbs fixed phrases similes and phrasal verbs
Connects to 5 later outcomes. 67% gap on this item — worth re-assessing before building on it. low-confidence1 question
Foundational prerequisite
Answer factual and inferential questions correctly for comprehension
Connects to 2 later outcomes. 62% gap on this item — worth re-assessing before building on it.
Curriculum insight
Gateway concepts for English
Learning outcomes that unlock the most downstream learning across all grades.
Gateway Concepts
Learning outcomes that unlock the most downstream learning
151
recognise the target letter- sound combinations /s/ /l/ 'fl' and /eɪ / in words from an oral textG2 · listening_and_speaking › pronunciation_and_vocabulary · Remember
150
recognise the target letter- sound combinations nt, sl, -ar, nd and nk in oral textsG2 · listening_and_speaking › pronunciation_and_vocabulary · Remember
149
recognise words with the target letter-sound combinations /ŋ /, / iː/, /st/ and /gl/ in oral textsG2 · listening_and_speaking › pronunciation_and_vocabulary · Remember
140
recognise words with the target letter-sound combinations /tʃ/, /əʊ /, /ʃ/ and /kl/ accurately in various contextsG2 · listening_and_speaking › pronunciation_and_vocabulary · Remember
135
identify words with the target letter-sound combinations: tr, sm, /tʃ /, /aʊ / and /jː/ in oral textsG2 · listening_and_speaking › pronunciation_and_vocabulary · Understand
Instrument note
What this assessment tested
This assessment mostly sampled Apply and Understand — it does not test higher-order skills. Absence from the assessment is not evidence learners cannot perform those tasks.
Apply
57% of items
Understand
43% of items
All learning outcomes (20) — single-question data, directional only
Most outcomes below are covered by just 1–2 questions. These numbers describe what learners scored on those specific items — not whether they have mastered the outcome. Use strands above for diagnostic confidence.
Use vocabulary related to the theme correctly in oral communicationG525%At-risk
common wrong answer: hyror4 learners attempted
Collaborate with others to determine the correctness and appropriateness of the tense used in own or provided textsG525%At-risk
common wrong answer: chidred4 learners attempted
Use conjunctions correctly in varied contextsG630%At-risk1 question — directional only
Applycommon wrong answer: B27 learners attempted
Advocate the use of a rich vocabulary in writingG633%At-risk1 question — directional only
Applycommon wrong answer: C27 learners attempted
Use the modals could and would and the phrase how many could would in sentences correctlyG533%At-risk1 question — directional only
Applycommon wrong answer: B27 learners attempted
Use contextual clues to infer the meaning of vocabulary such as words proverbs fixed phrases similes and phrasal verbsG633%At-risk1 question — directional only
Applycommon wrong answer: A27 learners attempted
Identify the opposites of different words for effective communicationG333%At-risk
median 1 question/LO → per-LO is item-evidence not mastery; mastery claims at strand; 2026 harder next-grade paper; misconceptions are distractor hypotheses.
Sparsity note: outcomes with 1 question cannot support diagnostic conclusions — the 1 question — directional only tag marks these throughout.