Year 5/6 KS2 Hermelin Narrative Unit

A fully resourced 10-lesson Year 5 narrative writing unit based on Hermelin by Mini Grey. Includes PowerPoint, WAGOLL, scaffolds and grammar teaching.

This fully resourced 2-week narrative writing unit is based on Hermelin by Mini Grey and builds towards a powerful first-person retelling of the party scene.

The unit includes fully editable PowerPoint slides for every lesson, and is carefully sequenced to develop both grammatical accuracy as well as narrative impact. It provides extensive opportunities for sentence-level practice, reflecting recommendations within the new writing curriculum and the current emphasis on explicit grammar teaching in context.

I have used this sequence successfully with my own Year 5 class, where it supported pupils in developing stronger sentence control, secure grammar application and greater depth in viewpoint writing.

It has also been successfully adapted for Year 6 and used as part of writing moderation evidence. The structured sentence work, explicit grammar focus and extended independent outcome make it suitable for upper KS2 teachers looking to generate secure, assessable writing aligned with moderation expectations.

Sequence of Learning
Day 1 – Likes, Dislikes, Puzzles, Connections
Day 2 – Empathising with Hermelin’s point of view (optional)
Day 3 – Fronted adverbials (ISPACE)
Day 4 – Colons (sentence work and application)
Day 5 – Draft first part of the retell
Day 6 – Relative clauses
Day 7 – Speech punctuation and revealing character (including embedded clauses)
Day 8 – Draft second part of the retell
Day 9 – Fronted adverbials (prepositions)
Day 10 – Independent extended write: retell the party scene (optional)

What’s Included?

✔ Fully resourced PowerPoint for every lesson
✔ WAGOLL (model text)
✔ Scaffolded planning and drafting support
✔ Extensive sentence-level grammar practice
✔ Structured sentence work tasks throughout
✔ Greater Depth challenge opportunities
✔ Visual modelling and guided writing
✔ Independent writing outcome

This unit is ideal for:

• Year 5 narrative writing
• Year 6 revision and moderation preparation
• Grammar taught explicitly and in context
• Building sentence fluency in upper KS2
• Teachers seeking a fully planned, ready-to-teach writing sequence