Annotated Writing Samples for Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0: Supporting Primary Teachers in English

As primary educators in Victoria, we're all navigating the shift to the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0. This version draws heavily from the Australian Curriculum Version 9. One of the most valuable tools from the previous version was the annotated work samples provided by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). These samples help us benchmark student progress, plan targeted instruction, and moderate assessments against achievement standards. While official V2.0 samples are still rolling out—with familiarisation resources available on the VCAA site—many schools are creating their own to fill the gap.

At VIC School Reports, we're committed to supporting Victorian primary teachers with practical resources. In this post, we've compiled and expanded on exemplar annotated writing samples for English (Writing strand) at key primary levels: Foundation, Level 3, and Level 5. These are inspired by VCAA and ACARA guidelines. They ensure alignment with V2.0 content descriptions and achievement standards. The samples emphasize text structures, language features, and audience awareness as outlined in the curriculum.

We've kept the samples realistic, based on common classroom tasks like narrative or informative writing. Each includes:

• Task overview: Aligned to a specific mode and level.
• Student sample: A concise excerpt.
• Annotated version: Highlights and explanations linking to V2.0 descriptors (VCELA, VCELY, and VCELT codes for English).

Feel free to download, adapt, or share these in staff meetings. If you have your own samples to contribute, drop us a line—we're building a community resource hub!

Foundation: Imaginative Narrative – "My Pet Adventure"

Task Overview

Students create a short imaginative text about a pet's adventure, using simple descriptive words and images (or digital drawings). Purpose: To entertain a peer audience. This aligns with VCELY144 (create short imaginative texts that include people, characters, settings, events and aspects of setting) and the achievement standard: "Students create short imaginative texts using growing knowledge of text structures and language features."

Student Sample (Satisfactory Achievement)

Annotated Sample

Here's the annotated version, with key features highlighted in bold italics:

Overall Alignment: This piece shows emerging control of imaginative writing. Repetitive sentence patterns support phonemic awareness and early reading development. To extend: Encourage adding a drawn image of the park to enhance visual storytelling.

Level 3: Informative Text – "Why We Need Rainforests"

Task Overview

Students write an informative text explaining the importance of rainforests, using factual language and simple paragraphs. Audience: Classmates learning about the environment. Aligns with VCELY169 (create informative texts that use simple verb groups and adverbial phrases to describe events and actions) and achievement standard: "Students create informative texts using appropriate text structures and language features."

Student Sample (Satisfactory Achievement)

Annotated Sample

Overall Alignment: The text uses a clear structure (introduction, body, conclusion). It builds on Level 2 by incorporating more precise vocabulary. Areas for growth: Add subheadings or bullet points for better organization in future drafts.

Level 5: Persuasive Text – "Should Schools Have Longer Recess?"

Task Overview

Students compose a persuasive text arguing for longer recess times at school, using arguments supported by reasons and modal language. Audience: School principal. Aligns with VCELY194 (create persuasive texts using simple noun and verb groups, adverbial phrases and simple cohesive devices) and achievement standard: "Students create persuasive texts demonstrating an awareness of personal, cultural and social perspectives."

Student Sample (Satisfactory Achievement)

Annotated Sample

Overall Alignment: This sample shows control of persuasive structure (orientation, series of arguments, reiteration). It uses cohesive devices effectively. The text aligns with V2.0's emphasis on multimodal elements. Consider pairing with visual elements (such as a poster) to enhance persuasive impact, as multimodal composition is an expectation at Level 5.

Using These Samples in Your Practice

These samples are designed to spark discussion in your planning sessions and directly support moderation. They're expanded from core VCAA familiarisation examples, ensuring fidelity to V2.0's focus on purposeful, audience-aware writing.

Moderation Sessions

Use these annotated samples during team moderation meetings to:

• Calibrate teacher judgement across year levels
• Discuss what "satisfactory" achievement looks like at each level
• Identify key features that distinguish achievement levels
• Plan targeted teaching points for upcoming units

Planning and Assessment

When planning writing units, refer to these samples to:

• Set clear expectations for student writing
• Design assessment tasks aligned with curriculum descriptors
• Create success criteria that match achievement standards
• Provide students with concrete examples of quality work

Student Feedback

Share appropriate samples with students (without annotations) to:

• Model text structures and language features
• Demonstrate how to address audience and purpose
• Show progression across year levels
• Build student confidence through realistic examples

Next Steps

For more levels or modes (e.g., poetry at Level 2), check our resources page or subscribe for updates. What's one writing challenge you're facing this term? We're here to help!

Sources: Adapted from VCAA Victorian Curriculum V2.0 English resources and ACARA work sample portfolios for alignment.