Year 5 writing: Keep a school repair shelf
Make a balanced proposal with a clear action.
Your writing task
Write a proposal for a small repair shelf in your classroom. Pupils could put damaged classroom equipment there for an adult to check. Explain the benefits and how the shelf could work safely. Do not invent statistics.
Plan before you write
- Which items would belong on the shelf?
- Who would check them, and when?
- What concern might an adult raise?
Write on paper or in your own document. Try a first draft before reading the model responses.
An opening you can try
A snapped ruler should not disappear into the bin before anyone checks it.
Use this opening or write your own. A useful opening gives your reader something to follow.
A small word bank
- fragile
- Easily broken or damaged.
- alter
- To change something slightly, or to become different.
- therefore
- For that reason; as a result of what has just been said.
Choose a word only when its meaning fits. You do not need to use every word in the bank.
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Compare three model responses
These are three ways to develop the same task. They are teaching examples, with notes linked to the English national curriculum. They are not exam grades or a prediction of a mark.
A starting point
I think our classroom should have a repair shelf. Sometimes a pencil case zip or a box lid breaks. An adult might be able to mend it instead of throwing it away.
We could use a small tray with a label. Pupils would tell the teacher before putting anything there. The teacher could check the tray on Friday. Sharp or electrical items would not go on the shelf.
Teaching notes
Write for a reader and purpose
Pupils would tell the teacher
The proposal gives pupils a clear responsibility.
Choose useful details and words
Sharp or electrical items would not go
The model recognises that some items need different handling.
Try next: Explain what happens to an item that cannot be repaired.
A more developed response
A classroom repair shelf could help us look after the things we share. A loose box lid or a torn book cover does not always mean the whole item must be replaced. Checking it first could reduce waste.
I suggest a labelled tray near the teacher's desk. Pupils would report damage, and an adult would decide whether the item could be mended. Each item would have a note saying what was wrong.
The shelf must not become a pile of forgotten objects. A weekly check would keep it useful. Anything unsafe would go directly to an adult, and items that could not be repaired would be removed promptly.
Teaching notes
Choose useful details and words
a note saying what was wrong
The detail makes the repair process easier to understand and use.
Organise related ideas
The shelf must not become a pile
The final paragraph addresses a likely objection instead of ignoring it.
Try next: Finish by asking for permission to try the shelf for a short period.
A further developed response
A snapped ruler should not disappear into the bin before anyone checks it. Some damaged items will need replacing, but others, such as a loose storage lid or a torn book cover, may only need a small repair. A classroom repair shelf would give us a place to make that decision.
The shelf could be a labelled tray beside the teacher's desk. After reporting damage, a pupil could add a brief note to the item. An adult would check the tray once a week and decide what could be repaired. Pupils would never handle repairs involving sharp edges or electrical equipment.
There is a risk that the tray could become cluttered. Therefore, each weekly check should end with a decision: repair it, return it, or remove it safely. Fragile items would stay out of use until an adult approved them.
Could we try this for one month? A short trial would show whether the shelf helps us care for shared equipment without creating extra confusion.
Teaching notes
Organise related ideas
repair it, return it, or remove it safely
The three clear outcomes keep the proposal manageable.
Write for a reader and purpose
Could we try this for one month?
The ending asks for a specific next action while leaving the decision with the adult.
Try next: Check that each claimed benefit follows from the plan you describe.
Read back and improve
- Have you explained who makes safety decisions?
- Does each paragraph have a different job?
- Have you avoided unsupported numbers or claims?
Where the teaching notes come from
Our notes apply the published writing guidance for Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6. The prompts and model responses were written originally for Trace Learn. Reviewed 2026-10-01.
Read the Department for Education English curriculumChoose another writing task
Questions parents ask
What should I plan before I write?
Which items would belong on the shelf? Who would check them, and when? What concern might an adult raise?
How can I improve my first draft?
Have you explained who makes safety decisions? Does each paragraph have a different job? Have you avoided unsupported numbers or claims?
Will this page mark or save my writing?
No. Write on paper or in your own document. The models and notes are teaching examples. This page does not collect your writing, save it to a profile or award a score.
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