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FREE LETTER TEMPLATE · KS1 AND KS2

Letter writing template for KS1 and KS2

Plan a letter in five boxes, from the address to the sign-off. Fill in the template online with prompts for your child’s year group, print it, and check the features of formal and informal letters for KS1 and KS2.

Reviewed by Joshua Younger, Senior Educator, on .

Plan it online, then print it

Your plan is not saved. Nothing you type here is stored or sent anywhere. It stays on this page only until you close or refresh it, so print your plan when you have finished.

Written for letter writing. The prompts change with the year group.

  1. 1 Address and date

    Your address and the date at the top right. For a formal letter, add the reader’s address on the left.

  2. 2 Greeting and why I’m writing

    Dear … Then one sentence that says why you are writing.

  3. 3 Main points

    Two or three main points, each in its own paragraph.

  4. 4 Questions or requests

    Any questions or requests, asked politely.

  5. 5 Closing and sign-off

    A closing sentence and a sign-off that suits the reader: Love from, Best wishes, Yours sincerely.

Prints one A4 page with the letter plan and the prompts for Years 3–4. To keep a copy, choose “Save as PDF” in your browser’s print window.

Features of a letter

Purpose: To communicate with a particular reader: to thank, inform, ask, invite, complain or keep in touch.

What children are usually taught to include at each stage. These lists are Litsee’s guidance, based on common UK primary practice; the curriculum quotations below are the statutory part.

KS1 (Years 1–2)

Ages 5–7

  • Starts with “Dear” and the person’s name
  • Written to a real reader for a real reason, such as to say thank you
  • Uses I and you
  • Sentences with capital letters and full stops
  • Asks the reader a question
  • Ends with a sign-off such as “Love from” and the writer’s name

Years 3–4

Ages 7–9

  • The writer’s address and the date at the top
  • A greeting, then an opening that says why the writer is writing
  • A paragraph for each main point
  • A tone that suits the reader: chatty for a friend, polite for someone you don’t know
  • Questions to keep the conversation going
  • Contractions (I’m, can’t) in friendly letters but not in formal ones
  • A closing sentence and a sign-off

Years 5–6

Ages 9–11

  • A formal or informal register chosen for the reader and purpose
  • Formal vocabulary in formal letters (request, assist, enquire)
  • A clear purpose stated in the first paragraph
  • Paragraphs linked with cohesive devices (furthermore, however, as a result)
  • Modal verbs to be polite (could you, would it be possible)
  • The correct sign-off: Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully
  • A postscript (P.S.) in informal letters only

In the National Curriculum

  • “writing for different purposes”

    Year 2, Writing – composition (statutory)

  • “distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing the appropriate register”

    Years 5 and 6, Writing – composition (statutory)

  • “The difference between vocabulary typical of informal speech and vocabulary appropriate for formal speech and writing [for example, find out – discover; ask for – request; go in – enter]”

    Year 6, Word (statutory)

Worked example: A thank-you letter to the park ranger

A worked example written for this page, at the level of Years 5–6: first the plan, then the piece written from it.

  1. 1. Address and date

    School address and date at the top right. Reader: Mr Hughes, Ranger, Millbrook Country Park. Formal.

  2. 2. Greeting and why I’m writing

    Dear Mr Hughes (we know his name, so we sign off “Yours sincerely”). Purpose: to thank him for the pond-dipping visit.

  3. 3. Main points

    Para 1: what we enjoyed most: finding a great diving beetle. Para 2: what we learned about how ponds depend on sunlight and plants.

  4. 4. Questions or requests

    Would it be possible for him to advise us on building a small wildlife pond at school? Which plants would suit it?

  5. 5. Closing and sign-off

    Thank him again. “We look forward to hearing from you.” Yours sincerely, Year 6.

The finished piece: A thank-you letter to the park ranger

Dear Mr Hughes,

I am writing on behalf of Year 6 to thank you for leading our pond-dipping visit to Millbrook Country Park last Thursday.

Everyone in the class enjoyed the morning enormously. The highlight was undoubtedly finding a great diving beetle, which none of us had ever seen before. We were also fascinated to learn how much a pond depends on sunlight and plants to stay healthy.

As a result of your visit, we would like to create a small wildlife pond in our school garden. Would it be possible for you to advise us on where it should go? We would also be grateful for a list of suitable plants.

Thank you once again for such a memorable visit. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Year 6

How to use this plan at home or in class

A letter is writing with a real reader, and that changes everything. Before planning, ask two questions: “Who is going to read this?” and “What do you want them to do or know?” The answers decide the layout, the greeting, the tone and the sign-off. A thank-you note to Grandma and a letter asking the council for a new bench are both letters, but they sound completely different.

In KS1, letters are a natural first piece of writing for a purpose, which the Year 2 curriculum asks for. Thank-you letters, invitations, postcards and letters to story characters (a note to the giant asking him to share his bridge) all work well. Keep the layout simple: “Dear…”, a few sentences, a question for the reader and “Love from”. Posting or handing over a real letter makes the effort feel worthwhile.

In Years 3 and 4, introduce the layout of a full letter: the writer’s address and the date at the top, a greeting, paragraphs for each point and a sign-off. Talk about tone: a letter to a friend can be chatty and use contractions, while a letter to someone you don’t know should be polite and clear. Asking questions keeps a friendly letter going and gives the reader something to answer.

In Years 5 and 6, the key idea is register. The curriculum asks children to choose the appropriate register and to know the difference between informal and formal vocabulary, and formal letters are where they practise it: request rather than ask for, discover rather than find out. Teach the sign-off rule too. If the letter begins with the reader’s name, end with “Yours sincerely”; if it begins “Dear Sir or Madam”, end with “Yours faithfully”. Modal verbs (could, would) make requests polite.

Letters also lead naturally into other text types. A letter of complaint or a letter asking for a change is a persuasive letter, and the persuasive writing template helps with the argument. A letter home from a character in a story is a recount, close to a diary.

A note on real letters: when a child writes to a real organisation, a grown-up should read it first, and a school address is better than a home address on anything sent to people you don’t know. For practice letters in class, an invented address works perfectly well. At home, a monthly letter to a grandparent is one of the most rewarding writing habits a child can have.

About this page

Reviewed by Joshua Younger · How it was made · Sources

Sources

The quotations in “In the National Curriculum” are copied word for word from these documents, with the year and section each applies to. The features lists, prompts, advice and worked example are Litsee’s guidance.

How this page was made

Reviewed by Joshua Younger, Senior Educator, on .

The plans, features lists and worked examples were drafted with AI help and checked against the National Curriculum by Litsee. Spotted something to improve? Email info@litsee.com.

The planner runs in your browser. Nothing you type is saved, stored or sent anywhere, and it disappears when you close or refresh the page.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What are the features of a formal letter for KS2?

The writer’s address and the date, the reader’s address, a formal greeting, a clear purpose in the first paragraph, formal vocabulary, paragraphs for each point, polite requests and the right sign-off: Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully.

When do you use Yours sincerely and Yours faithfully?

Use Yours sincerely when you begin with the reader’s name, such as Dear Mrs Patel. Use Yours faithfully when you begin Dear Sir or Madam because you don’t know their name.

What is the difference between a formal and an informal letter?

An informal letter is to someone you know well, so it can be chatty, use contractions and end with Love from or Best wishes. A formal letter is to someone you don’t know or in an official role, so it uses formal vocabulary, full words and a formal sign-off.

Should my child put our home address on a letter?

For practice letters, an invented address or the school’s address is fine. For a real letter to an organisation or someone you don’t know, a grown-up should check it first and decide which address to use.

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