Writing at Discovery Primary Academy

At Discovery Primary Academy, we use CUSP writing from Year 1 to Year 6 as the scheme for teaching writing. CUSP is underpinned by evidence, research and cognitive science. This ensures a consistent approach to teaching the skills of writing across the academy. Therefore, children know what to expect within all classrooms. 

Our writing units are taught as ‘blocks’ and within each unit, all children are provided with a knowledge organiser, high-quality model text and knowledge notes. Within each unit, we focus on writing skills (embedding grammar and punctuation) and after that, the children put those skills into practice and produce a piece of independent writing. Within our lessons, there is an emphasis on oracy and vocabulary. This will include children orally rehearsing their ideas before applying this to their writing. We follow the writing process – plan, draft (oral then written), evaluate, edit, publish – and understand that as the children get competent, they will draft, evaluate and edit multiple times. Within our writing curriculum, we heavily focus on transcription skills (handwriting and spelling) as we understand the importance of embedding the early foundations of writing (especially in EYFS and KS1, but also for any new starters) to ensure they become fluent writers and be Year 7 ready. Teachers assess the piece of writing to identify areas that the children will need to be taught specifically within further units. 

Handwriting

When communicating ideas in writing, it is important that children use a handwriting style which is neat and legible. The importance of handwriting should not be underestimated. It is vital that children can write quickly, comfortably and legibly as it is a skill needed in many curriculum areas. 
 Aims:

• To develop a joined, confident handwriting style that is clear, legible, fluent and consistent throughout EYFS, Key Stages 1 and 2.
• To instil a positive attitude towards handwriting. 
• To present work in a neat and orderly fashion appropriate to the task. 

Children, EYFS through to Year 6, use the Nelson Handwriting Scheme. Pupils are expected to be taught distinct handwriting lessons at least 3 times per week, with the lessons lasting no less than 20 minutes. 
Children who display specific difficulties with handwriting will have these addressed through such interventions as rubber pencil grips, using alternative writing media etc.

Spelling

Discovery Primary Academy introduced a phonics-based approach to teaching spelling in Year 2 – 6 in Spring 2026. Therefore, we have used the 44 phonemes and cross-referenced them to words in line with the National Curriculum’s spelling rules. For example, the word ‘outrageous’ could be taught under the Year 3/4 spelling rule of adding the suffix -ous. However, via a phoneme-centred, the word ‘outrageous’ could appear in multiple places: 

• ou sound 
• the split digraph ‘a-e’
• ge sound 

Drawing attention to the suffix in this word but not making it the main focus means that other words with the suffix -ous would appear throughout different weeks rather than all at once. This regular exposure to the same word – but through different phoneme lenses – provides a good opportunity for retrieval practice. We understand that the children’s learning in KS1 should be built on in KS2, not taught using an entirely new approach.
A general overview of a week of spelling lessons would look like this:

• Day 1 – Highlight sound and sort into a grid
• Day 2 – Partner test
• Day 3 – Breaking down the word into sound buttons
• Day 4 – Dictation test