We want children at St. Mary’s to become competent spellers, who can independently identify and correct errors in their independent writing. Spelling is delivered using the CUSP Spelling curriculum, 3 times a week for years 2 – 6. Year 1 spelling is taught primarily during phonics sessions (see our Reading in School page), however, the children begin to access CUSP spelling in the Summer Term, once they have a strong grasp of phonics. CUSP spelling is a “balanced approach, drawing together knowledge about phonics and vocabulary and pairing this with pattern seeking and reasoning”. It focuses on teaching spelling concepts as well as the etymology, morphology and reasoning about spelling.

Each year group also has a set of words that they must know by the end of their key stage. If you would like to help your child practise these spellings at home, they can be found below.