✏️ Spelling at Friday Bridge

At Friday Bridge, we believe that confident, accurate spelling is a vital part of becoming a fluent and expressive writer. That’s why we follow the CUSP Spelling Curriculum, a carefully sequenced and fully resourced programme that helps pupils understand how the English spelling system works—and how to use it effectively.

Our approach goes beyond memorising word lists. Pupils are taught to explore patterns, reason about spelling choices, and apply their knowledge in real writing contexts. With a strong focus on etymology, morphology, and spelling transfer, children develop the tools they need to become independent, reflective spellers.

🧠 What Makes Our Spelling Curriculum Impactful?

• Concept-Driven: Pupils learn spelling as a system—not just a set of rules—through patterns, word origins, and meaningful connections.
• Cumulative and Coherent: Concepts are revisited regularly across year groups to ensure long-term retention and mastery.
• Integrated with Writing: Spelling is taught in context, with regular opportunities to apply learning in pupils’ own writing.
• Morphology and Etymology: Pupils explore root words, prefixes, and suffixes to deepen vocabulary and support cross-curricular learning.
• Flexible and Adaptive: The curriculum includes diagnostic assessments and flexible content time to address gaps and misconceptions.

📚 A Journey Through Spelling

From exploring word endings in Year 1 to reasoning about complex spelling patterns in Year 6, our pupils:

• Build on their phonics knowledge to understand the alphabetic code
• Learn to spot patterns and exceptions in spelling
• Develop strategies for self-correction and proofreading
• Apply spelling knowledge confidently in their writing
• Explore the meaning and structure of words across the curriculum