At Brierley Hill Primary School, we recognise that writing is the vehicle through which children communicate, influence, and express themselves. Our curriculum ensures that pupils develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to write with fluency, accuracy, and purpose.
We follow the CUSP (Curriculum with Unity Schools Partnership) Writing Curriculum, a research-informed model that is:
✍️ Explicitly structured – Ensuring systematic and coherent progression in transcription, composition, and grammar.
📖 Rooted in high-quality literature – Enabling pupils to develop a deep understanding of language, audience, and purpose.
🔁 Built on the principles of ‘Reduce and Revisit’ – Prioritising depth of understanding by revisiting core text types across the key stages.
📝 Focused on securing sentence-level mastery – Ensuring pupils develop fluency before composing extended pieces.
🎯 Aligned with the wider curriculum – Enriching learning through meaningful connections with history, science, geography, and PSHE
Our ambition is that every child leaves Brierley Hill as a competent, confident, and creative writer, ready to thrive in secondary education and beyond.
Writing is a complex skill requiring multiple competencies. The CUSP Writing Curriculum is structured to ensure systematic development in:
✅ Transcription – Developing fluency in handwriting, spelling, and sentence construction.
✅ Composition – Understanding how to structure and craft texts for different audiences and purposes.
✅ Grammar and Vocabulary – Explicitly teaching the knowledge required to write with precision and sophistication.
✅ Text Conventions – Understanding the features, structure, and stylistic choices of different genres.
✅ The Writing Process – Embedding planning, drafting, proof-reading, and editing routines
By breaking writing into these essential components and sequencing them systematically, we ensure pupils can confidently and independently compose extended pieces of writing.
The CUSP Writing Curriculum is deliberately structured around fewer core text types to enable deep, repeated learning. Each text type is taught twice per year:
🟩 Block A – The first encounter, with high levels of modelling and explicit teaching.
🟧 Block B – The second encounter, allowing pupils to develop independence and creativity.
This ensures that pupils truly master each genre, developing the ability to apply their learning flexibly and effectively across contexts
For example:
This systematic approach avoids cognitive overload, allowing pupils to develop fluency in sentence-level composition before applying their skills to extended writing.
We believe writing should be authentic, purposeful, and integrated across the curriculum. The CUSP Writing Curriculum is strategically mapped to support writing in history, geography, science, and PSHE.
📜 History Links – Writing biographies, reports, and discursive pieces on historical figures and events.
🌍 Geography Links – Composing non-chronological reports and persuasive texts linked to environmental themes.
🔬 Science Links – Writing explanations, procedural texts, and evaluations to reinforce scientific thinking.
📖 Reading Links – Using high-quality model texts from the CUSP Literature Spine to develop authentic, rich writing.
By embedding writing across subjects, we ensure that pupils apply and refine their skills in meaningful contexts.
Each lesson follows a highly structured, research-led sequence, ensuring clear progression and consistency across all year groups.
1️⃣ Connect – Activating prior knowledge to anchor new learning.
2️⃣ Explain – Explicit vocabulary instruction and explicit teaching of grammar or sentence construction.
3️⃣ Example – Teacher modelling of high-quality writing and key writing techniques.
4️⃣ Attempt – Guided practice with structured scaffolding.
5️⃣ Apply – Independent writing, applying learning in context.
6️⃣ Challenge – Extending writing through sophisticated techniques and deepening understanding
This systematic approach ensures all pupils receive clear, consistent instruction in the mechanics and artistry of writing.
We know that strong writing is built on strong sentences. That’s why our curriculum places sentence-level mastery at the heart of writing instruction.
✍️ Daily deliberate practice in sentence construction.
🔎 Explicit teaching of grammar, punctuation, and syntax in meaningful contexts.
🗣 Oral rehearsal before writing, ensuring pupils can articulate their ideas fluently.
📖 Use of high-quality model texts, enabling pupils to internalise the structure and style of strong writing.
Before writing an extended piece, pupils must first master the building blocks of effective writing. This structured approach ensures all pupils can write with fluency, accuracy, and control
To develop independent, reflective writers, we explicitly teach the writing process:
📌 Planning – Identifying purpose, audience, and form.
📌 Drafting – Applying sentence-level skills to create coherent pieces.
📌 Proofreading – Developing metacognition by checking for accuracy.
📌 Editing for Meaning and Impact – Refining word choice, structure, and coherence
By embedding structured routines for editing and redrafting, we ensure that pupils learn to craft, refine, and elevate their writing over time.
We know that strong writers are strong speakers. That’s why our curriculum integrates structured talk into every writing lesson.
🗣 Oral Rehearsal – Pupils speak their sentences before writing, refining ideas aloud.
🎭 Performance and Debate – Opportunities for public speaking, persuasion, and discussion.
🔄 Peer Review and Discussion – Encouraging collaborative reflection and refinement
This oracy-rich approach ensures that pupils develop the linguistic dexterity and confidence to express themselves clearly and powerfully.
We use a multi-layered assessment approach to track progress and provide meaningful feedback:
📊 Formative Assessment – Daily teacher feedback, verbal and written.
📝 ‘Ingredients for Success’ Checklists – Clear success criteria for each writing unit.
📚 Key Indicator Assessments – Summative assessments ensuring pupils secure curriculum objectives.
🔄 Reteaching and Adaptive Practice – Ensuring all children receive targeted support to master key concepts
This ensures that every pupil receives the support, challenge, and feedback they need to excel in writing.
By the time pupils leave Brierley Hill Primary, they are:
🎓 Academically prepared – Ready for the demands of secondary school and beyond.
✍️ Fluent, confident writers – Equipped with the skills to write effectively in any context.
🗣 Articulate communicators – Able to express ideas clearly and persuasively.
📖 Creative and independent thinkers – Using writing as a tool for self-expression and exploration.
For more details, including:
📌 CUSP Knowledge Documents
📌 Curriculum Overviews
📌 Home Writing Guidance
Please contact our Curriculum Lead, Tom Amphlett, at info@brierleyhill.dudley.sch.uk.