Handwriting is a core component of English. The DfE states that “writing fluently refers to how smoothly and quickly a pupil can write down their thoughts in words” and that pupils need transcription skills that are “sufficiently fluent and effortless” to meet the demands of the curriculum. Our scheme responds directly to this need with a clear, developmental pathway that prioritises early readiness and long-term fluency.  

Why a Staged, Not Aged, Approach to Handwriting? 

The research is unequivocal: physical readiness is the foundation of handwriting success. Occupational therapy and motor-development studies show that fine motor control builds on gross motor strength, stability, and coordination. Children who lack core strength or shoulder stability often struggle not because they “can’t write”, but because they do not yet have the physical base they need.  

Our first two stages acknowledge this essential progression, alongside following of instructions and key visual perception skills by teaching: 

• Gross and fine motor development 
• Visual perception and spatial awareness 
• Scissor skills and bilateral coordination 
• Following instructions and building motor memory 

Systematic Teaching of Letter Families 

Once motor, visual perception and instructional foundations are secure, pupils move into clearly sequenced individual letter formations in clear letter families, reflecting DfE guidance that handwriting must be taught “explicitly, precisely, regularly and cumulatively.” Once individual letter formations are secure, the pupils are taught how to join in a clear, systematic way.
Our scheme embeds high-frequency and common exception words grouped by letter family, ensuring immediate application and securing automaticity – a key component of reducing cognitive load and freeing working memory for composition.  

Developing Purposeful, Fluent Writers 

Stages One to Three assure pupils secure good letter formation before moving on to Stages Four to Eight of our scheme (available Mid April). The later stages will explicitly teach: 

• Forming fluent joins within words
• Choosing an appropriate handwriting style for purpose
• Developing and controlling slant, spacing and size
• Selecting the most effective writing implement
• Building fluency without losing legibility

What Makes This Scheme Stand Out 

• Fully developmental: grounded in motor-skill research and aligned with DfE expectations for sequenced, cumulative instruction 
• Easy to implement: complete daily lessons, clear assessment, no extra planning 
• High impact: strong focus on fluency, legibility and purposeful writing 
• Evidence informed: incorporates findings from the National Handwriting Association and current DfE Writing Framework guidance 
• Flexible: once individual letter formation had been taught, schools can make individual decisions about following a cursive or a break letters pathway. Options are given for versions of k. Timings of the sessions can also be delivered in a flexible way.  

In short: this handwriting scheme is practical, research aligned and easy to use –  giving schools a complete, coherent pathway from early physical readiness to confident, fluent, legible writers. 

Download the later stages, Stages Four to Eight, to continue the pathway seamlessly.

Resource Details

In each Stage Folder, you will find:
• A planning document for the whole stage
• Teaching slides for the stage, in Stage Three these are provided as 6 week blocks, and additional resources where needed
• Individual assessments for that stage, including individual pupil sheets where needed

In the Assessment Folder, you will find:
• Stage by stage individual assessments, including individual pupil sheets where needed
• All stages overview on one tracking sheet
• An individual tracking sheet for letter formation

In the Posters Folder you will find a set of display posters and tabletop aids on:
An overview of the 4Ps of handwriting: posture, position, pencil grip and pressure
Alphabet posters of all the lower case letters and capital letters in letter families
Numeral formation posters with rhymes
Paper position for left and right-handed writers
Pencil pressure
Placement on the line
Pencil grip
Overview of line placement, sizing, spacing, ascenders, descenders and capital letters
Perfect posture

In the Additional Documents Folder you will find:
A handwriting policy based on this scheme
Left-handed advice sheet
Quality First Teaching and SEND Advice
Nip, Flip & Grip Video
National Curriculum Handwriting Guidance
Parent Carer Handwriting Advice Leaflet

Find further information, previews and a walk through of resources here.