This should be read in conjunction with the CRC and Respectful Relationships Policy.
CRC Article 28: All children have the right to an education.
All policy and practice in Timothy Hackworth Primary School respects children’s dignity.
Intent for Spelling
As part of our Gold Level Rights Respecting School, our intent is to ensure that every child receives a well-rounded learning experience and becomes a fluent reader, a skilled writer and confident speaker so that children can be the best that they can be and have aspirations of themselves now, and in the future.
At Timothy Hackworth Primary School, we encourage our pupils to think and write creatively, be adventurous with their use of language and to write with clear purpose and for pleasure. In order for these aims to be realised, it is essential that our pupils learn the knowledge and skills to spell accurately.
Children who can spell feel confident and are able to write with enjoyment. We want our pupils to be equipped with the knowledge and range of strategies for learning spellings and to be able to apply their strategies when spelling words in their independent writing. Our teachers enjoy exploring and investigating the patterns and contradictions of the English language along with the pupils, and we encourage the children to take delight, and share, in what they discover.
Implementation for Spelling
Age-related skills and knowledge contained within the National Curriculum are embedded and taught across our school curriculum, particularly through the weekly English planning and discrete spelling lessons. Each class has weekly dictation exercises as assessments of key vocabulary informed by the National Curriculum to show that pupils are able to spell the words in context.
We have a rigorous and well organised English curriculum that provides many purposeful opportunities for spelling development.
In Reception, children practise their blending and segmenting skills to in order to support their early spelling development.
In Year 1, as part of the ‘Essential Letters and Sounds’ phonics programme, children practise the spelling of ‘harder to read and spell words’. They also learn the spellings of words linked to the identified grapheme and phoneme correspondences.
From Year 2 onwards, we follow the Spellingshed spelling framework which guides teachers to highlighted spelling rules and lists for each half term of the school year for each specific year group. This ensures that there is complete coverage of the National Curriculum.
The Spellingshed software enables teachers to use engaging software and a range of similar weekly tasks, to ensure pupils are focusing on learning their new spelling rule.
Statutory spelling words for each year group, and gaps that children have in their spelling, are also taught using the online platform of Spellingshed.
Word lists are set through the Spellingshed platform. This software is also used in school to engage pupils to practise their spellings and pupils then have the opportunity to show that they have learnt the spellings through independent writing opportunities and weekly dictation writing tasks. Children also have access to Spellingshed at home.
Spelling strategies are actively taught, identifying patterns and rules.
The school’s Marking and Feedback Policy also places a strong emphasis on supporting the improvement of spelling, with an initial focus on common exception words. Targeted spelling interventions are put into place by teachers for children who would benefit from additional support in this area.
Impact for Spelling
When spelling, our pupils:
- Use their phonic skills effectively when blending phonemes for reading and when segmenting phonemes for spelling;
- Have an interest in words, their meanings and their origins, developing a growing vocabulary both for speaking and writing;
- Write with confidence and creativity, while developing the skills to self-edit, correct and improve.
