Spelling at Mab Lane 

Why is spelling important?

“….learning to spell well is extremely useful if we want children to become confident writers. If they are constantly stopping to think about how words are spelled while they write, it can interrupt the flow of their thoughts, taking them away from what we want them to be thinking about: their choice of words and how they construct those words into sentences that communicate exactly what they want to say. If they’re confident spellers, they’re also much more likely to make adventurous vocabulary choices, selecting the exact word to communicate their message, rather than playing it safe and using a word they already know how to spell.”  James Clements (Oxford Education)

EEF Improving Literacy in KS1 (Recommendation 6)

• Spelling should be explicitly taught.

EEF Improving Literacy in KS2 (Recommendation 5)

• Consider the types of spelling error pupils are making to identify appropriate strategies for improving pupils’ spelling. Explicitly teach spellings and provide pupils with extensive opportunities to practice them.

At Mab Lane, we have high expectations in writing and believe that good spelling underpins a child’s enjoyment, confidence and accuracy in writing. When a child lacks confidence and fluency in spelling, it can form a barrier when writing across the curriculum. It can also impact on self-confidence and can limit outcomes in writing at the end of KS2.  Spelling is an essential skill which allows children to clearly communicate their understanding in writing.

Aims

At Mab Lane Primary School we aim to:

· Empower children to spell accurately using the rules and common exception words identified in the National Curriculum 2014 · Develop positive attitudes to spelling

· Promote an interest and enjoyment of words and their structures

· Encourage children to accept responsibility for their own learning

· Enable children to edit and correct their own errors using tools and strategies they deem to be most helpful

· Facilitate acquisition of the required skills for learners to move confidently to secondary school, emboldened by their sound spelling knowledge and an ability to help themselves when necessary.

Intent

At Mab Lane, we believe that all our children can become fluent, confident and competent spellers. 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. We want our pupils to be equipped with the knowledge and range of strategies for learning spelling and to be able to apply their strategies when spelling words in their writing.

To ensure this happens we teach using Ready Steady Spell. This is a systematic spelling programme which covers all the National Curriculum objectives in a cyclical way.

The progression document systematically develops children’s understanding of morphological and phonological spelling knowledge and rules, as appropriate, and builds upon previous learning in an incremental manner as they move through school. Children are also taught a range of engaging and interactive strategies which can be used to support recall of spellings and moving spellings into the Long Term Working Memory.

Implementation

Year 2 - Year 6 

• Spelling is taught 3 times per week. This begins in the first week of the Autumn term.
• Built into the programme is a review session every  Friday, alongside regular review and assessment weeks, so that we have a clear understanding of where our children are at and what further teaching they may need to allow them early success.
• The daily sessions include a clear 4 part lesson, Revisit/Revise, Teach, Practise and Apply and cover Statutory Word List words, strategies to support remembering the spellings, teaching of rules where appropriate and application into writing.
• In summer 2 for Year 4, and Spring 1 and 2 and Summer 1 terms for Year 6, revision weeks are built into Ready Steady Spell which link directly to the end of KS2 content domains.
• In Year 6 Summer 2 term Ready Steady Spell provides support for transition and children identifying their own misspellings, using spelling journals, editing writing etc.
• We follow the Ready Steady Spell progression document through Years 2 - 6 which covers all the National Curriculum (2014) expectations and clearly sets out what is to be taught and when.
• The objectives are returned to within and across year group three times to ensure that spellings are embedded
• We have a weekly spelling test at the end of each week. This is in addition to the lesson. The spellings are set out within the programme and are based upon what has already been taught and Statutory Word List Words for the week. Children will not be asked to spell word they have not previously been taught and exposed to.
• We send home parent sheets weekly which provide the words for the spelling tests and the strategies that have been suggested to support their learning. These will be discussed, explained and shared with parents so that home school links can be developed and so that parents are clear on the best ways to support their child(ren) in embedding spellings. 

Impact

Assessment

Formative:

• Daily formative assessment is built into the Ready Steady Spell teaching sequence and the workbooks have a dedicated, daily opportunity to record formative assessment. 
• The weekly Friday sessions allow opportunities to review and identify gaps in learning.
• Ongoing observations of children during the spelling lesson to inform gaps in learning and broader application of skills and knowledge across the curriculum. 

Summative:

• Regular five or six weekly assessments take place as identified in the Ready Steady Spell progression document. These weeks will be used to assess progress and identify children who need  further group/individual support.
• The assessments will be shared with the English Lead/Assessment Lead/SLT to narrow attainment gaps between different groups of children, with a focus on the bottom 20%

The role of the English Lead

The role of the English Lead:

· To monitor the standards of spelling in the school;

· To analyse spelling data and report to SLT;

· To provide specific feedback to teachers with time related goals;

· To develop and improve standards of spelling throughout the school;

· To maintain and add to the resources in school;

· To support teachers and classroom assistants through training and general advice;

· To work with parents to encourage an understanding of how to help children learn to spell with enjoyment and accuracy.