Even when all of the rigours of the English language are accounted for, spelling remains a colossal challenge to children and adults! Our approach, combined with support from home, manages carefully organised lists of spellings that are learned by pupils each week through to Year 6, covering all phonic strands and high frequency spellings. These link directly to the 6 phonics phases and word lists specified in the National Curriculum. 
 

The spelling lists will be taught in class as part of regular lessons and will be photocopied for the children to take home and learn on a weekly basis. On the later lists, the final two words are from the 2014 National Curriculum Key Stage Two word lists. Extension lists account for children that are confident in these and of course, there are lists that are centred around the revision of previous spellings for those who find spelling more challenging.

Children will initially take a diagnostic test to establish their learning needs. If children score 7 out of 12 or more on a particular ‘phase’ of words within the test they can be assumed to have secured the sounds and patterns adequately. Children will begin their weekly spelling work on the first phase of words where their score is lower than 7 out of 12.