Queen's Crescent School

QUEEN’S CRESCENT SCHOOL

Spelling Policy

Rationale

At Queen’s Crescent School we firmly believe that good spelling is an essential skill which allows the children to communicate their understanding in all curriculum subjects. In order for pupils to develop into effective and confident writers they need to develop and use a range of effective spelling strategies. By providing the children with a range of strategies we equip them with the independence to attempt spellings before asking for adult help.

We particularly want the children to develop a love of language and the confidence to spell more challenging and ambitious words. In allowing them opportunities to develop a rich and exciting vocabulary, we are enabling them to become effective communicators.

Aims and Objectives

By adopting a consistent approach to the teaching of spelling we aim for the children to develop confidence and accuracy when spelling across the curriculum. In doing so we aim to:

• Develop and teach the children to use a range of effective spelling strategies
• Encourage creativity and the use of more ambitious vocabulary in their writing
• Enable children to write independently
• Enhance proof reading and editing skills
• Encourage children to identify patterns in words and spellings.
• Promote a positive and confident attitude towards spelling
• Help children to use a range of dictionaries and spell checks effectively.
• Help children recognise that spelling is a lifelong skill
• Provide equal opportunities for all pupils to achieve success in spelling

Approaches to Teaching and learning

Specific Letters and Sounds session are taught 5 times a week in FS2 and Key Stage 1 for 20 minutes. Jolly Phonics actions are taught in conjunction with Letters and Sounds in the Foundation Stage classes. In KS2 spelling is taught based upon The Support For Spelling programme and the New 2014 National Curriculum framework. Throughout Key Stage 2 small groups of children may work with TAs continuing with the appropriate phase of Letters and Sounds , or interventions such as Read, Write Spell Inc,,where phonic knowledge is not yet embedded.  A whole school spelling program, Grammar and Spelling Bug, has been introduced to allow the children to practise spellings at home and in school in order to learn patterns and rules in an engaging and interactive way.

Spelling Strategies

 The teaching and learning of phonics and the correspondence between letters and their sounds underpins all of the spelling strategies taught across the school.

Alongside the specific Letters and Sounds programme, we endeavour to teach the children a range of spellings strategies in order to appeal to a variety of learning styles. These include:

• The S.A.C.A.W.A.C strategy (say and cover and write and check)
• The use of memory strategies. Including:

        -Identifying syllables in words in order to break words into smaller parts

        -Identifying base words e.g. smile- smiling- smiled

        -Analogy- Using words already known to help spell new words e.g. could 

          would should.

         - Mnemonics- making up sentences to help remember the spelling of a word.

• Finding words within words
• Making links between the origin of words and their spelling (etymology)
• Using word banks and dictionaries
• Using a spell it check it book
• Learning different spelling patterns and investigating new spelling rules.
• Linking handwriting to spelling and phonics, in order to develop a visual memory to aid spelling
• The use of ICT resources , such as Spelling and Grammar Bug

At Queen’s Crescent School we understand that children have different learning needs, therefore throughout the school the children will be offered a wide range of spelling activities to provide a stimulus for all learning styles.

They may take the form of:

• Paired, individual, small group or whole class teaching
• Whiteboard work
• Dictionaries and thesaurus’ activities
• Audio visual activities (Video, DVD, On-line)
• Writing experiences through play.
• Word games, word searches, crosswords, puzzles
• Specific homework activities
• Investigative work
• Editing and re- drafting work
• Creating word banks linked to topic work or high frequency words
• Word play activities
• Action rhymes and songs
• Creative work
• Word of the week and VCOP activities

Resources

To enable all children to develop the range of strategies taught classrooms will be well equipped to support the different activities and learning styles. Resources may include:

• Whiteboard and pens, ICT, spelling games. Magnetic letters, word banks (including cross curricular words as well as high frequency words), word cards, thesaurus, dictionaries, picture dictionaries, wall charts , spell it check it books, Spagpuss board, Support For Spelling Guidelines. Letters and Sounds framework.

Key words

In line with the 2014 National , it is expected that by the end of Key Stage 1 the children should be able to read and spell the first 300 high frequency words. (Appendix 1)In both Key Stages Teachers will set clear expectations for the spelling of key words and will share these with the class. Appendix 2 outlines expectations for spelling from  FS2 to Year 6. Each term the class will agree on non negotiable key word spellings which are expected to be spelt correctly in the children’s work. These target words may be related to topic words, words which include a particular pattern or taken from NC high frequency lists and will be displayed as a visual resource in the classroom. Marking will encourage the children to become independent and responsible spellers.  All children are encouraged to check their own work and identify words spelt incorrectly and time is given during literacy sessions for this to take place, using dictionaries, peers and word banks for support. These strategies are in line with our assessment policy and help children in taking responsibility for their own learning. (See Marking and Assessment policies).

Handwriting and Spelling

 

 Links between handwriting, phonics and spelling are also important. The regular practise of letter patterns and the copying of high frequency words helps develop good visual and writing habits. By copying and tracing whole words and linking their handwriting to patterns learnt in Letters and Sounds, the children will develop a good motor memory which will aid independent writing and spelling.

Home/ School links

When appropriate children from Year 1 will be sent home spellings to learn. Queen’s Crescent School recognises that parents have an active part to play in all aspects of their children’s learning. Through teacher led meetings the parents will be informed of the spelling strategies developed at school which may help parents when supporting home learning. Spelling guidelines have also been developed as an aide memoir for parents. In Key Stage 2 children are set individual spelling activities. All children from Year 1 upwards have access to the online Spelling and Grammar Bug program.

SEN

Some children will continue to find these spelling strategies difficult to use effectively and will need additional support beyond differentiated classroom activities.

TAs may lead additional multi sensory spelling activities involving small groups or with individuals. Intervention programmes, such as Toe by Toe, Nessie , additional Letters and Sounds, Read, Write Spell Inc.  may also be put in place to support spelling. Class teachers will liaise with the SENCO when considering the specific needs of some children. The SENCO will perform any additional assessments in order to identify specific spelling weaknesses. Where necessary, SMART  targets relating to spelling in order to help these children progress further.

Equal Opportunities

All children will have an equal opportunity to work within this policy area. Account will be taken of specific needs and where appropriate support will be accessed through the special needs policy.

Curriculum Links

This policy is supported by the range of whole school policies, including assessment, SEN, Handwriting, Writing and presentation policies.

Assessment

Regular monitoring and work scrutiny will take place by teachers and SLT. In Key stage 1 and Key Stage 2 weekly spellings will be sent home to learn and will be checked each week in class. Teachers will feed back to the children through regular written or verbal comments and individual targets may be given when appropriate. From Year 3 all children will undertake the NFER 100 word spelling test at the beginning of each year. As part of the end of Key Stage 1 and  2  Assessments, all  children in Year 2 and Year  6 will undertake the new Spelling and Punctuation and Grammar test in May.

Roles and responsibilities

This policy has been developed through consultation with staff, subject leader, head teacher and governing body. The Head teacher, Senior Leadership team and subject leader will monitor and evaluate the work achieved. The leader will identify areas for development, resource needs and moderate standards across the school.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The monitoring and evaluation of the achievements made in this area of the curriculum is carried out through the guidelines on monitoring and evaluation. These set out how the Head teacher, SMT, subject leader use a range of strategies to assess the qualities of achievements. The class teachers, however, have a key role in monitoring and evaluating the teaching and learning taking place in their class.

The subject leader will regularly review the spelling action plan and will work with the SLT to evaluate any relevant areas of the School development plan when appropriate. The leader will also liaise with the link Governor and will attend meetings to keep the Governing Body informed and updated.

The periodic reports of SIA and Ofsted will give independent views on the standards achieved within this subject area.

 Appendix 1

Letters and sounds : High Frequency words Checklist

 

Appendix 2

 

 FS2 Early Learning Goals for Writing

Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. They also write some irregular common words. They write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible.

Year 1 Statutory Requirements

The boundary between revision of work covered in Reception and the introduction of new work may vary according to the programme used, but basic revision should include:

• all letters of the alphabet and the sounds which they most commonly represent
• consonant digraphs which have been taught and the sounds which they represent
• vowel digraphs which have been taught and the sounds which they represent
• the process of segmenting spoken words into sounds before choosing graphemes to represent the sounds
• words with adjacent consonants

 

Year 2 Statutory Requirements

 

 

Years 3 /4 Statutory Requirements

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cross curricular lists for Year 3/ 4 spelling

Year 5 and 6 Statutory Requirements

 

 

 

 

 

Cross curricular spellings Year 5 and 6