Intent

At Marnel Junior School we follow the ‘Spelling Shed’ scheme. Spelling Shed is the most up-to-date scheme available based on cutting edge research into the teaching of spelling. Our aim is to give children the tools required to write fluently and independently across a range of contexts without spelling becoming a barrier.

Implementation

Spelling is taught three times a week in all year groups. Each spelling lesson is based on phonics, morphology and etymology, and includes a main teaching input, which is then followed up with additional activities immediately after the input or revisited throughout the week in order to consolidate the learning further. Repeated practice, short-term retrieval and small-step goal achievement are at the heart of our spelling curriculum.

“Orthography is how patterns of letters are used to make certain spoken sounds in a language.”

In spelling lessons, our children continue to build on the firm foundations built whilst studying phonics in their early years of education. They continue to break down spellings into the smallest units of sound and cluster them into syllables in order to read and write words efficiently.

“Morphology describes how words are structured into subcomponents to give meaning.”

Children study words; word parts; their meanings and how this affects spelling.

“Etymology describes the origins of words, which can lead to certain patterns of spelling.”

Most lessons in the Spelling Shed scheme include an etymology element that enables children to learn about the origin of the words that they are learning about. Children are able to see how the English language has, over time, borrowed and integrated words and spellings from a range of source languages.

Spelling Shed also provides a wealth of online games which can be accessed both in school and at home to further embed spelling patterns and rules covered within spelling lessons.

New spellings are shared on Seesaw on a Monday, and tested the following Monday. Their score out of 10 is recorded and the highest average score in the year group is awarded a certificate in merit assembly on Friday.

Impact

Children will make good progress from their own personal starting points. They will leave Marnel Junior School with the tools required to write confidently without spelling being barrier. They will be able to apply what they have learnt about orthography, morphology and etymology to access and use high quality vocabulary in their own writing.