Spelling at St. Ignatius
Phonics
At St. Ignatius Catholic Primary School, we prioritise a strong foundation in phonics to support reading and spelling development. We have adopted the renowned “Floppy’s Phonics” program for Nursery, EYFS and Key Stage One, ensuring consistency and effectiveness across these crucial early years. Please refer to our ‘Early Reading & Phonics‘ page for more information.
Year 1
Upon successful completion of the phonics screening in Year 1 (or Year 2 if they are to retake their screening check), students progress to address any remaining knowledge gaps in Stage 1 and Stage 2 throughout the year.
Y2 and KS2
At our school, spelling is taught through a structured and progressive approach. In Year 2 and across Key Stage 2, we use the resources provided by Grammarsaurus to support the teaching of spelling in line with the National Curriculum. This programme provides carefully sequenced lessons that focus on spelling patterns, rules and word structures, including root words, prefixes and suffixes. Through this approach, pupils develop a deeper understanding of how words are constructed, enabling them to apply spelling rules confidently and accurately in their writing.
Intent
At our school, we aim to develop confident, accurate spellers who understand the patterns and structures of the English language. Spelling is taught explicitly so that pupils gain a secure understanding of phonics, spelling rules and word structure.
Using the structured approach provided by Grammarsaurus, we ensure pupils build their spelling knowledge progressively from Year 1 to Year 6. A key part of our approach is helping pupils understand how words are constructed by exploring root words and affixes.
We teach pupils to identify prefixes and suffixes so they can understand both the meaning of words and the spelling rules that apply to them. This enables children to make connections between words and apply spelling patterns independently.
We want pupils to:
Understand and apply spelling rules and patterns.
Recognise and use root words, prefixes and suffixes.
Develop strategies to spell unfamiliar words independently.
Understand how spelling links to word meaning and vocabulary development.
Use accurate spelling confidently in their writing.
Implementation
Spelling is taught through the structured scheme from Grammarsaurus, which provides clear progression aligned with the National Curriculum.
Across the school:
Spelling is taught through regular discrete lessons each week.
Lessons focus on spelling patterns, rules and word structures.
Pupils explore the root of a word and identify affixes, including prefixes and suffixes, to understand how words are formed.
Children are explicitly taught to identify prefixes and suffixes to support both spelling accuracy and understanding of word meaning.
Pupils investigate how adding affixes changes the meaning and spelling of root words.
Spelling learning includes discussion, investigation and pattern spotting, helping pupils understand why words are spelled in certain ways.
Pupils apply their learning through dictation, editing tasks and writing opportunities.
Teachers regularly assess spelling to identify misconceptions and provide targeted support.
Spelling lists are shared with families so pupils can practise and reinforce learning at home.
Spelling knowledge is reinforced across the curriculum through regular opportunities to apply spelling rules and patterns in independent writing.
Impact
Through this approach, pupils develop strong spelling knowledge and a deeper understanding of how words are constructed.
As a result:
Pupils show increasing accuracy in spelling as they move through the school.
Children understand how words are formed by identifying root words, prefixes and suffixes.
Pupils can apply spelling rules to unfamiliar words by recognising patterns and affixes.
Children develop a stronger understanding of word meaning and vocabulary.
Pupils confidently edit and improve their own writing, identifying and correcting spelling errors.
Strong spelling knowledge supports high-quality writing across the curriculum.
Ultimately, pupils leave our school as confident writers who understand the structure, meaning and spelling of words.
Statutory Spelling Lists by Year Group:
Grammarsaurus
Our phonics and spelling curriculum reflects our commitment to nurturing strong literacy skills in our students, empowering them to become confident and proficient readers and writers. By combining effective programs, assessments, and targeted support, we strive to create a cohesive learning journey that enables our students to flourish academically and excel in their language abilities.
To motivate and engage our pupils in spelling, we create regular opportunities to celebrate effort and progress. Each week, pupils practise and apply the spelling patterns and rules they have been learning through our programme from Grammarsaurus. Every Friday, we hold a Spelling Competition, where pupils have the opportunity to showcase their learning in a fun and supportive environment. This weekly event celebrates pupils’ progress, effort and achievement, helping to build confidence and enthusiasm for spelling. By recognising improvement as well as accuracy, we encourage all pupils to develop a positive attitude towards spelling and to take pride in their learning. ✨📚
Please see our English Writing, English Reading or Early Reading & Phonics pages for more information on the teaching of English.