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2. Implementation

At Intack, we use the Red Rose Spelling, a fully planned programme, to implement the statutory requirements set out in the National Curriculum for spelling.

The programme includes:

  • a trajectory for the full programme with an explicit teaching progressions from Y2 to Y6
  • six-week overviews for each half term for each year group, which detail week by week spelling coverage, high frequency words and common exception words
  • comprehensive daily planning following the revisit/review, practise and/or apply teaching sequence
  • carefully sequence red (common exception) words with application into reading and writing
  • regular dictated sentences including carefully layering of GPCs, spelling rules and patterns and red words
  • word banks that directly match the focus learning for each day 
  • additional word banks to broaden and deepen vocabulary in order to provide stretch and challenge
  • opportunities to revisit and consolidate 

When teaching spelling, we develop our children’s knowledge of word origins (etymology) and word structure (morphology) e.g. the use of prefixes and suffixes and recognising rarer GPCs.

Alongside this, we teach the statutory common exception words (red words) in each year group and practise these regularly.

A wide range of strategies are introduced and practised to address the learning needs of different pupils. These develop auditory, visual and kinaesthetic learning skills to embed knowledge of common exception words.

The children’s progress is monitored in lessons and concerns are passed on to our SEND team. Interventions, such as Little Wandle Rapid Catch Up and IDL, are used with small groups in each class for additional support.

Weekly spellings are set and words are tested both individually and in dictated sentences to ensure spelling skills are used in meaningful contexts. Similarly, where shared writing links to spelling teaching, overt links are made during English lessons too. To support application of spelling into writing, word banks are also readily available in classes for children to use.