Spellings

At Springfield Academy, we use Support for Spelling approach to support our children in securing their spelling skills.  The key principles behind our spelling approach are based upon guidance from Support for Spelling, the DfE Writing Framework 2025, Ofsted Telling the Story: the English Education Subject Report 2024, the EEF (improving Literacy in KS1 and KS2), Ofsted Research Review Series: English 2022 and the Literacy Excellence Centre (links to all of these available in the appendices). 

The aim is to make sure that pupils can spell accurately, so that it becomes automatic, reducing pupils’ cognitive load. Pupils who spell well are more confident about using advanced vocabulary. Pupils who struggle with spelling write less, do so less fluently and produce lower-quality writing.

In order to support pupils to obtain automaticity in spelling, we know that the teaching of spellings should be regular and consistent, taught in small steps, with lots of opportunity to practice and reinforce their spelling knowledge. The teaching of spelling should be explicit, cumulative and engaging and it should include:

• Learning new words
• Practising previously taught words to develop speed and automaticity
• Learning common exception words
• Independent practice activities
• Planned opportunities to explore the morphology of words
• Encouragement, acknowledgement and feedback

The teaching of Spelling in EYFS and KS1

While children are learning to read and write in Reception and Year 1 (and above if necessary), the teaching of spelling follows the progression of the school’s phonics programme (Little Wandle).

In Year 2, the children complete the Little Wandle phonics programme by the Spring term. The children then move over to the Support for Spelling programme in the Spring term of Year 2, unless assessments indicate that children are not ready for this.

The teaching of Spelling in Year 6

In Year 6, the Support for Spelling programme includes opportunities for the revision and retrieval of key spelling patterns taught in previous years. During Summer 2, the programme also includes an ‘academic word transition’ focus, which supports children in understanding and learning the spellings of key subject-specific words which they will need to use when they transition to secondary school.

The below Spellings procedure document details our fortnightly Support for Spellings spelling lesson structure and provides an overview of coverage for each term, for each year group.  

Handwriting

At Springfield Academy, the key principles behind our handwriting approach are based upon guidance from Multi-Sensory Learning (MSL), the DfE Writing Framework 2025, Ofsted Telling the Story: the English Education Subject Report 2024, the EEF (improving literacy in KS1 and KS2), Ofsted Research Review Series: English 2022, the National Handwriting Association and the Literacy Excellence Centre (links to all of these available in the appendices). 

Fluent handwriting is a significant predictor of positive writing outcomes. A lack of fluency can constrain pupils by hindering their composition; reducing their motivation; and preventing others from understanding what they have written.

In order to support pupils to obtain automaticity in handwriting, we know that the teaching of handwriting should be:

• Taught in small steps with lots of opportunity for practice.
• Cumulative, building on what pupils have learned previously.
• Consolidated before teaching moves on so pupils do not practise letters incorrectly.
• Revisited when further practice is needed.
• Demonstrated by the teacher.
• Responsive to pupils’ needs, identified through what teachers notice in their writing.
• In addition to any handwriting that forms part of phonics instruction.

The below Handwriting procedure document details our Ready to Write routines, expectations for handwriting in each year group, and the order in which each letter is introduced in our handwriting lessons.