Handwriting & Spelling

Handwriting

Handwriting is taught daily in Year 3 using the Letter Join scheme. The scheme begins with mark making and patterns in Early Years all the way up to legible, joined handwriting in Year 6. Children begin to learn the cursive style in Year 3. When this is introduced will depend upon the cohort although all children (with the exception of children with additional needs) will be using the cursive style by the end of the year. When a child is deemed to have legible, joined writing for a sustained period they will be encouraged to use a pen. Indeed our aim is that all children, by the time they reach Year 6, will have received a pen. There are no pen licences or handwriting tests by which to earn one.

Children within the rest of KS2 have a weekly handwriting lesson which is supplemented with targeted interventions for selected children.

Spelling

At Southbroom St James Academy spelling is a priority and has high prominence within the weekly lessons. To support the teaching of spelling we use Spelling Shed. Spelling Shed is a platform designed by teachers with parents and students in mind. Engaging and interactive, it aims to make spelling fun for students as well as simple for parents and carers at home to manage. 

Spelling Shed includes:

• A whole-school spelling curriculum, giving 100% coverage of the ELA spelling standards

• The Spelling Shed scheme has been created following key ELA spelling objectives and will take children through the statutory and non-statutory spelling lists in each age phase.

  Their whole-school curriculum for spelling gives 100% coverage of the ELA spelling standards including all statutory words and spelling rules. The curriculum is broken up into a weekly progression with a Spelling Shed list for each week plus printable activities and resources to aid teaching.