Kingsley St John’s Primary School – Pathways to Spell – Case Study

About the school: Small school with above-average SEND requirements

Number of classes: 4

Number on roll: 70

The Challenge:

We needed to improve the effectiveness of the teaching of writing across the school in order to raise standards, by:

– ensuring that staff enforce expectations of pupils’ spelling, grammar, punctuation and handwriting more consistently so that basic errors do not detract from the overall quality of pupils’ written work

– making sure that staff more effectively link pupils’ learning in phonics with the development of greater accuracy in spelling

– ensuring that teachers further increase the opportunities that they give pupils, particularly the most-able, to write at length and for different purposes, such as to record their learning in science

Mastery Approach:

Pupils are confident in using their spelling journals, understand correct terminology and have a shared language across the school. Pupils enjoy the games and activities included on the slides – Y3 and Y4 in particular like the ‘sliders’ for suffixes and bingo. The programme prompted staff discussion to create non-negotiables for staff expectations for handwriting, spelling and marking and to have a whole school approach for classroom environments as Pathways to Spell ensures a whole school approach to the teaching of spelling to ensure consistency.

Pathways to Spell progresses from Twinkl to enable pupils to understand rules and patterns.

Since implementing Pathways to Spell, we have achieved 71% GLD in Reception, 60% EXPS in writing in KS1 and 64% EXPS in writing in KS2 with 9% GDS.

The Impact:

The planning and PowerPoints lessen teacher workload, and there is a high level of support for ECTs, enabling them to develop subject knowledge and use correct terminology. The consistent and shared approach throughout school supports progression.

Pathways to Spell is easy to use, clear and effective planning with PowerPoints and resources. There are clear opportunities for recapping previous knowledge, and the programme supports children in developing their own strategies for learning and applying spelling rules.

Pathways to Spell links to Pathways to Write enabling children to apply their learning in their writing. Children use the strategies, rules and patterns taught to spell unfamiliar and technical words in other subjects – children have an interest in spelling and etymology, for example, when studying Ancient Greeks and seeing the words and word patterns still used today.

Kingsley St John’s Primary School