Intent
At Kings Hill School & Nursery, we want all pupils to be competent and confident when applying their knowledge of SPaG to all areas of their learning: reading, writing and the spoken language. We promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. In SPaG, we aim to ensure that all pupils:
- are able to read and understand the punctuation and grammar within a written text
- acquire a wide vocabulary and can make rich connections across the curriculum
- have an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and the spoken language
- develop understanding of and the ability to use figurative language
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- use SPaG accurately within their writing, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
- are able to spell words accurately
Implementation
Spelling
Early spelling is taught using the Little Wandle phonics programme, where children develop their knowledge of phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (written letters). In Year 1, children learn their phonics and ‘tricky’ words using Little Wandle and are able to apply their understanding using an interactive Spelling Shed programme at school and at home.
Spelling Shed is used throughout Year 2 and KS2 to deliver high quality lessons, as set out in the statutory requirements of the national curriculum. All spellings are explicitly taught weekly. This includes spelling patterns, definitions and etymology of words. They are practised and applied frequently throughout the week. Spelling Shed is also used to set home learning to further consolidate learning.
Children are assessed each week; the results inform future planning.
All spellings are displayed in the classroom as part of the working wall for learning.
Dictionaries, thesauri and etymology resources are easily accessible for all pupils, and pupils are expected to use them within and beyond the English curriculum.
Punctuation and Grammar
Punctuation and grammar is integral to all English lessons, which are taught daily. Often there is an initial PaG lesson, focussing on a particular skill. This is then applied to a writing task later in the week. Grammar is learnt through the interactions with other speakers and from reading.
In EYFS and Year 1, children are taught to leave spaces between words and to join clauses using the word ‘and’. They begin to use basic punctuation to demarcate sentences. For example, capital letters and full stops. Grammatical terminology is used. Pupils become familiar with words such as singular, plural, noun and verb. Young pupils have a more complex language in speech than in writing at this stage.
In Year 2 and in KS2, children follow a progressive curriculum that develops their understanding and application of punctuation and grammar. English takes place daily and develops a taught skill, usually through a sequence of writing. Every English lesson starts with SPaG RP (Retrieval Practice). This incorporates interleaving of more than one taught skill to ensure spaced practise of fluency.
All classrooms display visual aids as part of their working wall, to support and enhance the learning of SPaG for all learners.
In KS2, pupils are set weekly SPaG homework using spag.com. This online platform, consolidates previously taught learning and helps to inform future planning.
Impact
Our SPaG curriculum is of a high quality and ensures there is a clear progression of skills. In order to measure the impact, we gather a variety of data to ensure learning has occurred and progress has been made. This information directly informs future planning and learning opportunities, allowing us to be responsive to the needs of our learners. We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
- A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes;
- Children can understand and apply the fundamental principles of spelling grammar and punctuation in their writing;
- Children can evaluate, improve and redraft their work;
- Children are responsible, competent, and confident; they are able to talk about their learning.
