Spelling

Spelling Lead - Mrs L Conway

At Lowerplace Primary School, our children in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 have regular spelling lessons where they are taught spelling rules and patterns. After being taught a particular spelling rule or pattern they are then given a list of words which they can then practise spelling both at school and at home. We ensure that our children learn to spell age appropriate words as outlined in the National Curriculum English programmes of study.  

In KS1, children learn to:  

• recognise different spelling patterns  
• spell common exception words (these words are used frequently in pupils’ writing) 
• spell polysyllabic words (words which have two or more syllables e.g. shampoo) 
• spell compound words (two words joined together e.g. handstand) 
• spell words with different endings (e.g. ing – playing) 
• spell words with prefix ‘un’ (e.g. unlock) 
• spell words with suffixes (e.g. less – fearless) 
• spell homophones and near homophones (words that are pronounced almost the same but have different spellings and meanings) 

In KS2, children learn to:  

• recognise different spelling patterns  
• spell more common exception words (these words are used frequently in pupils’ writing) 
• spell words with suffixes (e.g. ous – enormous) 
• spell words with prefixes (e.g. dis – disappear) 
• spell words with silent letters 
• spell words with different endings (e.g. able – adorable)
• spell homophones and near homophones (words that are pronounced almost the same but have different spellings and meanings) 
• spell words with a hyphen (e.g. re-enter) 

Rochdale Spelling Bee Competition

Each year we participate, along with other primary schools across the borough,  in Rochdale’s Spelling Bee challenge.

The event aims to help improve pupils' spelling and confidence in a fun way, while also bringing children from different schools together.

Following a series of inter school-heats, 32 primary schools chose their spelling bee representatives for the semi-finals, which were held in front of a packed audience at Matthew Moss High School in March 2023. During the event budding spelling champions were put through their paces with words like ‘perseverance’, ‘unscrupulous’, ‘rejuvenation’ and ‘manoeuvre’.

After a tense semi-final our school spelling champion has made it to the finals.  Good luck to our school champion.