At Little Stoke Primary, we aim to develop confident, accurate spellers who understand how words work. Our spelling curriculum is carefully sequenced from Reception through to Year 6, ensuring that children build their knowledge step by step. 

Early Development: Reception and Year 1 

In Reception and Year 1, children learn to spell through our Unlocking Letters and Sounds phonics programme. 

This provides the essential foundations for spelling by teaching children to: 

• Hear and identify sounds in words (phonemes) 
• Link sounds to letters and letter groups (graphemes) 
• Blend and segment words for reading and spelling 

More information can be found on our Phonics page. 

From Year 2 Onwards: A Structured Spelling Curriculum 

From Year 2, children move into a structured spelling programme that builds on their phonics knowledge and develops a deeper understanding of spelling patterns and rules. 

The programme includes weekly teaching sequences, retrieval practice, and opportunities to consolidate and apply knowledge. 

The programme has been designed to allow flexibility, enabling teachers to address identified learning gaps. For the first five weeks of each term, the programme is followed as set out in the progression documents. In the remaining weeks of each term, teachers revisit and re-teach spelling sequences from earlier in the year or from previous year groups. This approach is informed by assessment and identifies gaps or specific weaknesses within each cohort. 

Building Knowledge Across Key Stage 2 

As children progress through the school, they develop their understanding of prefixes, suffixes, word families, and more complex spelling patterns. They also learn statutory word lists and deepen their knowledge of spelling rules. 

How We Teach Spelling 

Spelling lessons typically include explicit teaching, oral rehearsal, dictation, retrieval practice, and opportunities to apply spelling in writing. 

Progression in Spelling 

Our full spelling progression maps show what is taught in each year group and are available on our website.