Primary school spelling schemes

Ask the supplier to map its year-by-year sequence to the English programmes of study and Appendix 1. Statutory word lists are only one part of spelling; rules, guidance, word structure and application also matter.

Evidence to request: Request a complete scope and sequence, one sample half term from each key stage and an explanation of any content moved between year groups.

Reception and key stage 1 pupils need consistent sound-to-letter language. A second set of cues or invented terminology can create avoidable confusion.

Evidence to request: Ask how the scheme handles grapheme-phoneme correspondences, common exception words and the transition beyond systematic synthetic phonics.

A list says what to practise. Teaching explains why a spelling works through phonics, patterns, meaningful word parts, roots and word history when those ideas are useful.

Evidence to request: Look for explicit modelling, guided practice, independent recall and worked teacher explanations, rather than only worksheets and end-of-week tests.

A pupil can score well on a rehearsed list and still misspell the same word in a sentence. The curriculum expects pupils to apply spelling in dictated and independent writing.

Evidence to request: Ask for sentence dictation, delayed recall and a light-touch way to inspect whether taught spellings appear accurately in normal class writing.

A score does not tell a teacher whether the pupil needs phonics revision, one written pattern, morphology, homophone meaning or more retrieval practice.

Evidence to request: Test the reporting with fictional pupil work. Can a teacher identify the next teaching action without opening several screens or exporting a spreadsheet?

Useful practice lets the pupil compare the attempt with the correct word, focuses attention on the changed part and returns the word after a gap.

Evidence to request: Watch a real incorrect-answer journey. Reject a product that hides the correction behind points, animation or a final score with no retry.

Additional practice should address an identified need and be reviewed. It should not become an endless easier list that disconnects a pupil from class teaching.

Evidence to request: Ask how a teacher narrows a set, assigns one pupil, reviews progress and decides whether to stop, continue, adapt or seek further support.

Consider device availability, keyboard demands, audio, reading level, colour contrast, reduced motion and what happens at home with a weak or missing connection.

Evidence to request: Run the pupil task on the oldest supported school device, at phone width and using keyboard-only navigation before signing a contract.

A platform should reduce list preparation, differentiated handouts, repeated pronunciation, marking and the work of finding which words need another turn.

Evidence to request: Time one genuine weekly workflow from choosing words to checking progress. Include setup, printing, pupil access fixes and reporting, rather than only the polished demo.

Classes need current curriculum words, topic vocabulary, homophones and words noticed in pupils' writing. A locked sequence cannot cover every useful responsive set.

Evidence to request: Ask a teacher to create, check, assign and reuse one real class list. Confirm whether sentences and audio can be reviewed before pupils receive it.

DfE guidance says schools should involve their DPO early, minimise personal data, understand AI use, review retention and plan for deletion or return at contract end.

Evidence to request: Request the privacy notice, data-processing terms, subprocessor list, security controls, retention schedule, deletion route and a named contact for the school's due diligence.

Include VAT where applicable, minimum pupil bands, setup charges, required add-ons, automatic renewal, data export and what happens to access when the contract ends.

Evidence to request: Ask for one written annual total for the school's actual pupil count and every feature in the proposed workflow. Record the notice and deletion steps before approval.