Does anyone know whether the new National Curriculum makes weekly spelling tests mandatory in infants?

[TheOriginalMerylStrop]

Message from DS (year 1) 's teacher suggests so.

How depressing.

I think the moment I knew for sure that weekly spelling tests were ridiculous was when the list my boys were supposed to learn included the word "practice"...

mrz this is my third child through the school. Neither of the others had spellings sent home till year 3. I am certain that their introduction is not a coincidence.

I am sure there are other methods of testing ability to spell. But remain sceptical about this method. Thanks for the article. Interesting re the connections between ability to hear and distinguish phonemes and spelling.

Probably not a coincidence, but not the fault of the new curriculum either. It is the school's decision to have done that. There are increasing numbers of schools dropping spelling tests so your school does seem to be going against the trend slightly.

There would be no need for a push on spelling (whatever the method), were there no new requirement for children to learn harder spellings at a younger age.

The school has become much more SAT focussed than it has been. Again, perhaps not a coincidence. It's oversubscribed and "outstanding" and the HT wants to keep it that way. And, also, I think this teacher is perhaps weaker than some of the others, though she seems pleasant.

I'm not that sure the spelling expectation for year 1 has increased that much though. Perhaps a couple of bits moved down from yr 2. It mostly seems within the expectations of phase 5 of L&S and is perhaps easier or about the same as the expectations of Jolly Grammar which some schools were already using.

The increased expectations in yr1 are mainly in other areas I think.

Nope! Spellings to be learned within writing task in the classroom and reading context at DS's school. No spelling nonsense tests anymore.

OP I think you've answered your own question the spelling tests are not a result of the new curriculum but the head's fear of losing the "outstanding" status!