Bishopston Comprehensive School, located on the Gower Peninsula in Swansea, provides education to GCSE level for approximately 1100 pupils. Over the past several years, Spellzone has become an integral part of our school life, embedded across the curriculum to improve literacy skills for pupils of all abilities.
In Key Stage 3, our pupils are extracted across the timetable to work on Spellzone four times per week, for a five-week period. Key Stage 4 pupils are encouraged to access Spellzone at home to help them prepare for their external examinations. Spellzone also accommodates for dyslexic students and pupils with additional learning needs. The number of our pupils using Spellzone has grown substantially over the years and currently ranges between 250 and 300 pupils.
We use a diagnostic spelling test to identify students with a spelling age which is more than 6 months below their birth age. These students are recommended for Spellzone. To measure progress, we retest students at the end of the intervention cycle.
Results show that our pupils have gained enormously from using Spellzone, with the average pupil gaining a 6-month to 18-month improvement in their skillset. Teaching staff have also noted improvements in our pupils’ confidence and self-esteem.
Spellzone includes an extensive collection of word lists which support all spelling rules and core curriculum vocabulary. By monitoring pupils daily, we are able to target their specific learning needs with these additional Spellzone resources. We inform students of their progress through an email containing supporting information sheets and exercises to help them move forward. We actively encourage pupils to continue using Spellzone at home to build upon current success.
Our pupils approach Spellzone with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Their feedback, gathered through evaluation forms, describes the resource as: tailored, rewarding, effective and enjoyable.
Support from Barry and his team is consistently excellent, with all queries dealt with promptly and efficiently. To summarise, I would highly recommend Spellzone to other teaching professionals as an aid to improve literacy skills across the school curriculum.
Alex Jenkins, Bishopston Comprehensive School
December 2023
"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."
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