Spelling is a fundamental literacy skill that enables children to develop strong reading and writing skills. Evidence shows that poor spelling can create a barrier to communication and as a result, can negatively impact overall literacy, communication and employability skills. By equipping students with adequate spelling skills, they can develop into confident spellers and in turn, develop confidence in all aspects of literacy which positively impacts their ability to read for both knowledge and pleasure.

The annual NET Spelling Bee is a trust-wide competition aimed at Year 7 students. Students from across the North East and the North West competed in three rounds of increasing challenges, with the third and final round taking place at the NET Staff College on 13 June 2024.

Spellings were ranked into 3 difficulty levels:

One Bee spellings were derived from the primary national curriculum, building on student’ previous knowledge of phonics, morphology and orthography.

Two Bee spellings were based on disciplinary vocabulary linked to the year 7 curriculum. Students will have had access to these spellings in their lessons.

Three Bee spellings were the most challenging and considered to be ‘Words of the Champions’ as dictated by the Scripps National Spelling Bee, including words such as bachelorette, whimsical and annihilate.

The final round saw students from Thorp, Hetton, Buile Hill and Denton academies being tested on their spelling knowledge in front of an audience of their peers.  Students competed as an academy but were presented words individually, and were then eliminated if they got a spelling incorrect. After an intense and exciting day, it came down to the final two: Thorp Academy and Hetton Academy, but it was Thorp who triumphed and secured the trophy for their fellow teammates and their school.

Bethany Howieson, Trust Lead for Literacy and Oracy said: “Northern Education Trust is committed to improving the life chances and outcomes of each and every student. Events such as the NET Spelling Bee are a key component in developing confident and exceptional young learners, offering the opportunity to learn and grow in an exciting and unique way.”