In this contribution, we adopt the nonlinear large deformation and rotation formulation of the Reissner–Mindlin shell element [1] and combine it with a high-order spectral element method (SEM) [2]. The result is an efficient high-order spectral element that benefits from an accurate large deformation and rotation formulation. By making use of the cross-pattern of nodes, which has been introduced in [3], the computational costs for the calculation of high-order element matrices are significantly reduced. This simple yet effective outcome stems from the use of Gauss–Lobatto–Legendre quadrature, conventionally employed in Legendre SEM, in combination with the Kronecker Delta property of Lagrange basis functions. Moreover, high-order elements inherently alleviate shear locking without any additional modifications to the standard displacement-based formulation. Through the solution of various challenging numerical examples and by comparing the results with those of isogeometric shell elements [4], the accuracy of the method is investigated. We show that the proposed SEM shell, despite its simpler rotational formulation, can produce results comparable to the most accurate and complex versions of isogeometric shell elements. Finally, we discuss the optimal SEM strategy, emphasizing the effectiveness of employing coarser meshes with higher-order elements. REFERENCES [1] Wagner, W., Gruttmann, F., A robust nonlinear mixed hybrid quadrilateral shell element, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Vol. 64, pp. 635-666, 2005. [2] Patera, A. T., A spectral element method for fluid dynamics: Laminar flow in a channel expansion, Journal of Computational Physics, Vol. 54(3), pp. 468-488, 1984. [3] Azizi, N., Dornisch, W., A rotation-based geometrically nonlinear spectral Reissner-Mindlin shell element, Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, Vol. 251, 104416, 2025. [4] Dornisch, W., M¨uller, R., Klinkel, S. An efficient and robust rotational formulation for isogeo metric Reissner–Mindlin shell elements, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Vol. 295, pp. 1- 34, 2016.