Speaking and listening is a fundamental learning skill, developed as our children engage with the world around them by sharing their thoughts and listening to others. To broaden horizons and introduce life beyond home town, county and country, we aim for our children to be aware of other cultures and understand how by broadening our knowledge of languages, we can benefit our future endeavours.

In practice this means exposure to the Spanish language from Reception. Starting from such a young age has a positive impact on a child’s ability to understand and retain new language forms and builds an excitement and passion for modern foreign languages that is sustained throughout primary education and beyond. Studying Spanish continues as part of our fun and creative curriculum through to Year 6, taught in the context of building awareness of the interconnectivity of today’s world, and building a strong foundation for learning further languages.

Children are taught by an external language specialist. They ensure progression builds year on year and that children are exposed to a range of vocabulary, themes and content. Spanish lessons are fun, interactive and accessible to all, boosting self-confidence, self-esteem and enhancing natural creativity and curiosity. Families can help transfer lessons to long term memory by practicing with their children outside the classroom using a language app. Our Spanish specialist also offers a morning club within school to encourage budding language enthusiasts and experts.

In lessons, we focus on developing confidence and enthusiasm for speaking, listening, reading and writing in a new language. Children have the opportunity to:

• Listen, speak and demonstrate understanding by joining in and responding
• Explore language through songs and rhymes
• Engage in conversations and role plays
• Understand basic language structures
• Appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in a different language
• Read, write and complete grammar exercises

Each element builds year on year to ensure knowledge is varied, skills are progressive and to help avoid unnecessary repetition.

The progressive nature of our teaching and curriculum is complemented by the language app and out of school clubs, ensuring not only that children have a basic understanding of another language by Year Six, but also that they are linguistically confident, passionate about languages, and well prepared to approach the range of languages offered in Year Seven and beyond.