Spanish

Our Intent

At Southwark, we believe that learning a language enriches the curriculum, providing excitement, enjoyment and challenge, helping to create enthusiastic learners and to develop positive attitudes to language learning throughout life. In line with local feeder schools, we teach all pupils Spanish.

The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing will be taught and all necessary grammar will be covered in an age-appropriate way across the primary phase. This will enable pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning and also helping the children improve overall attainment in other subject areas.

Our intent is that all pupils will develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages, finding them enjoyable and stimulating. Learning a second language will also offer pupils the opportunity to explore relationships between language and identity, develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around them with a better awareness of self, others and cultural differences. We want all children to be passionate, curious and confident ready for when they finish the primary school phase of their education so that pupils will feel willing and able to continue studying languages beyond key stage 2. 

At Southwark, our Spanish Curriculum is in line with expectations set out in the 2014 National Primary Curriculum which provides a broad framework outlining the knowledge and skills taught in each Key Stage. Our programme of study is based around the ‘Language Angels’ scheme of work. Lessons are sequenced so that children’s knowledge of the Spanish language builds over time. Children will progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary, language skills and grammatical knowledge organised around age-appropriate topics and themes - building blocks of language into more complex, fluent and authentic language.

Spanish Throughout Southwark

Early Language units are introduced at KS1 and Year 3. Intermediate units are then introduced from Year 3 upwards to increase the level of challenge by increasing the amount and complexity of language taught. Progressive units are the most challenging and are taught from year 5 and 6 where pupils start to have a good understanding of the basics of Spanish. Grouping units into these teaching type categories ensures that the language taught is appropriate to the level of the class and introduced when the children are ready. Children will be taught how to listen and read longer pieces of text gradually in Spanish and they will have ample opportunities to speak, listen to, read and write the language being taught with and without scaffolds, frames and varying levels of support. To ensure all children are progressing their foreign language learning skills and are taught the appropriate grammar at the right time in their foreign language learning journey, grammar rules and patterns will be taught by level of challenge. Grammar is integrated and taught discreetly throughout all appropriate units. Teachers can also use the specific Grammar Explained units to ensure pupils are exposed to all of the appropriate grammar so they are able to create their own accurate and personalised responses to complex authentic foreign language
questions by the end of the primary phase.

In addition to discrete Spanish lessons, we also offer children opportunities to understand the culture of Spanish speaking countries through enrichment days. These include making and sampling food, experiencing customs and traditions such as dance as well as developing a greater geographical understanding of Spanish speaking countries.