At St Mary’s we believe that learning a foreign language gives children an opportunity to broaden their horizons, stretch their thinking and provide them with a wonderful social and cultural experience. All of our children in years Reception to year 6 learn Spanish through listening, speaking, role-playing, singing songs and through playing games.
Our school vision is at the heart of St Mary’s Modern Foreign Language Curriculum, aspiring for all our children to flourish and to empower our children to let their light shine in all they do. We want to encourage and nurture a love for languages and equip them with the skills to communicate confidently with others. The core language taught at St Mary’s C of E Primary is Spanish. Our MFL curriculum intends to expose our pupils to a new language, in order to develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills and prepare them for KS3. We aim for our children to grow into responsible people who can positively contribute to their school community and beyond, as well as work co-operatively with others developing a continued love for learning. We value the importance of understanding the wider world and our curriculum helps children develop an awareness and respect of cultural similarities and differences in other countries.
We deliver our Spanish curriculum which is cumulative and provides opportunities for revisiting content taught. The Spanish provision develops all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Through carefully chosen topics, children gain a strong knowledge of frequently used vocabulary, grammar and phonics. High importance is placed on giving children ample opportunities for speaking Spanish to develop their pronunciation. Teacher modelling, video and audio materials help model pronunciation accurately. Songs are used to aid memory and recall of key vocabulary whilst ensuring learning is fun. Children are taught to recognise patterns and shared roots and endings of words. Vocabulary is built on gradually over time to help children retain new information and boost confidence. Teaching children verb conjugation of frequently used Spanish verbs helps them to understand sentence structure and enables them to form their own sentences to express themselves clearly.
Spanish teaching supports learners to make progress and empower them to feel resilient and enthusiastic about learning the language. Teachers recognise that making mistakes is an important part of the language learning process but maintain high expectations of individuals. Children are encouraged to self-assess their Spanish learning and reflect on their next steps. Meanwhile, teachers monitor assessment in a range of ways, including observation of participation levels, engagement, pronunciation and written work. Assessment then informs planning to promote progress in developing language skills. We want children to leave primary school with an interest and curiosity for learning a foreign language and with the skills to communicate effectively. Regular Spanish practise helps children become confident Spanish speakers and prepares them for a smooth transition to learn foreign languages at secondary school.