At Southmead Primary School children in KS1 and KS2 learn Spanish as an additional language, the study of which liberates children from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. MFL lessons give children opportunities to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, bother verbally and in writing. They also provide opportunities to read age-appropriate literature and learn songs in the target language. Ultimately, MFL lessons at Southmead provide a firm foundation for further language-learning, equipping children with the skills that they need in order to become life-long language learners, both for the pleasure that can be derived from doing so, and for the practical purpose of equipping pupils to study and work in other countries. . 

At Southmead Primary School Key Stage 1 and Year 3 have an hour lesson every other week and Year 4, 5 and 6 every week. Areas covered include:  numbers, colours, questions and answers needed to engage in conversations, sound and meaning of words, descriptions of things, places and people, expressing opinions, speak in sentences, develop accurate pronunciation and intonation, understanding basic grammar etc.

We teach a curriculum that enables our pupils to become effective users of language and show an understanding and respect of different cultures in our local, national and global communities. Through the teaching of high-quality Spanish lessons at Southmead Primary School, children learn: 

• Spanish as a foreign language over six years, fostering their interest in the culture of Spain and the Hispanophone world.
• vocabulary and linguistic structures informed by the National Curriculum and the skills expressed therein: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing (as well as Cultural Understanding).
• to ask and answer a range of questions about themselves, which would allow them to address a Spanish speaker and exchange simple, personal information.
• to manipulate language for their own purposes, drawing on their knowledge of increasingly complex sentence structures.
• the basics of phonics in Spanish to allow them to spell in a phonetically plausible way and read and speak with increased confidence and improved pronunciation.
• to draw comparisons between Spanish and English vocabulary, using their knowledge of cognates and near-cognates to decode unfamiliar texts of increasing complexity.
• to draw comparisons between Spanish and English grammar, syntax and sentence structure, both as a tool for developing their understanding of the Spanish language and their understanding of English.
• to make, and learn from, mistakes in the target language, thereby building resilience.
• to participate actively and perform with their peers, which develop self-confidence and encourage positive attitudes.
• to understand their place in the wider world and the concept of interdependence.

It is intended that when children leave Southmead Primary School, they will have a natural curiosity and confidence to explore, other cultures and languages, accepting that, in a multi-lingual society it is a valuable skill to be able to communicate effectively with others in another language.  They will be engaged and prepared to continue language learning at secondary school.

The Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) specialist teacher/Subject Leader teaches Spanish in KS1 and KS2. Lessons follow the knowledge and skills content as laid out in the National Curriculum.  The MFL subject leader has designed long-term and medium-term planning according to each year group targets. Lessons are carefully structured to introduce content progressively to secure understanding and also to make sure that children are challenged. The learning is developed through a range of short length activities that are usually (depending on the target) a mix of reading, speaking, listening, writing, and grammar activities so pupils can achieve their targets at the same time as develop their ability in the five main skills: speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar.

At the beginning of each lesson the MFL teacher will spend some time recapping previous knowledge through a variety of activity. One of the main targets in MFL is improving children’s reading skills so there is always an age appropriate reading task where the children can practise reading using a Spanish phoneme mat. These recapping activities are essential to help children retain learning in their long-term memory. This time is also used by the teacher to assess the children’s learning, provide feedback and encourage peer- assessment.

Lesson starters are relevant to the main learning objective of the day and are used to engage the children from the outset. The MFL teacher will also use these activities as assessment for learning (AFL) opportunities.  Once all relevant previous knowledge has been reviewed and introduced the children are now ready to begin the new learning with much more confidence.

Activities are engaging, interactive, cross-curricular and well-paced. A wide range of resources are in constant use to guarantee all children and adults are well supported during their learning process, such as authentic videos from Spain, songs, puppets, real objects, digital media, cards etc. During lessons the teacher will model the expectations so all children know what they have to do and they feel confident about it. Lessons are very well resourced and offer opportunities for personalised learning.  Some individuals may be given individualised packs of resources as support; these are different and adapted for every lesson. The teaching assistants are also given a support pack includes the needed resources for every lesson, e.g. visuals, teaching ideas, key questions for assessment for learning, challenges, games etc. These resources and differentiated work help to close learning gaps and accelerate children’s progress.

Children are given enough time to ensure they embed the knowledge, understanding and skills. Tasks offer a motivational next step/challenge where children can extend their learning further. Sometimes these extra tasks involve working with other peers or apply the knowledge to a more personal level. Lessons usually involve a final task where children can apply independently what as been taught and learnt. These tasks can be written, involve speaking and listening and/or reading and encourage flexible groupings. The tasks are differentiated so all children can make progress. 

Children play an active role in their own learning. They coach each other and have talking/learning partners which we think is essential if children are to build upon their speaking and listening skills as well as their confidence. There is effective questioning throughout the lesson and all children have various chances to be asked questions and take on leading roles. It is common practice for children to regularly assess and praise each other, as well as to provide their peers with feedback. Children are encouraged to be responsible for their progress and develop positive attitudes to behaviour and learning. We want children to be independent and resourceful during lesson time and different strategies are put in place to encourage this. For example, resources (word banks, bilingual dictionaries, topic books, phonics mats, talking tins, timers, i-Pads, puppets etc.) are displayed which the children can access independently which in turn teaches them how to take responsibility for their own learning.

To extend children’s knowledge of the Spanish language and further their understanding of Spanish culture, we offer enrichment opportunities: Children are invited to participate in MFL assemblies; in the making of promotional videos or the design of whole school projects; they can attend after-school language clubs; have Spanish pen pals; some pupils show an interest in leading a Spanish lesson in a different year group; children have access to bilingual story books as well as to a language website which supports their home learning.