Our Spanish Leader is: Mrs D Watson 

Spanish Intent

At St Mary of Charity, our Modern Foreign Language curriculum will foster the pupils’ life-long love for learning foreign languages and allow them to develop an interest and curiosity of the wider world and its peoples.

Spanish is taught in a fun, engaging and relevant way enabling the children to develop a confidence in the language. This will permit them to use and demonstrate their language skills to others, both during their time at the school and beyond.

Through a school-wide approach, pupils will be able to communicate in Spanish for practical purposes, to express their ideas and to understand and respond both in speech and in writing.

Spanish Implementation 

High-Quality Teaching and Learning

Our Spanish curriculum is designed to be engaging, inclusive, and progressive, ensuring that all pupils can make sustained and continuous progress. Using the Language Angels Programme, our teachers implement the following strategies:

1. Authentic Learning Resources: We provide a wide range of authentic Spanish resources, including literature, songs, videos, and interactive materials, to expose pupils to varied language usage and cultural contexts.
2. Active and Interactive Learning: Lessons incorporate a range of speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities, encouraging pupils to actively use the language in meaningful contexts.
3. Cultural Integration: Our Spanish curriculum goes beyond language acquisition and actively promotes an understanding of Spanish-speaking cultures. We celebrate important Spanish festivals, explore Hispanic traditions, and incorporate cultural elements into lessons.
4. Adaptive Teaching: We ensure that teaching is well-differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. Teachers use a variety of teaching techniques and resources, including visual aids, scaffolding, and differentiated tasks, to support pupils of different abilities and learning styles.

Our Spanish lessons consist of 3 very clear elements: phonics, vocabulary and grammar. These are present in each lesson. We use Knowledge Organisers to share these elements with the children and their parents/carers.

Assessment and Feedback

To monitor and track pupil progress effectively, we have implemented the following assessment and feedback strategies:

1. Formative Assessment: Ongoing assessment takes place during lessons to gauge pupils' understanding and provide immediate feedback. Teachers use questioning techniques, observation, and regular informal assessments to inform their teaching.
2. Regular Feedback: Pupils receive regular constructive feedback on their Spanish language skills and progress. Feedback is specific, encouraging, and linked to clear learning outcomes.
3. Self and Peer Assessment: Pupils are actively involved in assessing their own work and that of their peers. This helps them develop a deeper understanding of success criteria and take ownership of their learning.

Curriculum Provision and Management

Our comprehensive and well-organised Spanish curriculum provision includes the following elements:

1. Curriculum Mapping: The Spanish curriculum is mapped out to ensure a progressive and coherent learning journey from Reception to Year 6 (Our year R and 1 children are exposed to the Spanish language too, which is in addition to the requirements of the National Curriculum for Languages.)
2. Integration and Cross-Curricular Links: We foster connections between Spanish and other subjects to provide cross-curricular opportunities. For instance, we incorporate Spanish vocabulary and cultural references into topics such as history, geography, and art.
3. Opportunities for Language Enrichment: We provide extra-curricular activities and resources to enhance language learning, including language immersion days, multicultural dance celebrations etc.
4. Continuing Professional Development (CPD): Teachers receive regular CPD opportunities to develop their Spanish language skills, cultural knowledge, and pedagogical expertise. Staff have access to training through the Language Angels programme.