Modern Foreign Languages

In our Federation schools, the teaching of a foreign language encourages pupils' confidence and creative skills. We help them develop an awareness of cultural differences through the study of language and other countries.  Through the teaching of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Spanish, we lay the foundations for future language learning. 

The teaching of Spanish at the Nar Valley Federation provides excitement, enjoyment and challenge for children and teachers, helping to create enthusiastic learners and to develop positive attitudes to life-long language learning. Our Spanish curriculum is designed to progressively develop children’s skills acquisition, and their ability to use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary organised around topics. Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversational work, singing activities and games. As confidence and skill grows, children record their work through pictures, captions and sentences.  Spanish is taught fortnightly in our mixed age classes from Year 2 onwards.

Across our Federation we introduce our children to Spanish following the guidance from the National Curriculum for KS2 where:

Pupils should be taught to:

• listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
• explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
• engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
• speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
• present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
• read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
• appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
• broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
• write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly
• describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing