Intent
English Martyrs Spanish curriculum aims to instill a love of language learning whilst developing an awareness of other countries and cultures.
Our Spanish curriculum is ambitious and designed to give all pupils of all backgrounds and abilities the knowledge they need to take advantage of further language study and opportunities to study and work abroad. We aim to give pupils a foundation for language learning that encourages and enables them to apply their skills to other languages.
Our scheme of work is planned and sequenced to support pupils in meeting the National curriculum end of Key Stage 2 attainment targets.
Our scheme of work is centered around the three key building blocks of language development; phonics, vocabulary, and grammar. We focus on developing both the receptive skills of listening and reading and the productive skills of speaking and writing.
Our curriculum also allows for project-based learning in the summer term which further enhances students' engagement and motivation, nurtures teamwork and collaboration and promotes retention of knowledge through practical application of their skills.
Implementation
Through our scheme of work, pupils are given opportunities to communicate for practical purposes around familiar subjects and routines. There are balanced opportunities for communication in both written and spoken Spanish. Pupils first develop their confidence and accuracy with oral skills and then increasingly apply their knowledge to extended reading and writing as they progress through Key Stage 2.
Our curriculum is a spiral curriculum, with key skills, grammar and vocabulary revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Cross Curricular links are included throughout our Spanish units allowing children to make connections with other areas of their learning.
Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including role-play, language games and ‘language detective’ work where pupils develop an understanding of Spanish grammar.
Opportunities for building numeracy, literacy and oracy are built into the curriculum.
Lessons are delivered by a fluent Spanish specialist who is also a qualified teacher.
Impact
Our scheme of work is planned and sequenced to support pupils in meeting the National curriculum end of Key Stage 2 attainment targets. The aims and objectives of each unit are clear, and we plan frequent formative and summative assessment opportunities which allow teachers to identify gaps in learning. This informs delivery going forwards and allows for timely intervention where needed.
Pupils frequently evaluate their own and their peers' performance, respond to feedback and recognise their own progress.
Core skills for each unit are logged on to a centralised spreadsheet where teachers can identify pupils' progress against each skill.
A range of AFL strategies are used throughout lessons with opportunities for instant whole class assessment via quizzes, interactive activities, and mini whiteboards. Evidence of progress across a series of lessons can be seen through work in pupil books and the assessment tracker.
Pupils should leave school equipped with a range of language learning skills which will enable them to study Spanish or any other language with confidence at KS3.
The expected impact of the scheme is that children will:
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Be able to engage in purposeful dialogue in practical situations and express an opinion.
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Make increasingly accurate attempts to read unfamiliar words, phrases, and short texts.
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Speak and read aloud with confidence and accuracy in pronunciation.
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Demonstrate understanding of spoken language by listening and responding appropriately.
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Use a bilingual dictionary to support their language learning.
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Be able to identify word classes in a sentence and apply grammatical rules they have learnt.
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Have developed an awareness of cognates and near cognates and be able to use them and other language detective skills, to tackle unfamiliar words in Spanish, English and other languages.
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Be able to construct short texts on familiar topics.
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Develop a greater understanding of the wider world and an appreciation of the role of language learning in promoting cross-cultural understanding.