Spanish at Wybourn Community Primary School

Intent

The Spanish curriculum at Wybourn contributes to our overall school ethos in enabling our children to leave primary school as curious, independent and motivated learners who are eager for the next stage in their education.  We encourage our children to develop their aspirations and an understanding of the wider world and other cultures.  Through their time at Wybourn we want our children to be confident communicators ready to continue their learning in the 21^st century as they embark on their secondary school journey.

In March 2024, our school was awarded the Intermediate level for the International School Award.  We also have strong links with a Spanish school.  Over the past eight years, as part of Erasmus+ projects, many staff members have taken part in week long cultural immersion courses in Santander at our link school, Colegio Puente III.  Our staff have visited the school on multiple occasions and the children have taken part in a range of exciting and immersive activities as a result of our projects ‘Broadening Horizons’, ‘Making Links’ and ‘Maintaining Links’. 

In May 2024, to consolidate their language learning, y5/6 children put experience into practice when they took part in a residential to Santander.  They fully immersed themselves in the Spanish culture, saw a real, meaningful purpose for their language learning and spent time with Spanish peers from our link school (Colegio Puente III).  Children gained invaluable experience and insight into the importance of learning and speaking another language in the 21^st century. We hope that this residential will run biannually so that all children have the opportunity to take part in this incredible experience whilst they are at Wybourn.

Aims

• To develop an interest in learning other languages.
• To introduce young children to another language in a way that is enjoyable and stimulating.
• To encourage children’s confidence and creative skills.
• To stimulate and encourage children’s curiosity about language.
• To encourage children to be aware that language has a structure and that the structure differs from one language to another.
• To help children develop their awareness of cultural differences in other countries.
• To develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
• To lay the foundations for future language learning.
• To foster an interest in learning other languages.
• To develop important aspects of the Wybourn life skills.

At Wybourn, we use the Language Angels scheme of work and resources to ensure we offer a relevant, broad and vibrant languages curriculum (Spanish) that will inspire and excite our KS2 pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. We have adopted their Primary foreign language intent, implementation and impact statement, adapted to meet the needs of the school.  All pupils will be expected to achieve their full potential by encouraging high expectations and excellent standards in their foreign language learning - the ultimate aim being that pupils will feel willing and able to continue studying languages beyond key stage 2.

The intent is that all content will be continuously updated and reviewed annually, creating a dynamic programme of study that will be clearly outlined in both long-term and short-term planning. This will ensure that the language knowledge of our pupils progresses within each academic year and is extended year upon year throughout the primary phase and, in doing so, will always be relevant and in line with meeting requirements of the national curriculum.

The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing will be taught and all necessary grammar will be covered in an age-appropriate way across KS2. This will enable pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning and also helping the children improve overall attainment in other subject areas.

We want all pupils to develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about Spanish thus finding it enjoyable and stimulating. Learning a second language at school will also offer pupils the opportunity to explore relationships between language and identity, develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around them with a better awareness of self, others and cultural differences. The intention is that they will be working towards becoming life-long language learners.

Implementation

All classes will have access to a very high-quality Spanish Language curriculum using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This will progressively develop pupil skills in languages through regularly taught and well-planned weekly lessons in KS2 which will be taught by the class teacher.  Children will progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary, language skills and grammatical knowledge organised around age-appropriate topics and themes - building blocks of language into more complex, fluent and authentic language.

All teachers will know where every child is at any point in their foreign language learning journey.

The planning of different levels of challenge (as demonstrated in the various Language Angels Teaching Type categories) and which units to teach at each stage of the academic year will be addressed dynamically and will be reviewed in detail annually as units are updated and added to the scheme. Lessons offering appropriate levels of challenge and stretch will be taught at all times to ensure pupils learn effectively, continuously building their knowledge of and enthusiasm for learning Spanish.

Language Angels are categorised by ‘Teaching Type’ to make it easier for teachers to choose units that will offer the appropriate level of challenge and stretch for the classes they are teaching.

Early Language units are entry level units and are most appropriate for our Year 3 pupils or pupils with little or no previous foreign language learning. Intermediate units increase the level of challenge by increasing the amount and complexity (including foreign language grammar concepts) of the foreign language presented to pupils. Intermediate units are suitable for Year 4-5 pupils or pupils with embedded basic knowledge of the foreign language. Progressive units are the most challenging units we use and are suitable for Year 6 pupils or pupils with a good understanding of the basics of the language they are learning. Grouping units into these Teaching Type categories ensures that the language taught is appropriate to the level of the class and introduced when the children are ready. Children will be taught how to listen and read longer pieces of text gradually in the foreign language and they will have ample opportunities to speak, listen to, read and write the language being taught with and without scaffolds, frames and varying levels of support.

Early Language Units (entry level) and Core Vocabulary lessons are designed to run for approximately 30 minutes. Intermediate, and Progressive Curriculum units are designed to run for approximately 45 minutes.  Children will have Spanish lessons weekly for 30 minutes and regular shorts bursts additional Spanish learning/tasks to consolidate and extend their learning. 

Units, where possible and appropriate, will be linked to class topics and cross curricular themes. Children will build on previous knowledge gradually as their foreign language lessons continue to recycle, revise and consolidate previously learnt language whilst building on all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Knowledge and awareness of required and appropriate grammar concepts will be taught throughout all units at all levels of challenge. Teachers are provided with a Progression Map and Grammar Grid (downloadable from the “Curriculum Guidance” area of the Language Angels website) to ensure all children are progressing their foreign language learning skills and are taught the appropriate grammar at the right time in their foreign language learning journey. Grammar rules and patterns will be taught by level of challenge:

· We start with nouns and articles and 1st person singular of high frequency verbs in Early Learning units.

· We move on to the use of the possessive, the concept of adjectives, use of the negative form, conjunctions/connectives and introduce the concept of whole regular verb conjugation in Intermediate units.

· We end with opinions and introduce the concept of whole high frequency irregular verb conjugation in Progressive units.

Grammar is integrated and taught discreetly throughout all appropriate units. Teachers can also use the specific Grammar Explained units to ensure pupils are exposed to all of the appropriate grammar so they are able to create their own accurate and personalised responses to complex authentic language questions by the end of the primary phase.

The Progression Map shows precisely how pupil foreign language learning across the key skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar progresses within each Language Angels ‘Teaching Type’ and also how the level of learning and progression of each pupil is increased as pupils move across each subsequently more challenging Language Angels ‘Teaching Type’. It is a visual demonstration of the progression that takes place WITHIN a ‘Teaching Type’ and also ACROSS each ‘Teaching Type’.

The school has a unit planner in place which will serve as an overall ‘teaching map’ outlining for all teachers within the school what each class in each year group will be taught and when it will be taught. Each class in each year group will have an overview of units to be taught during the academic year to ensure substantial progress and learning is achieved. Each teaching unit is divided into 6 fully planned lessons.

• Each unit and lesson will have clearly defined objectives and aims.
• Each lesson will incorporate interactive whiteboard materials to include ample speaking and listening tasks within a lesson.
• Lessons will incorporate challenge sections and desk-based activities that will be offered will three levels of stretch and differentiation.
• Teachers can adapt the planning and tasks to suit individual needs, differentiating to allow all to achieve, building self-esteem and fulfilling the aim to give all pupils the opportunity to experience success in learning and to achieve as high a standard as possible.
• Children have their own Language Angels login to access a wide range of songs and games linked to the units they learn each year and are encouraged to use this at home.
• Reading and writing activities will be offered in all units. Some extended reading and writing activities are provided so that native speakers can also be catered for.
• Every unit will include a grammar concept which will increase in complexity as pupils move from Early Language units, through Intermediate units and into Progressive units.
• Extending writing activities are provided to ensure that pupils are recalling previously learnt language and, by reusing it, will be able to recall it and use it with greater ease and accuracy. These tasks will help to link units together and show that pupils are retaining and recalling the language taught with increased fluency and ease.
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2024-2025

Units are progressive within themselves as subsequent lessons within a unit build on the language and knowledge taught in previous lessons. As pupils progress though the lessons in a unit they will build their knowledge and develop the complexity of the language they use. We think of the progression within the 6 lessons in a unit as ‘language Lego’. We provide blocks of language knowledge and, over the course of a 6- week unit, encourage pupils to build more complex and sophisticated language structures with their blocks of language knowledge.

Pupil learning and progression will be assessed at regular intervals in line with school policy. Teachers will aim to assess each language skill (speaking, listening, reading and writing) twice throughout each scholastic year to be able to provide reference points against which learning and progression in each skill can be demonstrated.

Impact

We continually strive to ensure that our pupils’ attainment is in line or exceeds their potential when we consider the wide range of starting points of all of our children. 

As well as each subsequent lesson within a unit being progressive, the teaching type organisation of Language Angels units also directs, drives and guarantees progressive learning and challenge. Units increase in level of challenge, stretch and linguistic and grammatical complexity as pupils move from Early Learning units through Intermediate units and into the most challenging Progressive units. Units in each subsequent level of the teaching type categories require more knowledge and application of skills than the previous teaching type. Activities contain progressively more text (both in English and Spanish) and lessons will have more content as the children become more confident and ambitious with the foreign language they are learning.

Early Learning units will start at basic noun and article level and will teach pupils how to formulate short phrases. By the time pupils reach Progressive units they will be exposed to much longer texts and will be encouraged to formulate their own, more personalised responses based on a much wider bank of vocabulary, linguistic structures and grammatical knowledge. They will be able to create longer pieces of spoken and written language and are encouraged to use a variety of conjunctions, adverbs, adjectives, opinions and justifications.

Pupils will continuously build on their previous knowledge as they progress in their foreign language learning journey through the primary phase. Previous language will be recycled, revised, recalled and consolidated whenever possible and appropriate.

Teachers will have a clear overview of what they are working towards and if they are meeting these criteria. They will use the long-term planning documents provided in the form of Language Angels unit Primary Foreign Languages - Intent, Implementation & Impact Policy Page 6 of 6 planners to ensure the correct units are being taught to the correct classes at each stage of the scholastic year. Short-term planning is also provided in the form of unit overviews (covering the learning targets for each 6-week unit) and individual lesson plans laying out the learning aims and intentions of each individual lesson within a unit. These planning documents ensure that teachers know what to teach and how to teach it in each lesson, across whole units and across each scholastic term.

Pupils will be aware of their own learning goals and progression as each unit offers a pupil friendly overview so that all pupils can review their own learning at the start and at the end of each unit. They will know and will be able to articulate if they have or have not met their learning objectives and can keep their unit learning intention sheets and unit core vocabulary sheets as a record of what they have learnt from unit to unit and from year to year.

The opportunity to assess pupil learning and progression in the key language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) and against the 12 DfE Languages Programme of Study for Key Stage 2 attainment targets is provided at the end of each 6-week teaching unit. Pupils will also be offered self-assessment grids to ensure they are also aware of their own progress which they can keep as a record of their progress.  At Wybourn Community Primary School, assessment is an integral part of the teaching process. Assessment is used to inform planning and to facilitate differentiation.

Children are expected to make good or better than good progress in their foreign language learning and their individual progress is tracked and reported to pupils and parents / carers in line with school recommendations.

Where  appropriate,  members  of  staff,  usually  the  language lead,  are  sent  on  relevant courses and attend regular local network meetings.  This is determined by the school management plan, the needs of individuals, year groups, the availability and suitability of courses