According to the National Curriculum, a Modern Foreign Language is a compulsory subject for children in Key Stage 2 (aged 7 – 11 years). At Canonbury, we begin learning Spanish earlier than this, at Key Stage 1, so that so that there is more time to embed the learning and inspire a love of language.
“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.”
‒Frank Smith
“Learning a foreign language not only reveals how other societies think and feel, what they have experienced and value, and how they express themselves, it also provides a cultural mirror in which we can more clearly see our own society.”
‒ Chancellor Edward Lee Gorsuch
Our children begin Spanish in Year 1 and continue through the school to Year 6. The current Programme of Learning began in September 2014, which means that the children from Year 2 upward are in their second year of Spanish. Lessons are provided by a class teacher who is a language specialist and take place once a week during 30 minute sessions.
The lessons in Key Stage 1 involve songs, games and oral activities.
Lessons in Key Stage 2 also have an oral focus but children begin to decode written material and to write familiar and original sentences. We also explore Spanish and Hispanic Culture.
According to the National Curriculum, KS2 pupils should be taught to:
- Listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
- Engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, express opinions and respond to those of others, and seek clarification and help
- Read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
- 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, expressing their ideas clearly
- Describe people, places, things and actions in speech and in writing
Partner School, Spain
Canonbury Primary School is linked to a partner school in Madrid, Spain. Our partner school is called ‘Colegio el Valle’ or Valley School and it is part of a voluntary aided bilingual federation of four schools across Madrid and Alicante. The children in Year 4 have established pen pal links with one of the schools and both schools contribute to a blog. We hope to expand communication across the year groups as this relationship develops.
Erasmus + Programme
Canonbury is taking part in the Erasmus+ Programme and we have received EU Funding to train teachers and support staff in Spanish. The aim of the project is to raise the profile of Spanish across the school and to facilitate the daily use of Spanish, where appropriate. This programme will run from July 2015 to July 2017.
