Spanish at DNA

Here at Northgate Spanish is taught weekly across years 3-6. These are 25 minute interactive lessons. As a school we are using Language Angels to support the planning and delivering of Spanish lessons. Each year group will explore a different Spanish speaking country and learn about its culture and history.  

Intent 

At Northgate we offer a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign language curriculum that will inspire and excite our pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. All pupils will be expected to achieve their full potential by encouraging high expectations and excellent standards in their foreign language learning. This will enable pupils to feel willing and able to continue studying languages beyond key stage two. The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing, will be taught and all necessary phonics and grammar will be covered in an age-appropriate way across key stage two. This will enable pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning. Learning a second language will also offer pupils the opportunity to explore relationships between language and identity and 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 long-life language learners. 

DNA Values

• Discover – Through learning another language, children explore new ideas, cultures, and perspectives, broadening their understanding of the world.
• Nurture – We create a supportive environment where every child is encouraged to develop confidence in speaking another language. 
• Aspire – We inspire children to become skilled, independent language learners who use their knowledge and love of language to achieve their full potential.
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Implementation

All classes will have access to a very high-quality foreign languages curriculum using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This will progressively develop pupil skills in foreign languages through regularly taught and well-planned weekly lessons in KS2 which will be taught by class teachers.

Children will progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary, language skills and grammatical knowledge organised around age-appropriate topics and themes which link to other areas of the curriculum. 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 the language they are learning.

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.

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 languages 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.

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

Pupils  will be assessed at the end of each unit of learning. Teachers will aim to assess each language skill against the unit reference points against which learning and progression in each skill can be demonstrated.