At Westfield School we offer an opportunity to our pupils to study Spanish, one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, using the Language Angels scheme to teach a carefully sequenced, progressive and knowledge-rich foreign language curriculum from Years 3 to 6.
Intent
We aim to develop the confidence and competence of each child in a foreign language, enabling them to be able to communicate both in spoken and written language. Our goal is for the children to be passionate, curious and confident about their own language learning abilities when they finish primary school and to prepare them for the next phase of their learning journey.
We intend to provide a curriculum for our pupils which is rich in skills and knowledge; encourages curiosity; and promotes diversity and tolerance of other cultures. We will help our pupils to develop and demonstrate substantial progress in the 5 key language skills necessary for learning a foreign language: speaking; listening; reading; writing; and grammar.
We aim to ensure that pupils of all abilities develop solid foundations in these key language learning skills and that they are able to apply their language knowledge in real life situations.
Our intention is that through learning a second language we can deepen our pupil’s understanding of other cultures and the world around them.
“It has never been more important for young people to learn a foreign language than now. An outward looking global nation needs a new generation of young people comfortable with the language and culture of our overseas trading partners.”
Nick Gibb, former Minister for School Standards
Implementation
It is a statutory requirement for all primary schools to teach a foreign language in KS2. We have chosen Spanish as it is one of the most studied languages in the world.
Years 3 to Year 6 have access to a high-quality foreign languages curriculum using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This progressively develops pupil’s skills in foreign languages through regularly taught and well-planned weekly or fortnightly lessons which are taught by either a language specialist teacher or 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.
How the Language Units Work
The dynamic programme of study of Language Angels ensures that the foreign language knowledge of our pupils is progressive within each academic year and is extended year upon year throughout the primary phase and is in line with DofE requirements.
As well as each subsequent lesson within a unit being progressive, the units increase in level of challenge as pupils move from Early Learning Units (taught in Y3) through to the more challenging Progressive units by the end of the Primary phase in Y6.
How learning is monitored
The pupils are aware of their own learning goals and progression for each unit. Progression is monitored throughout the unit in a pupil-friendly manner.
Pupil learning and progression is monitored at regular intervals in Autumn, Spring and Summer Term using Low Stakes tests to enable monitoring of learning and progression.
Impact
Teachers have a clear overview of what they are working towards and if they are meeting these criteria. Teachers use the long-term planning documents provided in the form of Language Angels unit 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 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.
Children are expected to make good or better than good progress in their foreign language learning.
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.