At Our Lady and St Joseph’s, Spanish supports our commitment to “Searching faithfully for excellence,” rooted in our Gospel values of love, respect, stewardship, honesty, hope, justice and forgiveness. We believe that learning another language encourages children to appreciate the diversity of God’s world and recognise the dignity and worth of every person. Through Spanish, pupils develop confidence in communicating, explore other cultures and build an understanding of their place within a global community.

Key Aims

Our Spanish curriculum aims to inspire enjoyment of language learning and develop children’s knowledge and skills progressively throughout Key Stage 2. We strive to:

• Encourage curiosity about languages and the cultures of Spanish-speaking communities.

• Develop confidence in listening, speaking, reading and writing in Spanish.

• Build a secure understanding of vocabulary, pronunciation and basic grammar.

• Enable pupils to communicate ideas, ask questions and share information for different purposes.

• Establish strong foundations for further language learning at secondary school.

Content and Skills

Spanish is taught weekly across Key Stage 2 through carefully sequenced lessons that cover the National Curriculum requirements. Pupils will:

• Listen to spoken Spanish and show understanding by joining in and responding.

• Develop accurate pronunciation and intonation through songs, repetition and conversation.

• Ask and answer questions, express opinions and take part in simple exchanges.

• Read and understand familiar words, phrases and simple texts.

• Write phrases and sentences using familiar vocabulary and grammatical structures.

• Make connections between Spanish and English to deepen their understanding of how languages work.

• Explore aspects of life in Spanish-speaking communities, developing respect for cultural similarities and differences.

Lessons include games, songs, paired conversations, reading and purposeful writing. These varied experiences give children regular opportunities to practise and apply their learning in a supportive environment.

Progression

Learning in Spanish is planned so that children revisit and build on their knowledge of sounds, vocabulary and grammar. Pupils move from recognising and using familiar words and phrases towards understanding and creating longer sentences with increasing independence.

Regular practice helps children remember language and use it in new contexts. As their knowledge grows, pupils become more confident in communicating meaning, expressing their ideas and understanding others.

Teachers assess learning through discussion, listening activities, spoken responses, reading and written work. Assessment identifies where further practice, support or challenge is needed, helping every child participate and make progress.

Wider Impact

Spanish contributes to children’s personal development by strengthening communication, listening, memory and perseverance. Pupils learn to approach unfamiliar language with curiosity, take risks in their learning and recognise mistakes as part of making progress.

Exploring other cultures encourages children to challenge assumptions, value different perspectives and treat others with respect. This reflects our Catholic commitment to loving our neighbours and belonging to a worldwide community.

Our Spanish curriculum equips children with the knowledge, confidence and enthusiasm to continue learning languages and engage positively with the wider world.