Bangabandhu

Our Spanish Curriculum

Article 29: Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full

The Modern Foreign Language that we teach at Bangabandhu is Spanish.

Our goal is for our children to become Spanish speakers.  Spanish speakers must: 

Fundamental Foundations

We believe that for children to secure greater depth, it is important that they first have solid fundamental foundations.  Fundamental foundations should not be rushed and so the notion of ‘rapid progress’ must be dismissed. Instead the goal of repetition should be seen as both useful and necessary.  This is why you will see us returning regularly to Spanish knowledge and concepts.  

Time Scales for Progression Through the Cognitive Domains

Milestone 1 

Y1 & Y2 

Milestone 2 

Y3 & Y4

Milestone 3

Y5 & Y6

Beginning 

Y1 

Advancing 

Y2 

Deep 

Y2

Beginning 

Y3 

Advancing 

Y4

Deep 

Y4

Beginning 

Y5

Advancing 

Y6 

Deep 

Y6

Curriculum Content

 Breadth of study 

By the end of Key Stage 2 our goal is for children to use the Spanish language confidently, having a sound understanding of the language and culture.  We follow the National Curriculum programme of study.  This can be accessed here

There are four skills taught in Key Stage 2:

Building a Spanish Schema at Bangabandhu

Our pupils will form a Spanish schema* by: 

Big Ideas

At Bangabandhu we will teach the three Big Ideas - we focus on the three pillars of language learning:

Phonics

Grammar

Vocabulary

 

*Schema – A subject schema is a way of organising knowledge in a meaningful way; it is an appreciation of how facts are connected and they ways in which they are connected.  A schema is distinct from information, which is just isolated facts that have no organisational basis or links. 

Curriculum Breadth, Depth & Progression Principles

We have carefully planned our curriculum to ensure progression as well as breadth and depth.  These are the principles we have adhered to.

We have devised a curriculum that has been adapted to reflect the hiatus in language learning during the pandemic. It is therefore arranged by year of study rather than year group. with The curriculum is planned to carefully to ensure National Curriculum attainment targets are incorporated into termly plans. There is a clear pathway of progression in each of the four strands: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing in order that pupils build upon their knowledge and develop these skills over time. In Year 3 and Year 4, there is a focus upon Listening and Speaking as pupils begin to recognise familiar words, use short phrases within context and identify key phonemes that differ to English. In year 5 and Year 6, there is a greater emphasis upon reading and writing skills and pupils develop greater understanding of language patterns and grammatical features.

Following the recent Ofsted subject survey for Languages, the curriculum is being adapted to incorporate the recommendations around the ‘Three Pillars of Learning’. This involves planning for explicit teaching of phonics, progressive teaching of vocabulary and grammar to ensure the building blocks of language are secure.        

Inclusion

We are a fully inclusive school and as such, all pupils participate in Spanish lessons regardless of ability or additional need.

Equally, we are committed to ensuring that pupils with English as an additional language and new arrivals are given the opportunity to learn Spanish, regardless of their level of understanding of the English language.

Assessment

Assessment for learning is a key aspect of every lesson and pupils are encouraged to review their learning at the outset.

Reporting to Parents

We report Spanish progress to parents in annual report to parents as well as through the termly parent meetings. 

Spanish Speaking Pupils

At Bangabandhu there are a small number of Spanish-speaking families and pupils who have an understanding of the language have been identified. These pupils are spoken to solely in Spanish during lessons. More confident pupils are expected to model language and lead activities in class.

Curriculum Breadth Maps

Milestone 2 Curriculum Breadth Map

Milestone 3 Curriculum Breadth Map

How we Implement our Curriculum

Spanish is taught weekly for 30 minutes by a specialist Spanish teacher in Y3, Y4, Y5 and Y6. We do not block our subjects as we want children to return regularly to the subject knowledge and concepts in order that they are regularly retrieving the taught knowledge and concepts, embedding these in their long term memory.  This enables them to make progress - know more and remember more.

The three pillars of language are Phonics, Grammar and Vocabulary.  Learning these tools enables pupils to speak with confidence and read and write French with increasing accuracy and independence. 

Spanish policy

An example of a milestone 2 lesson

An example of a milestone 3 lesson

Speaking Spanish

Here are some of our children practicing their Spanish.

/Learning/Our-Spanish-Curriculum/Spoken_Spanish/Yr3_Spanish_A1A.mp4

 Year 3 Group A

/Learning/Our-Spanish-Curriculum/Spoken_Spanish/Yr3_Spanish_A1B.mp4

 Year 3 Group A

/Learning/Our-Spanish-Curriculum/Spoken_Spanish/Yr5_Spanish_A1.mp4

 Year 5

/Learning/Our-Spanish-Curriculum/Spoken_Spanish/Yr6_Spanish_A1.mp4

 Year 6

Subject Specific Vocabulary

We teach children  a rich and broad vocabulary in order that they  develop a deep understanding of the subjects they study.  We carefully select this vocabulary, teaching it in context.  Here is some of the most common vocabulary taught. 

Spanish Vocabulary 

Beyond the  National Curriculum - Cultural Capital Experiences 

Cultural capital is the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success. We want to ensure that children at Bangabandhu have a wide and varied range of experiences as they progress through our school. We want them to know about their world; to build a schema of knowledge and to do this through first hand experiences. We intend to provide our children with opportunities to develop not just their knowledge but their interests and talents. Our aim is to prepare them for a successful future. 

Our school is in an area of high socio-economic deprivation. We are focused on addressing this disadvantage. Our curriculum is the main provider of cultural capital however there are other aspects of school life which provide essential cultural capital and should not be overlooked. We have planned the cultural provision that goes beyond the curriculum and this plan can be found below.  This plan is to capture, illustrate and to strategically plan for the breadth and range of cultural capital experiences we will provide for our children as they move through the school. We are not leaving such an essential element of our school’s provision to chance or individual teacher interest. When a child leaves Bangabandhu in Year 6, we will be certain of what they have learnt and experienced and know that they will be prepared for the next step in their learning and personal development.  

Bangabandhu's Whole School Cultural Capital, Trips and Experiences Plan

We celebrate Spanish Day at Globe which is a valuable enrichment opportunity.  Pupils immerse themselves in culture and traditions from Spanish speaking countries, singing Spanish songs, enjoying Spanish food and learning all about different parts of the world where Spanish is spoken,  We believe that at Bangabandhu we motivate and engage pupils whilst providing the foundation for learning  further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries. 

Curriculum and Expectation Booklets for Parents

These booklets give an overview of our Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 curriculum.  They explain what is taught in each subject area as well as outlining some of the expectations we have for children.  Parents are given these booklets at the start of each year and they are sent electronically with each term's newsletter. 

Year 1 Curriculum and Expectations Booklet for Parents

Year 2  Curriculum and Expectations Booklet for Parents

Year 3 Curriculum and Expectations Booklet for Parents

Year 4 Curriculum and Expectations Booklet for Parents

Year 5 Curriculum and Expectations Booklet for Parents

Year 6 Curriculum and Expectations Booklet for Parent