Spanish

At St Martin's, we believe that learning a foreign language is an essential part of a broad and balanced education.

Through the Language Angels scheme, we offer a high-quality Spanish curriculum across Key Stage 2, that inspires curiosity, builds confidence, and prepares pupils for a global future. Our Spanish curriculum is carefully structured to ensure progression in the key language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Pupils learn to communicate in Spanish through engaging topics, interactive activities, and purposeful practice. Lessons are designed to be inclusive and accessible, with differentiated resources that support all learners.

Using Language Angels, pupils explore vocabulary, grammar, and phonics in a way that is age-appropriate and enjoyable. They also gain insight into Spanish-speaking cultures, traditions, and geography, helping them develop respect and appreciation for diversity.

By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils will be able to understand and use familiar Spanish vocabulary and phrases with increasing fluency.

At St Martin's, Spanish is more than a subject—it’s a gateway to new cultures, connections, and opportunities.

Intent

At St Martin’s, our intent for Spanish is to provide a high-quality, inclusive Modern Foreign Language (MFL) curriculum that fosters curiosity, confidence, and cultural awareness. Using the Language Angels scheme, we aim to equip pupils with the linguistic foundations necessary for future language learning and global citizenship.

We believe that learning a foreign language:

Enhances communication skills and cognitive development.
Builds appreciation for diverse cultures and communities.
Encourages resilience, creativity, and collaboration.

Our curriculum is designed to:

Develop pupils’ ability to understand and use Spanish in meaningful contexts.
Build knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, and phonics through structured progression.
Promote enjoyment and engagement through interactive and purposeful learning experiences.

Implementation

We implement the Language Angels Spanish curriculum through a sequenced and differentiated programme that ensures progression across Key Stage 2. Lessons are delivered weekly and follow a clear structure that supports all learners.

Key features of our implementation:

Three levels of challenge (Early, Intermediate, Progressive) allow for tailored teaching across year groups.
Lessons focus on the four key skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with increasing complexity.
Phonics and grammar are explicitly taught to support pronunciation and sentence construction.
Pupils learn through songs, games, role-play, and written tasks that reinforce vocabulary and structures.
Cultural knowledge is embedded through exploration of Spanish-speaking countries, traditions, and festivals.

Assessment is formative and ongoing, with opportunities for self-assessment, peer feedback, and teacher observation. Digital resources and interactive activities support engagement and retention.

Impact

The impact of our Spanish curriculum is reflected in pupils’ growing confidence, linguistic competence, and enthusiasm for language learning.

By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils will:

Communicate in Spanish using familiar vocabulary and grammatical structures.
Understand spoken and written Spanish in a variety of contexts.
Demonstrate accurate pronunciation and intonation.
Show curiosity and respect for other cultures and languages.

Teachers monitor progress through pupil voice, performance tasks, and written outcomes. Subject leaders ensure consistency and ambition through learning walks and pupil book studies.

Ultimately, pupils leave primary school with a strong foundation in Spanish and a positive attitude toward learning languages, ready to build on their skills in secondary education and beyond

Year Group Overviews

Big Ideas

Spanish at St Martin’s is built around the big ideas of communication, cultural understanding, and language structure.

Through Spanish lessons, pupils explore themes such as identity, community, and global citizenship. These concepts underpin vocabulary and grammar development, helping children make meaningful connections between language and the world around them.

Lessons encourage curiosity and confidence, fostering a love of languages and an appreciation of diverse cultures.

Content

We provides a rich and varied curriculum covering phonics, vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. Pupils learn to speak, read, and write in Spanish through engaging topics such as family, food, hobbies, and school life. This includes songs, stories, games, and interactive activities that make learning fun and memorable.

Content is carefully chosen to reflect real-life contexts and build practical language skills.

Sequencing

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure progression and retention. Pupils begin with core vocabulary and phonics before moving on to sentence building and grammar. Each unit builds on prior learning, revisiting key concepts to strengthen understanding.

Our curriculum follows a clear structure from Early Language to Intermediate and Progressive levels, allowing children to develop fluency and confidence over time.

Oracy and Vocabulary

Our curriculum places a strong emphasis on oracy and vocabulary development. Pupils regularly practise speaking and listening through songs, role-play, and interactive games. Vocabulary is introduced in meaningful contexts and reinforced through repetition and visual support. Children learn to pronounce words accurately, use full sentences, and engage in simple conversations, laying the foundation for confident communication in Spanish.

Assessment of Pupils

Assessment is both formative and summative. Teachers use regular questioning, observation, and pupil self-assessment to monitor progress. Each unit includes end-of-topic assessments that test listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

These help identify gaps and inform future teaching.

Progress is tracked over time, ensuring pupils are supported and challenged appropriately as they move through the curriculum.

Reasonable Adjustments for Pupils with SEND

Our curriculum is designed to be inclusive and adaptable for pupils with SEND.

Lessons include visual aids, simplified vocabulary, and differentiated activities to support varied learning needs. Teachers can adjust the pace, provide additional scaffolding, and use multi-sensory approaches to ensure all children can access and enjoy language learning. Our MfL offer promotes participation, confidence, and success for every learner.

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