Modern Foreign Languages

At Carpenters Primary School, we believe that language competence and intercultural understanding are an essential part of being a good citizen. Through the study of language, children develop a better understanding of their own lives in the context of exploring the lives of others.

As part of the New National Curriculum, children in Years 3-6 are required to learn a Modern Foreign Language. At Carpenters, we teach Spanish, using a bank of exciting resources to support the curriculum. 

In Years 3-6, children are taught a timetabled 30 minute Spanish lesson each week. Children are given the opportunity to explore the Spanish language and also to look at Spanish culture. Sessions include sound, rhymes and musical activities. The main teaching element of the session includes a lot of paired collaborative work where children role play the modelled language of the session. Visuals and real objects are also used to support and reinforce language learning.

However, learning a language is not limited to Key Stage Two. In the EYFS and Years 1 and 2, children learn to greet one another in a variety of languages. Our displays across the school are often bilingual to celebrate the diversity of languages spoken in our community. We also celebrate our diversity and the languages spoken in our school through events such as 'culture week' where we are joined by parents and members of our wider community to learn more about our languages, foods, cultural stories and traditions and national dress.