At Bletchingdon, we believe that learning Spanish opens doors to communication, culture and connection.
Our Spanish curriculum is designed so that every pupil develops confidence in speaking, listening, reading and writing in a second language. We want pupils to:
Communicate: Use Spanish to exchange ideas, ask questions and express opinions about themselves, their world and culture.
Understand: Build a strong foundation of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, enabling them to understand spoken and written Spanish.
Explore: Discover Spanish-speaking countries, their people, traditions and cultures; recognise similarities and differences; and engage with a global mindset.
Progress: Move from simple greetings and classroom phrases in KS1 to more complex sentences, descriptions and dialogues in KS2, readying them for secondary languages.
Our Spanish curriculum is carefully sequenced and progressive, ensuring cumulative knowledge and skills. Key features include:
Spiral learning: Vocabulary and grammar revisit previous units to deepen retention and fluency.
Structure of lessons: Each lesson begins with a review of prior knowledge, then introduces new language, practising it through speaking/listening then reading/writing.
Modes of learning: Pupils engage in oral repetition, pair-work role-plays, short writing tasks and authentic cultural inputs (songs, stories, videos).
Thematic units: The curriculum is organised into topical units such as: Me and my friends, My town, Holidays and travel, Food and drink, Spanish-speaking world.
Grammar progression: Pupils move from basic verb forms (present tense) to more complex structures (opinions, past tense, future intentions) as they progress.
Cultural links: Each term explores a country or tradition; discovering a range customs from the hispanic world.
Vocabulary & grammar toolkit: We maintain a comprehensive vocabulary list and progression of grammar expectations from Year 3 through Year 6.
Assessment & feedback: Regular retrieval tasks (e.g., mini-quizzes, oral drills) check understanding. End-of-unit tasks (dialogues or short written pieces) assess application. Formative checks help identify pupils needing extra support.
By the time pupils leave Key Stage 2, we expect them to:
Speak and write short paragraphs, in Spanish, expressing opinions and using adjectives and verbs correctly.
Understand and respond to spoken and written Spanish at an age-appropriate level.
Demonstrate secure pronunciation and confidence when communicating in a second language.
Develop strong cultural awareness, showing curiosity about Spanish-speaking countries, appreciating different traditions, festivals and ways of life and recognising how language is linked to identity and culture.
Draw comparisons between their own lives and the experiences of people across the Spanish-speaking world, showing respect, empathy and global understanding.
Be well-prepared to begin studying modern languages at secondary school with confidence.
We monitor the impact of our Spanish curriculum by tracking pupil attainment (speaking/listening, reading/writing) and progress across year groups. Subject leaders review lesson-outcomes, pupils’ work and conduct pupil-voice surveys to continually improve our offer.
Headteacher Caroline Walker
