Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)

At Smallwood Primary School, we embrace all languages and cultures within our diverse community, believing that learning a Modern Foreign Language is an essential skill for today’s modern world. Our curriculum aims to foster a genuine curiosity and fascination about the world, equipping our pupils to become successful learners who can express their ideas and thoughts in Spanish.

Our curriculum is designed as a coherent journey across Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6), where children move through four distinct stages of language acquisition.

Spanish Curriculum at Smallwood

Spanish Core Skill at SmallwoodStarting in Year 3, pupils develop foundational skills such as understanding a few familiar spoken words and repeating simple phrases. As they progress, these skills are intentionally built upon and revisited; by the end of Year 6, students reach a stage where they can analyse longer written passages, engage in simple conversations with accurate pronunciation, and write short texts using correct nouns, adjectives, and regular verb conjugations. We also provide early exposure for our Key Stage 1 pupils through songs, providing a foundation for future language learning and a 'liberation from insularity'.

To ensure deep and lasting understanding, our Spanish teaching is underpinned by the Smallwood Framework for Effective Learning and Teaching, which focuses on building a robust schema of knowledge. We recognise that language learning requires regular retrieval to move vocabulary and phonics into the long-term memory, so every lesson begins by recapping prior learning to support the working memory. Teachers utilise a flexible process that begins with Direct Instruction (I DO), where new specialist vocabulary and grammar points are explicitly taught while carefully managing cognitive load. This is followed by Guided Instruction (WE DO), where modelling is used to break down pronunciation and thinking processes, often through shared tasks to address planned misconceptions. Finally, during Independent Practice (YOU DO), pupils are encouraged to take risks, apply their new language skills in different contexts, and lead their own learning. This structured approach provides the necessary scaffolding and challenge for all, fostering the high self-efficacy needed for our pupils to participate confidently in a rapidly changing world.