Intent
St Mark’s CE Primary School uses the Language Angels scheme of work and resources to ensure we offer a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign languages curriculum that inspires and excites our pupils, using a wide variety of topics and themes. All pupils are expected to achieve their full potential by encouraging high expectations and excellent standards in their foreign language learning - the ultimate aim being that pupils will feel willing and able to continue studying languages beyond Key Stage 2.
All content is continuously updated and reviewed annually, creating a dynamic programme of study that is clearly outlined in both long-term and short-term planning. This ensures that the foreign language knowledge of our pupils progresses within each academic year and is extended year upon year throughout the primary phase and, in so doing, will always be relevant and in line with meeting or exceeding national DfE requirements.
The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing are taught and all necessary grammar is covered in an age-appropriate way, across the primary phase. This will enable pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning.
Our aim is that all pupils develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about Spanish, finding learning enjoyable and stimulating. Learning a second language also offers pupils the opportunity to explore relationships between language and identity, develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around them with a better awareness of self, others and cultural differences. The intention being to work towards becoming life-long language learners. 
Implementation
All classes in Key Stage 2 have access to a high-quality foreign languages curriculum, using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This progressively develops pupils’ skills in foreign languages through regularly taught and well-planned weekly lessons. At St Mark’s, lessons are taught weekly in Key Stage 2 by class teachers.
Children progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary, language skills and grammatical knowledge organised around age-appropriate topics and themes - building blocks of language into more complex, fluent and authentic language.
The planning of different levels of challenge (as demonstrated in the various Language Angels Teaching Type categories), and which units to teach at each stage of the academic year is addressed dynamically and is reviewed annually, as units are updated and added to the scheme. Lessons offering appropriate levels of challenge and stretch are always taught to ensure pupils learn effectively, continuously building their knowledge of and enthusiasm for the language(s) they are learning.
Early Language units are taught in Year 3/4 as pupils have little or no previous Spanish learning. Intermediate units increase the level of challenge by increasing the amount and complexity (including foreign language grammar concepts) of the foreign language presented to pupils and are taught in the latter part of the 3/4 two year teaching cycle. Progressive and Creative Curriculum units are the most challenging units and are suitable for Year 5/6 pupils, these are therefore taught in the later part of the year in each of the two year cycles. Children are taught how to listen and read longer pieces of text gradually in Spanish and they have ample opportunities to speak, listen to, read and write the language being taught with and without scaffolds, frames and varying levels of support.
Knowledge and awareness of required and appropriate grammar concepts are taught throughout all units and at all levels of challenge. Teachers are provided with a Progression Map and Grammar Grid to ensure all children are progressing their foreign language learning skills and are taught the appropriate grammar, at the right time, in their foreign language learning journey. Grammar rules and patterns are taught by level of challenge:
We start with nouns and articles and 1st person singular of high frequency verbs in Early Learning units.
We move on to the use of the possessive, the concept of adjectives, use of the negative form, conjunctions/connectives and introduce the concept of whole regular verb conjugation in Intermediate units.
We end with opinions and introduce the concept of whole high frequency irregular verb conjugation in Progressive units.
Grammar is integrated and taught discreetly throughout all appropriate units. Teachers also use the specific Grammar Explained units to ensure pupils are exposed to the appropriate grammar and can create their own accurate and personalised responses to complex authentic foreign language questions, by the end of the primary phase.
The school has a unit planner in place which serves as a ‘teaching map’, outlining what each class will be taught, and when it will be taught. Each class also has an overview of units to be taught during the academic year to ensure substantial progress and learning is achieved. Each teaching unit is divided into 6 fully planned lessons.
Each unit and lesson has clearly defined objectives and aims.
Each lesson incorporates interactive whiteboard materials to include ample speaking and listening tasks within a lesson.
Reading and writing activities are offered in all units. Some extended reading and writing activities are provided so that native speakers can also be catered for.
Every unit includes a grammar concept, which increases in complexity as pupils move from Early Language units, through Intermediate units and into Progressive units.
Units are progressive within themselves, as subsequent lessons within a unit build on the language and knowledge taught in previous lessons. As pupils progress though the lessons in a unit, they build their knowledge and develop the complexity of the language they use. We think of the progression within the 6 lessons in a unit as ‘language Lego’. We provide blocks of language knowledge and, over the course of a 6-week unit, encourage pupils to build more complex and sophisticated language structures with their blocks of language knowledge.