Spanish

"One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.’ - Frank Smith, Canadian psycholinguist

Learning Spanish reflects our values of faith, hope, and love. Through the language, our children build faith in their ability to connect with others from different cultures, believing that language can bring people together. Hope grows as they see the many opportunities knowing Spanish can offer in their future, encouraging them to engage with the world in meaningful ways. Lastly, love is shown in the respect and understanding they develop for people from different backgrounds, communicating with kindness and empathy. In this way, Spanish is not just a subject to study, but a tool to help our children grow in faith, hope, and love, preparing them for the world.

Spanish Subject Progression Framework

At Bishop Perrin School, we encourage children to develop their language and communication skills through drama and role play, songs and rhymes (canciones y rimas); speaking and listening, reading, and writing. Learning a foreign language is a key part of our curriculum. It is a lifelong skill that opens the door to cross-curricular learning: for example, using Spanish number knowledge to solve problems, understanding grammatical terminology, and exploring the etymology of words linked to English, as well as acting out scenes from real-life situations and developing physical coordination through miming.

At Bishop Perrin School, we aim to develop not only our children’s spoken language skills but also their written proficiency using a variety of resources and interactive software. We want our children to be able to write sentences on different topics by the end of Key Stage 2. In the upper key stages, children are assessed throughout the year on their oral and written work.

Particular importance is placed on the following skills: listening and speaking initially, followed by reading and writing in the later years. Pupils also have the opportunity to take part in Spanish cultural events in school, which helps deepen their intercultural understanding.