Spanish
Vision for Spanish at Longmoor
At Longmoor Community Primary School we believe that learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. It is our aim that through a high-quality languages education, our pupils’ curiosity and understanding of the world will instil a love of learning about other cultures and how to communicate within them.
We want our children to be able to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing; we aim to provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language.
It is our belief that language teaching at our school will:
- provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.
- assist in developing general literacy, particularly the crucial skills of listening and responding and pupils’ understanding of how language works.
- develop all strands of pupils’ Spanish language.
- help pupils to understand their wider place in the world and to grow in appreciation and understanding of different cultures.
Our curriculum design will enable pupils to:
- understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
- speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation
- can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
- discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.
How have we designed our Spanish curriculum?
We have decided to implement the Kapow Spanish scheme of work, which is a spiral curriculum, with key skills, grammar and vocabulary revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning.
Skills Strands
Each unit that pupils study is based on a specific theme with a motivating end outcome which gives the children a context and clear purpose for their learning. There are three key themes which remain the same for all year groups, each of which is studied across a full term. These themes are ‘All About Me’, ‘Daily Life’ and ‘Spain and Other Spanish Speaking Countries’. Within these themes, pupils are set clear, progressive objectives for the skill strands of Language Comprehension (Listening and Reading) and Language Production (Speaking and Writing).
Knowledge Strands
We have identified three knowledge strands or ‘pillars’. Across each unit, pupils will work to achieve different objectives outlined for phonics, vocabulary and grammar. Pupils will then draw upon this knowledge when comprehending and producing language to help them achieve the aims of the National curriculum.

How do we teach Spanish at Longmoor?
Our Spanish scheme of work supports pupils to meet the National curriculum end of Key stage 2 attainment targets.
The curriculum aims to provide pupils with a firm foundation of language learning. For this reason, we have carefully planned and sequenced when to teach the three building blocks of a language system, known as our knowledge strands:
- Phonics
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
Pupils connect these building blocks of knowledge to create meaning in a variety of contexts, allowing them to develop their skills in the following strands:
- Language comprehension: listening and reading
- Language production: speaking and writing
Ample opportunities are provided to ensure that children practise new learning across all four modalities.
The Longmoor Spanish scheme is a spiral curriculum, with key skills, grammar and vocabulary revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Cross-curricular links are included throughout our Spanish units, allowing children to make connections and apply their language skills to other areas of their learning.
Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including role-play, language games and language detective work. Our scheme of work focuses on developing what we term ‘language detective skills’ and developing an understanding of Spanish grammar, rather than committing to memory vast amounts of Spanish vocabulary. Each unit is based on a specific theme with a motivating end outcome which gives the children a context and clear purpose for their learning.
The expected impact of the Longmoor curriculum is that children will:
- Demonstrate understanding of spoken language by listening and responding appropriately.
- Speak and read aloud with confidence and accuracy in pronunciation.
- Apply their understanding of phonics to make increasingly accurate attempts to read unfamiliar words, phrases and short texts.
- Be able to engage in purposeful dialogue in practical situations (e.g. ordering in a cafe, following directions) and express an opinion. Be able to identify word classes in a sentence and apply grammatical rules they have learnt.
- Have developed a range of language detective skills to tackle unfamiliar words in Spanish, English and other languages.
- Use a bilingual dictionary to support their language learning. Be able to construct short texts on familiar topics.
- Meet the end of Key stage 2 stage expectations outlined in the national curriculum for languages.
- Develop a greater awareness of the wider world and an appreciation for the role of language learning in promoting cross-cultural understanding.
What subject-specific adaptations are made in Spanish?
Our scheme of work is designed with differentiation at its core, ensuring it meets the diverse needs of all pupils. Each unit incorporates a range of activities that cater to varying learning styles and abilities, such as visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic approaches. For instance, vocabulary is introduced through engaging songs, interactive games, and visual aids, allowing students to grasp concepts at their own pace. Additionally, the scheme provides differentiated tasks that challenge advanced learners while offering support for those who may need extra assistance, such as scaffolding techniques and simplified materials. Teachers are encouraged to modify lessons based on individual progress, fostering an inclusive environment where every student can thrive in their language learning journey.
How is Spanish assessed?
Our scheme of work incorporates a comprehensive assessment approach that evaluates pupils across various strands of language learning, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Assessments are integrated throughout the units, allowing for both formative and summative evaluations that capture students’ progress and understanding. For instance, listening skills are assessed through activities that require students to follow instructions or respond to questions, while speaking is evaluated through interactive role-plays and presentations. Reading comprehension is tested with age-appropriate texts, and writing skills are assessed through creative tasks, such as composing short sentences or simple dialogues. This multifaceted approach ensures that teachers can track individual development and provide targeted feedback, ultimately enhancing each pupil’s overall language proficiency.