Spanish

Intent

Academy 360 uses the Language Angels scheme of work and resources to ensure we offer a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign languages curriculum that will inspire and excite our pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. All pupils will be 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.

The intent is that all content will be continuously updated and reviewed annually, creating a dynamic programme of study that will be clearly outlined in both long-term and short-term planning. This will ensure 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 doing so, 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, will be taught and all necessary grammar will be 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 and helping children improve overall attainment across other subjects. Pupils will also be taught how to research and access language independently, supported by a bank of reference materials that develops across year groups.

The intent is that all pupils will develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages, finding them enjoyable and stimulating. Learning a second language will offer pupils the opportunity to explore relationships between language and identity, develop an understanding of other cultures and build global awareness.

How We Support SEND Pupils

Academy 360 ensures that pupils with SEND access an ambitious and meaningful MFL curriculum by providing:

• Scaffolded vocabulary mats, sentence frames and bilingual word banks
• Visual aids, modelling and chunked instructions to reduce cognitive load
• Pre-teaching and overlearning of essential vocabulary
• Multi-sensory approaches (songs, actions, manipulatives)
• Flexible outcomes for writing and speaking
• Regular opportunities for retrieval and repetition
• Differentiated Language Angels resources matched to need

This ensures that all SEND pupils can participate fully and experience success, confidence and enjoyment in Spanish.

How We Support Disadvantaged Pupils

We ensure disadvantaged pupils achieve strong outcomes in Spanish by:

• Providing clear, explicit vocabulary teaching supported with images and audio
• Ensuring access to digital Language Angels resources
• Building cultural capital through stories, songs, celebrations and food-tasting
• Providing targeted feedback and closing gaps quickly through retrieval practice
• Using assessment to identify need early and offer timely intervention

Our curriculum ensures equity of access and opportunity for all.

How Spanish Links to the Skills Builder Framework

Spanish plays an important role in developing the essential skills outlined in the Skills Builder Framework:

• Speaking: pronunciation, presentations and partner dialogues
• Listening: responding to spoken questions and navigating authentic audio
• Problem Solving: decoding unknown words using cognates and context
• Creativity: designing dialogues, stories and written descriptions
• Teamwork: collaborative tasks, pair work and group speaking
• Aiming High: continual improvement towards extended phrases and paragraphs
• Leadership: pupils supporting peers through recap tasks or modelling

This ensures Spanish contributes meaningfully to whole-school skill development.

How We Use PedTech to Enhance Learning

PedTech is used purposefully to strengthen teaching and learning in Spanish through:

• Language Angels interactive resources supporting pronunciation and vocabulary
• Audio modelling and voice-recording activities enabling pupils to self-evaluate
• Digital retrieval tools and quizzes to reinforce long-term memory
• Interactive whiteboard modelling of phonics, grammar and sentence structures
• Online games and flashcards supporting repetition and engagement

Technology is used to enhance high-quality teaching and pedagogy.

Implementation

All classes will have access to a very high-quality foreign languages curriculum using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This will progressively develop pupil skills in foreign languages through regularly taught and well-planned weekly lessons in Key Stage 2 which will be taught by class teachers and HLTAs.

Children will 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. All teachers will know where every child is at any point in their foreign language learning journey. 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 will be addressed dynamically and reviewed annually. Lessons will incorporate appropriate challenge and stretch to ensure pupils build their enthusiasm and knowledge over time.

Language Angels units (Early Language, Intermediate, Progressive and Creative Curriculum) are selected based on the needs of each cohort to ensure the correct level of linguistic challenge. Children will listen to, speak, read and write Spanish with and without scaffolds, gradually working towards independence. Units are linked wherever possible to class topics and cross-curricular themes. Grammar is embedded throughout and taught discreetly in line with the scheme’s Progression Map and Grammar Grid. Pupils develop understanding from simple nouns and high-frequency verbs to full verb conjugation, opinions and justifications.

Foreign language learning is enhanced by enrichment opportunities such as assemblies, food workshops, cultural events, and national celebrations, widening pupils’ cultural understanding of Spanish-speaking countries.

Assessment is built into every unit, with teachers assessing each skill (listening, speaking, reading, writing.) The Language Angels Tracking & Progression Tool supports data analysis and helps teachers identify next steps.

SEND, disadvantaged and PedTech approaches are embedded throughout implementation to ensure equity and accessibility for all children.

Learning is progressive and cumulative across the primary phase. Pupils build from basic noun phrases in Early Language units towards extended, personalised responses in Progressive units. Over time, they will:

• Use a wide bank of vocabulary confidently
• Produce longer spoken and written sentences
• Demonstrate understanding of increasingly complex grammatical structures
• Recall and reuse language accurately through spaced retrieval

Teachers have a clear overview of curriculum coverage and use short- and long-term planning to sequence learning effectively. Pupils are aware of their own progress through unit overviews and self-assessment grids.

Progress is monitored using the Language Angels assessment tools. If pupils do not meet expected progress, early intervention can be provided.

Children are expected to make good or better progress in foreign language learning, with outcomes shared with pupils and parents in line with school policy.

Spanish Primary Handbook

Curriculum Intent – Modern Foreign Languages (Spanish)

At Academy 360, our Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) department is committed to ensuring that the Spanish curriculum is ambitious and accessible for all learners, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We aim to prepare every student to understand and communicate effectively, fostering the determination to be bold and curious about other cultures.

Rooted in communication, MFL is a vital vehicle for literacy and oracy development. We recognise that for pupils with Communication and Interaction needs, learning Spanish provides a unique framework to reflect on the mechanics of language, helping them bridge gaps in their understanding of English.

In line with the SEND Code of Practice, our teaching is characterised by meaningful adaptation rather than reduced expectations. For students with Cognition and Learning challenges, we utilise multi-sensory approaches and scaffolded resources to ensure they achieve the same high-level outcomes as their peers.
On completion of this journey, all students—regardless of their starting point or specific need—will have raised their aspirations for the modern world. By removing barriers to learning, we ensure that every student gains a better understanding of life beyond borders, leaving Academy 360 with the cultural capital and communication skills necessary for future success.

"High-quality languages education should deepen pupils’ understanding of the world” – National Curriculum (Languages Programme of Study).

At Academy 360, our MFL curriculum is a continuous learning journey designed to be ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. We believe that exploring other cultures supports students' development as modern citizens. Our overarching principle is to enable every pupil—regardless of their starting point—to express thoughts in Spanish while experiencing balanced cultural content.

We establish the foundations of Spanish in Year 7. For pupils with Cognition and Learning needs, we use explicit instruction and multi-sensory phonics rules to ensure the "basics" are accessible. This acts as a facilitator for Year 8, where students work with richer content across three tenses. We ensure meaningful adaptation through scaffolded linguistic milestones, allowing pupils with Communication and Interaction needs to consolidate vocabulary and grammar without reducing the curriculum's depth.

Year 9 students expand their knowledge and cultural capital, preparing for a KS4 programme that culminates in four linguistic skills: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. For pupils with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, we focus on long-term memory retention and the removal of barriers to ensure they achieve outcomes in line with their peers, preparing them for a successful transition to life after Academy 360.

In Spanish, we contribute to our whole school intent

How does our curriculum cater for disadvantaged students and those from minority groups?

Students who are disadvantaged, including those with multiple barriers, are actively considered in curriculum planning and sequencing to ensure equitable access, targeted support, and the best possible outcomes for all.

In Foreign Languages, curriculum planning for disadvantaged students focuses on reducing cognitive load, increasing cultural relevance and providing structured, high-frequency language support. Lessons are designed with a consistent "retrieval, input, practice, feedback" cycle across all classes to minimise language acquisition barriers.

Literacy Skills

Students develop strong literacy skills within Spanish through deliberate opportunities to read, write, speak and listen using subject-specific vocabulary and language, enabling them to communicate and think critically with confidence.

Lessons are designed to help students decode, manipulate, and communicate effectively. Curriculum sequencing prioritizes, Spanish phonics early on so that our students learn to read aloud with confidence by mastering "sound-symbol correspondences". A wide range of strategies and tools are used to support literacy: dictation, explicit grammar instructions, cognate awareness or tiers of vocabulary.

Qualifications

Students leave our academy with excellent qualifications that give them a wide range of choices and opportunities as they move into the next stage of education and adult life.

We encourage our students to take GCSE Spanish as an EBacc subject. We are keen on preparing our students for their future steps.

Character Development

Students develop strong character traits that will support them to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Foreign language studies help students to improve their interpersonal skills, confidence and communication levels. It allows students to look beyond our borders and to perceive the world. 

Physical and Mental Health

Our students develop their physical and mental health, alongside their intellectual growth.

Foreign languages promote change and challenges conceptions. It helps to break barriers and stereotypes, and it supports our students’ independence and intellectual acumen.

Cultural Experiences and Opportunities

Students have access to high-quality cultural experiences and extracurricular opportunities.

Students benefit from a broad range of cultural opportunities. From discovering Spanish social and cultural traditions to Latin-American countries. From film events to languages experiences.

Careers Information

Students engage with high-quality careers information and guidance across all key stages.

Students are taught about the value of a foreign language (Spanish) for their future careers and the different professional paths that they could follow.

British Values

Students have a highly developed understanding of the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance.

Teaching acts as a bridge between cultures and societies where mutual respect, tolerance and democracy are not only embedded but also promoted. 

Protected Characteristics

Students have a strong understanding and appreciation of all protected characteristics, including race, gender, religion, disability and sexual orientation.

Protected characteristics are intrinsically embedded in foreign language education as one of its main objectives is to remove barriers and promote intersocial skills and understanding. Spanish is the ideal vehicle for this because we consistently refer to the wider world and life beyond our local community, celebrating cultural differences.

Click the link below to see our Secondary Spanish Curriculum

A360-MFL-Spanish-5-year-curriculum-map-Revised-on-23-01-26.pdfA360-MFL-Spanish-Grammar-overview-2025-26-Revised-on-18-07-25.pdf