Modern Foreign Languages ( MFL)

What is MFL? 

MFL is the teaching of languages other than English to children in the primary school years. At Holyport CofE Primary we teach Spanish. 

Intent

At our school, the intent of the Kapow Spanish curriculum is to provide pupils with a high-quality, engaging and progressive language education that develops their confidence and enthusiasm for learning a modern foreign language.

Through the Kapow Spanish scheme, pupils develop the knowledge, skills and cultural understanding needed to communicate effectively in Spanish. The curriculum is designed to build children’s listening, speaking, reading and writing skills progressively, allowing them to become increasingly independent and accurate language learners.

Our Spanish curriculum aims to:

• Foster a love of languages and an appreciation of different cultures and communities.
• Develop pupils’ confidence in communicating in Spanish through meaningful and purposeful activities.
• Build a strong foundation in vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and sentence structures.
• Encourage children to make links between Spanish and their own language, supporting wider literacy development.
• Provide opportunities for pupils to explore Spanish-speaking cultures, traditions and communities.
• Ensure progression from basic vocabulary and simple communication towards more complex language structures and extended responses.

We aim for all pupils to leave primary school with a positive attitude towards language learning and the confidence to continue developing their linguistic skills in secondary education and beyond.

Research and Curriculum Rationale

The Kapow Spanish curriculum is informed by research into effective language teaching and learning. Evidence suggests that successful language acquisition is supported through regular exposure, meaningful communication, repetition and opportunities to apply new vocabulary in different contexts.

Key principles underpinning the curriculum include:

Building vocabulary and retrieval practice

Children learn languages most effectively when vocabulary is revisited regularly and used in different situations. Kapow’s curriculum provides structured progression and repeated opportunities for pupils to recall and apply previously learned language.

Developing communication skills

Modern language teaching is most effective when pupils use language for authentic purposes. Lessons include opportunities for listening and responding, speaking with others, reading familiar texts and producing written language.

Progressive grammar development

A carefully sequenced approach allows pupils to develop an understanding of grammatical concepts gradually. Children encounter increasingly complex sentence structures while developing accuracy and confidence.

Cultural understanding

Language learning is closely connected to understanding other cultures. The curriculum introduces pupils to aspects of Spanish-speaking countries, helping them develop respect, curiosity and global awareness.

Inclusive learning

The curriculum is designed to support all learners through varied activities, scaffolding, repetition and opportunities for challenge. Pupils are encouraged to take risks, make mistakes and develop resilience as language learners.

Implementation

Spanish is taught using the Kapow Primary Spanish scheme, which provides a structured sequence of lessons across Key Stage 2. The curriculum follows a clear progression model, ensuring that pupils build upon prior learning and develop increasingly sophisticated language skills.

Curriculum structure

Lessons are organised around carefully chosen themes and vocabulary, including:

• Greetings and introductions
• Numbers, dates and time
• Family and relationships
• School life
• Food and drink
• Hobbies and interests
• Places and directions
• Everyday routines
• Culture and celebrations

Each unit develops the four key language skills:

Listening

• Pupils listen to native pronunciation and familiar phrases.
• They develop the ability to identify key information and understand spoken Spanish.

Speaking

• Pupils practise pronunciation, participate in conversations and develop confidence using spoken language.
• They use role-play, questioning and structured speaking activities.

Reading

• Pupils develop strategies for understanding written Spanish.
• They recognise familiar vocabulary and use context clues to support comprehension.

Writing

• Pupils progress from copying and adapting vocabulary to creating independent sentences and longer pieces of writing.

Teaching approach

Teachers use a range of strategies to support language learning, including:

• Regular retrieval of previously taught vocabulary.
• Modelling correct pronunciation and sentence structures.
• Interactive speaking and listening activities.
• Songs, games and practical tasks to reinforce learning.
• Differentiated activities to support and challenge pupils.
• Opportunities for independent application.

Lessons include opportunities for pupils to reflect on similarities and differences between English and Spanish, developing their understanding of language structures.

Progression

The curriculum ensures that pupils build knowledge over time:

• Early learning focuses on pronunciation, basic vocabulary and simple communication.
• Developing learners begin to create sentences, understand grammar patterns and communicate in familiar contexts.
• Confident learners use a wider range of vocabulary, grammatical structures and increasingly independent written and spoken language.

Teachers assess pupils’ understanding through questioning, observation, speaking activities and written outcomes.

Impact

The impact of the Kapow Spanish curriculum is measured through pupils’ ability to communicate confidently, apply their knowledge and demonstrate curiosity about languages and cultures.

By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils will:

• Demonstrate confidence when speaking and listening to Spanish.
• Understand and use a growing range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.
• Read and understand familiar written Spanish.
• Write sentences and longer pieces using increasingly accurate language.
• Apply pronunciation rules when speaking.
• Recognise similarities and differences between Spanish and English.
• Show an appreciation of Spanish-speaking cultures and communities.
• Develop the confidence and enthusiasm needed to continue language learning at secondary school.

Evidence of impact is gathered through:

• Lesson observations.
• Pupil voice discussions.
• Work scrutiny.
• Teacher assessment.
• Progression tracking.
• Participation and engagement in Spanish activities.

The overall impact of the curriculum is that pupils become enthusiastic, confident and capable language learners who understand the value of learning another language and the importance of communicating with people from different cultures.