Primary Spanish Curriculum Overview

Intent

The Spanish curriculum aims to spark pupils’ curiosity about language, deepen their understanding of the world, and lay strong foundations for future language learning. Through engaging, practical, and culturally rich lessons, we aim to ensure that pupils:

  • Develop enthusiastic attitudes towards languages, gaining confidence to speak, listen, read, and write in Spanish across a range of contexts.
  • Build strong phonics and vocabulary knowledge, enabling accurate pronunciation, confident recall, and early fluency.
  • Communicate for real purposes, using simple sentences and increasingly varied grammatical structures.
  • Develop transferable skills, including memory strategies, pattern-spotting, resilience, and communication.
  • Become respectful global citizens, aware of linguistic diversity and cultural connections.
  • Are well-prepared for KS3, entering secondary school with secure foundations in core vocabulary, grammar, and language-learning strategies.

The curriculum is designed to be inclusive and accessible for all learners, with opportunities for repetition, practice, creativity, and enrichment.

Curriculum Overview

  1. Listening & Speaking

Pupils will:

  • Recognise and pronounce core phonics (e.g., vowel sounds, ll, ñ, j).
  • Understand simple spoken Spanish in familiar topics.
  • Ask and answer questions using rehearsed and increasingly spontaneous language.
  • Join in with songs, stories, rhymes, and games.
  • Give simple descriptions and express likes/dislikes.
  1. Reading

Pupils will:

  • Read simple words and short phrases from memory.
  • Use visual clues, cognates, and context to support understanding.
  • Follow short written texts, stories, and factual information.
  • Recognise familiar grammatical patterns in reading.
  1. Writing

Pupils will:

  • Copy and write words/phrases from memory.
  • Construct short sentences using familiar structures.
  • Begin to adapt known language to write simple descriptions and factual information.
  • Use basic punctuation and accents where appropriate.
  1. Grammar

Pupils will learn:

  • Spanish phonics and pronunciation rules
  • Gender of nouns and use of articles (un/una, el/la, los/las)
  • Simple adjective agreement
  • High-frequency verbs (ser, estar, tener, llamar, gustar)
  • Simple verb conjugation in the first and third person
  • Basic sentence structure and question words

 

 

  1. Intercultural Understanding

Pupils will:

  • Explore the culture, geography, and traditions of Spanish-speaking countries.
  • Compare daily routines, festivals, school life, and foods with their own.
  • Learn about global Spanish use across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean.
  • Listen to authentic music, stories, and celebrations such as Día de los Muertos, Las Fallas, and La Tomatina.
  • Extended personal descriptions
  • Cultural projects (famous places, festivals, Spanish-speaking countries)
  1. Assessment & Progression

Assessment focuses on:

  • Oracy: pronunciation, confidence, accuracy, ability to respond
  • Reading/Writing: comprehension, vocabulary recall, sentence-building
  • Grammar: correct use of structures and patterns
  • Cultural understanding

Progression is sequenced so pupils revisit key knowledge, build growing independence, and develop increasing grammatical awareness.

Spanish Overview