Modern and Classical Languages

The aim of the Languages department is to inspire a love of languages, both ancient and modern.

At St Faith’s all pupils learn Spanish from the age of four and we seek to integrate Spanish into the everyday life of the School; something that has been recognised by the Spanish Embassy. We introduce French into the curriculum in Year 6, which builds on the pupils’ already increasing knowledge of how language works and further broadens their horizons.

We believe that the academic discipline of modern languages is underpinned by Classics; which is why our pupils begin learning Latin in Year 5 helping to sharpen powers of logic and discrimination as well as increase all-round linguistic competence. Knowledge of ancient civilisations gives depth and perspective to the discussion of contemporary issues.

Specialist teaching mixes original in-house materials with published resources to ensure tailored and creative provision for all. Residential trips to Salamanca in Spain for Year 7 pupils and Rome and Pompeii in Italy for Year 8 pupils take the learning beyond the classroom and offer exciting opportunities for first-hand language experience and adventure.

Below gives a brief idea of what our Languages curriculum includes:

SpanishClassicsFrench
Pre-PrepGreetings, colours, numbers, body parts and animals. All learning is done orally through the use of flashcards and songs setting up the building blocks for future learning.
Year 3Describing people and animals in greater detail in Spanish, and home vocabulary introducing basic grammar points.
Year 4Talk about ‘where I live’, classroom, clothes and learn basic Maths in Spanish.
Year 5Building up knowledge on family, the world around us and sports and hobbies. Pupils get to grips with grammar and conjugating.Start of the 5th edition of the Cambridge Latin Course; the lives of Romans in Pompeii.
Year 6The world around us, free-time activities and describing where we live. Using irregular verbs and extending language skills.Roman beliefs, the bath houses and education in Ancient Rome.Describing yourself and family, talking about hobbies and free time activities.
In the Summer Term Year 8 pupils will follow the Languages Carousel, introducing them to a wide variety of languages they may opt to study in their future school.

Stephanie O’Reilly

Head of Modern and Classical Languages