Our Vision for Modern Foreign Languages (French & Spanish)
Our vision is that in offering modern foreign language teaching at Hopton CE Primary Academy, we will:
- Meet the academic and spiritual needs of all learners through a curriculum that inspires children to be naturally curious about God’s creation.
- Be a place where all can flourish, regardless of background or ability.
- Promote our school values (Compassion, Aspirations, Respect, Equality and Equity)
- Break down the following barriers to learning: Social and cultural, Language.
Our Aims for Modern Foreign Languages (French & Spanish)
By the time a child leaves Hopton they will have had the opportunity to:
- Become a valued member of a community where they are loved and cared for.
- Experience a rich, varied and exciting French and Spanish curriculum.
- Develop a curiosity for God’s creation.
Learning a language opens children up to experiences, cultures and friendships that might otherwise be excluded to them. At Hopton we want our children to have every opportunity for joy and enrichment.
Year 3&4 learn Spanish following the Calico Spanish program.
Calico Spanish is an introductory Spanish course for children in primary education. The program equips teachers with all the tools they need to create an immersion atmosphere where their students can naturally acquire the Spanish language.
Calico Spanish uses a conversational approach. While the program teaches specific vocabulary words, the dialogues and stories generally include additional words that students have not yet learned—a very gentle, immersion approach. Children hear vocabulary and structures repeated in different contexts to promote natural, long-term acquisition.
Year 5&6 learn French following the Rigalo Primary French Program. With Rigolo, the children can follow the amazing adventures of Jake, Polly and Bof as they discover France through lively interactions, games and colourful stories. It contains over 200 animations and videos to make learning more fun and memorable for the children. Rigalo is fully matched to the National Curriculum and meets the requirements of the KS2 Framework for Languages.
At Hopton Primary Academy, we aim to deepen our pupils understanding of the world as a global citizen by providing a high-quality languages education.
In both Spanish and French, children cover both spoken and written language, creating the foundations for practical communication and further foreign language learning at KS3. In Year 3 & 4, children will learn Spanish, exploring key vocabulary, facts and feelings and learning how to understand and communicate these in both written and spoken language. In Year 5&6 children will learn French, where they will be able to develop their language learning strategies and knowledge about language. This approach enables our pupils to make progress in both languages and provide the foundations for their language studies in high school.
