At Whitelands Academy, we aim to create students who think, act and speak like linguists to enable them to communicate with increasing spontaneity, independence and accuracy, as well as encouraging students to develop a curiosity and understanding of the wider world.
Our curriculum is academic and ambitious:
Students will study a wide range of topics in their language lessons, to explore Art, literature and culture as well as using language to express their immediate needs and interests. Students will be taught to speak and write using a range of tenses and grammatical structures to enable them to communicate with confidence for different purposes. We will challenge students to use vocabulary ambitiously to vary their writing, to enable them to express their opinions and ideas. We will use the correct terminology when introducing grammatical structures, as well as making links to English, to develop students’ knowledge of the complexities of language.
Our curriculum is broad and engaging:
We recognise that students have a varied experience of MFL at Key Stage 2 and therefore a 3-year Key Stage 3 enables all students to pursue languages in depth. Students will be taught to understand and respond to spoken and written language, speak with increasing confidence, fluency and accuracy, write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt. They will discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied. Students will develop an awareness of both formal and informal language (including spoken and written) and explore the linguistic differences by region.
In MFL, we aim to provide opportunities for students to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. In lessons, and through extra-curricular opportunities such as Spanish Language and Culture club, students will be introduced to film, music and Art from other cultures to further their understanding of the world and to highlight the importance of language learning.
Our curriculum promotes core literacy:
We will make cross-curricular links, particularly with English, to support literacy and grammar knowledge. With English and Drama, we will develop public speaking skills to support students to feel confident with spoken tasks. We will use translation skills as a way of building confidence in writing precise, natural-sounding prose in English and the languages taught in MFL. We will work closely with the SEN department to ensure students on the SEN register make good progress to ensure MFL is accessible for all students.
Our curriculum is values-based:
At Whitelands Academy, we endeavour to promote the learning of a foreign language as an opening to other cultures as well as an important life skill. Within our curriculum, we will emphasise the importance of speaking a foreign language in a modern, global society as well as highlighting opportunities to pursue languages at KS4, KS5 and beyond. Language teaching will provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries. Through MFL lessons, students will gain an awareness of and an insight into other cultures through listening and contributing respectfully, developing their tolerance and appreciation of others in line with British Values. We aim to foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. This is particularly important at Whitelands Academy, as the majority of our students come from white British backgrounds.
Our curriculum is knowledge-rich:
At Whitelands Academy, we teach the knowledge needed to succeed in listening, speaking, reading and writing when language learning, based on a sound foundation of core grammar and vocabulary. Students are taught to identify and use a range of tenses and grammatical structures in order to access a range of texts through reading and listening as well as using and manipulating these in their own speaking and writing. Students will be taught a wide-ranging, varied vocabulary, allowing them to access and write texts. Our use of DNAs and knowledge organisers supports students’ learning of this foundational knowledge. Students will also be taught about how the use of languages varies in different cultures to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world.