Spanish

Why do we study Spanish?

In a multilingual world, a modern language like Spanish offers significant benefits to secondary school students. When looking at a map, one can easily notice how small Britain is in comparison to Latin America with twenty Spanish-speaking countries. Learning Spanish can broaden our students’ perspectives and provide them with a deep understanding of Hispanic history, geography, and culture. Our goal is to nurture confident linguists who are open-minded and versatile communicators, fostering an appreciation for diverse cultures and societies in our world. Additionally, we aim to develop their character, instilling qualities like resilience, confidence, and independence, enabling them to make positive contributions to the Barnhill community and their local surroundings. We are dedicated to equipping our students with a strong foundation in phonics, an extensive vocabulary, the ability to manipulate grammatical structures, and the experience of achieving success in their language learning journey. This will not only facilitate their academic progress but also cultivate their motivation for the subject.   

The Programme of Study 

Year 7

• TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF 
• SCHOOL 
• FREE TIME ACTIVITIES 

Spanish Spelling Bee 
Spanish artist at Tate Modern 
Islamic World in Spain 
Encanto: Colombian Culture 

Year 8

• MY LAST HOLIDAYS 
• DAILY LIFE 
• HOBBIES: FILMS, TV, BOOKS… 

The Language Local to You 
Virtual Tours Madrid/Barcelona 
Teaching Spanish through football 
Coco: Mexican culture 

Year 9

• FAMILY 
• FUTURE ASPIRATIONS 
• SPORTS AND TECHNOLOGY 

Poem recitation contest 
Virtual exchange with partner school 
Teaching Spanish through football 
Spanish Masterchef  

Year 10

• LOCAL AREA 
• HOLIDAYS AND TRAVEL 
• EDUCATION AND WORK 

Developing oral skills and exam oral technique 
Translation skills 
Exam technique 
Virtual exchange with partner school 

Year 11

• GLOBAL AND INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION 
• EDEXCEL GCSE Spanish
  Paper 1: Listening and understanding in Spanish
  Paper 2: Speaking in Spanish
  Paper 3: Reading and understanding in Spanish
  Paper 4: Writing in Spanish 

Important textbooks, resources and websites

Edexcel GCSE Past Papers 

Teaching and learning materials for Edexcel GCSE Spanish 

KS3 BBC Bitesize 

KS4 BBC Bitesize 

Quizlet Year 11 

Quizlet Year 10 

Quizlet Year 9 

Quizlet Year 8 

Quizlet Year 7 

Homework

KS3 

• Quizlet 
• Vocab tests per topic 
• Reading activities 

KS4 

• Vocab tests per topic 
• GCSE Speaking and writing booklet 
• Reading past papers 

Enrichment Opportunities

In the Spanish department, we offer a range of enrichment activities and programs tailored to different year groups, enhancing the language learning experience. This includes the “Spelling Bee” competition for Year 7 students, the poem recitation contest for Year 8, 9, and 10, the Language Ambassadors program for Year 11, and the “Language Local to You” contest open to all year groups. We also organise an educational trip to the Tate Museum to explore Spanish artist masterpieces and facilitate virtual exchanges with Spanish-speaking students. We provide morning and Friday after-school interventions for additional language support. Additionally, there are KS3 and KS4 language clubs that offer students opportunities for further language exploration and practice. Embedded within our curriculum, we have cross-curricular projects that seamlessly integrate language learning with other subjects, creating a holistic educational experience. We also celebrate the European Day of Languages, promoting language diversity with an assembly and a variety of engaging activities.