GEL

Modern Foreign Languages – Primary

1.     Background

  1. Governors need to be aware that all KS2 pupils will have an entitlement to learn a foreign language by 20101.

2.     Vision

  1. What is the vision for modern languages in your school?

3.     Strategic

  1. Are modern languages in the School’s Development Plan?  And do they feature in the Action Plan over the next 4 years?

  2.  What are the current development priorities for languages?

  3.  Do Governors have a policy on teaching Languages in school?

  4.  Is there a common languages policy in your family of schools?

  5.  Do you have a Languages Co-ordinator/subject leader on the staff?

  6.  Is there a copy of the KS2 Framework for Languages in the school?

  7.  Has there been a staff audit to determine which languages can be offered?  If yes, how has this been taken into account in shaping languages policy and practice?

  8.  How are the CPD needs of staff teaching languages being met?

  9.  Have any self-evaluation activities been undertaken in languages?  If so, what were the conclusions?

4.     Staffing

  1. Who is delivering languages?

  2.  What relevant qualifications or experience do they have?

  3. How has CPD helped them to introduce languages?

  4. What do they enjoy about teaching languages?

  5. What are their CPD needs?

5.     Provision

  1. Which languages are being taught in your school at present?  If so, which ones, and in which year groups and when?

  2. Is a scheme of work in development or in place?

  3. Which resources do the staff find useful?

  4. Which resources and activities help the children to enjoy languages?

  5. Which resources and activities help the children to achieve in languages?

  6. What do the children enjoy about languages?

  7. Are there gaps in resources available for languages?

6.     Inclusion

  1. Which languages are spoken by pupils in the school?

  2. How are the languages spoken in the school and the local community celebrated?

7.     Assessment

  1. In relation to the school’s vision for languages, what do pupils achieve in languages?

  2. In what ways do teachers assess outcomes for pupils? e.g. Assessment for Learning, European Languages Portfolio, Languages Ladder?

8.     Transition

  1. How does the school collaborate with the MFL department in the secondary school to which most pupils transfer to ensure continuity of learning?

9.     Partnership working

  1. What other resources does/can the school draw on from organisations to develop partnership working to deliver language teaching?

 

1. “Every child should have the opportunity throughout Key Stage 2 to study a foreign language and develop their interest in the culture of other nations.”

National Languages Strategy page 15