CURRICULUM
In this curriculum, students develop an understanding of both Spanish language and the cultures of Spain and Latin America, fostering engagement and cultural awareness. Throughout KS3, students progressively build the four key language skills:
- Speaking
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
Year 7
In Year 7, students are introduced to core vocabulary and foundational grammatical structures which underpin future language learning. The emphasis is placed on developing confidence in spoken Spanish, alongside accurate comprehension and written expression. Students are regularly assessed across the four key skills:
- Listening
- Speaking
- Reading
- Writing
A range of high-frequency phrases and grammatical structures are taught through the following topics:
- Essentials
- Family and Friends
- Pets
- Time
- Weather
- Cultural Focus (Spanish and Latin American festivals and key dates)
- Physical Descriptions
- School Life
- Hobbies
Year 7 Curriculum
Autumn Term 1 and 2
Unit 1: Talking about me and my age
- Saying name and age
- Saying someone else’s name and age
- Counting from 1-31
- Words for brother and sister
Verbs:
- “Ser” (1st and 3rd person)
- “Tener” (1st and 3rd person)
- Vivir (1st and 3rd person)
Communicative function:
- Describing yourself, others and places
Unit 2: Saying when my birthday is and where you live
- Talking about your origin and someone else’s
- Saying when your birthday is
- Numbers 31-61
Verbs:
- Ser (1st and 3rd person)
- Tener (1st and 3rd person)
- Vivir (1st and 3rd person)
Communicative function:
- Describing yourself and others
Spring Term 1 and 2
Unit 3: Family and pets
- Saying who you get on well/poorly with (me llevo bien/mal con)
- Using singular and plural forms
- Forming negative sentences (no me llevo bien con)
- Describing pets (colour, size, etc.)
Recycled content:
Tener, llevar, ser (1st and 3rd person)
Verbs:
- Llevarse (1st and 3rd person)
- Tener (1st and 3rd person)
- Numbers 61–81
Communicative function:
- Describing yourself and others
- Introducing yourself
Unit 4: saying where I live and where I am from
- Describing a house using adjectives (bonito, feo, grande, pequeño)
- Types of housing (flat/house; modern/old)
- Area descriptions (en el centro, en las afueras, en la costa)
Verbs:
- Ser (1st and 3rd person)
- Vivir (1st and 3rd person)
Recycled content:
- Introducing yourself
- Saying age and birthday
Communicative function:
- Indicating location
Summer Term 1 and 2
Unit 5: Talking about school life
- Introducing school subjects
- Structures: En mi colegio hay…, Mi colegio es…, Mi colegio tiene…
- Numbers 81–100
Verbs:
- Estudiar (1st and 3rd person)
- Aprender (1st and 3rd person)
Recycled content:
- Numbers 1–100
- Hay, es, tiene, está
Communicative function:
- Describing school life
Unit 6: Hobbies and plans
- Using jugar vs practicar
- Adverbs of frequency and intensity
- Talking about hobbies
Verbs:
- Jugar, practicar, tocar, leer
Recycled content:
- Numbers 1–100
- Communicative function:
- Describing activities and preferences
Year 8
In Year 8, students consolidate and extend their knowledge of key grammatical structures from Year 7. They begin to use a wider range of tenses to communicate with increasing fluency and independence across familiar and new contexts. The curriculum broadens to include more complex cultural and social themes.
Explicit grammar instruction is embedded to ensure accuracy and understanding. Students continue to be assessed across Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
Topics include Food, Weather, Daily Routine, Where I Live, School, Holiday, Sports and what you should and shouldn’t do
Year 8 Curriculum
Autumn Term 1 and 2
Unit 7: Talking about food
- Saying what you like/dislike eating
- Giving reasons
- Using a wider range of adjectives
- Present tense of comer and beber
- Word order in sentences
- Exploring traditional Spanish and Latin American food
Verbs:
- Comer, beber, tomar, gustar (1st–3rd person)
Communicative function:
- Expressing opinions with justification
- Describing food preferences
Unit 8: School subjects and teachers
- Describing teachers (me da detenciones, me grita, me explica bien)
Recycled content:
- Time markers
- Numbers
- Opinions
- Present tense (AR verbs) in 1st–3rd person
- Character descriptions
Communicative function:
- Giving and justifying opinions (positive and negative), using a range of time expressions and the verb gustar in both singular and plural forms
Spring Term 1 and 2
Unit 9: Holidays and sports
- Talking about holiday destinations
- Describing activities using jugar, hacer, ir, practicar
- Adding detail (when, how often, with whom, duration)
- Using linking words
- Weather expressions
- Means of transport
Recycled content:
- Time markers
- Numbers
- Justifications
Communicative function:
- Expressing opinions about activities using the irregular verb ir (1st and 3rd person)
Unit 10: Healthy lifestyle – what you should and shouldn’t do
- Talking about food and health
- Using structures to express obligation (se debe / no se debe)
- Present tense of comer and beber (full conjugation)
Recycled content:
- Time and frequency markers
- Weather
- Opinions
- AR/ER verbs
Communicative function:
- Describing routines
- Sequencing actions
- Giving advice
Summer Term 1 and 2
Unit 11: Films and TV
- Talking about favourite films/TV programmes
- Saying when you watch them
- Sequencing ideas (then, finally, usually, often)
- Cultural focus: Latin American cinema (e.g. Coco)
Recycled content:
- Numbers
- Free-time activities
- Opinions
Communicative function:
- Describing films
- Expressing opinions
Unit 12: Music and culture
- Talking about music preferences
- Exploring music from the Spanish-speaking world
- Introduction to the imperfect tense (escuchar, cantar)
Recycled content:
- Adjectives
- Frequency markers
- Countries
- Articles + adjectives
Communicative function:
- Expressing likes/dislikes (including in the imperfect tense)
- Describing preferences
Year 9
Year 9 Curriculum
Autumn Term 1
Bridging the Gap
This unit consolidates key knowledge and skills required for GCSE success, with a focus on secure use of three tenses and the ability to express and justify opinions.
Students revisit familiar topics (self, family, school, hobbies) to apply grammar accurately in context:
- Parts of speech
- Verb types
- Present tense
- Future tense
- Past tense
Autumn Term 2
Topic: Self, Relationships, and My Studies
- School subjects and opinions
- Timetable
- Future careers
- Revision of personal descriptions
- Relationships with teachers
- Describing others (me llevo bien con mi profesora porque me comprende, no me grita, etc.)
Spring Term 1
Topic: Holidays / Free Time
- Parts of speech
- Verb types (AR, ER, IR and key irregular verbs such as ir and hacer)
- Present tense in all 6 forms
- Future tense in all 6 forms
Spring Term 2, Summer Term 1 and summer term 2
Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest
Topic: Healthy and unhealthy lifestyles
- Music, cinema, TV
- Sport
- Food and eating out
- Healthy lifestyle
- Parts of speech
- Forming questions
- Verb types (AR, ER, IR and key irregular verbs such as ir and hacer)
- Present tense in all 6 forms
- Future tense in all 6 forms
- Past tense in all 6 forms
