Many languages are spoken by the families and staff at Ley Hill School and we encourage our children to be proud of having more than one language. We believe that the learning of a language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience. Learning another language helps them to develop communication skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing and understanding the grammar and structure of languages in general, including English. We intend that the development of children’s knowledge of how language works will help to lay the foundations for further language learning in the future and to give them a broader perspective on the world.
We liaise with local secondary schools to ensure that we prepare the children appropriately for transition to KS3 language learning. Our chosen main language is French, which is learnt throughout KS2. An interest in home and new languages is fostered throughout the school and is introduced in a fun and appropriate level in Early Years and KS1.To help prepare Y6 for KS3, we plan to give children the opportunity to explore more than one language by presenting a course in Spanish in the summer term.