Bienvenidos ⎼ Welcome

Why languages matter

At The Gatwick School, we are proud of our linguistically diverse community. Our proximity to Gatwick Airport reminds us we are a multilingual world, with opportunities for linguistic and cultural discovery and friendship on our doorstep. When our pupils go out into the world, we want them to have a deep respect for those they meet, confident in their ability to communicate in a foreign language with native speakers. Learning a foreign language fosters curiosity and helps alleviate prejudice. It helps us understand others’ perspectives and articulate our own. It reminds us that we are global citizens, with the chance to make a difference in and beyond our own communities. 

What we offer 

At TGS we want our pupils to be curious, confident and capable linguists, who develop a growth mindset towards learning a foreign language. The Spanish learning journey takes off in Year 1!

Since relaunching the MFL Department in September 2023, pupils follow a Language Angels curriculum; over time this will allow for substantial pupil progress and will lay the foundations for further foreign language learning at Key Stage 3, with the addition of French. All Primary lessons are taught by  experienced MFL specialist teachers from the Secondary phase, embodying our ‘two small schools, one big family’ motto.

A strong emphasis on oral participation is driven by interaction in the target language and pupils develop an understanding of the correlation between sound and language from the outset. Songs, actions and repetition are key elements of the lessons, to maximise pupil participation. This multi-sensory approach also fosters pupil enjoyment of learning Spanish. Time is taken to consolidate learning, in order to increase pupil confidence and achieve learning success. As pupils progress through the curriculum, there is more of a balance between the four skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.  Grammar is taught more explicitly, so pupils gain an understanding of how Spanish works and learn to manipulate the language to express their own ideas.

Fiona Sparkes