Italian - Fantastico!
SPRINGFIELDLOWER
SCHOOL- FANTASTICO!
SpringfieldLower
School have been awarded the Primary Languages
Classroom Award for Italian, coming
1st against 150 other schools from across the
country.
The Primary Language Award Committee
recognised the remarkable work that has been going on across the
school spearheaded by Marianne Allen, Modern Foreign Language
Leader, at the school.
The awards are designed to celebrate the
teaching of languages including the support of English as
additional language pupils in primary schools.
Italian has been taught at Springfield for the
past 4 years, using teachers from the Italian Consulate and Foreign
Language Assistants, from Italy. Over the last three years, links
with Italian schools has been strengthened, and various projects
brought into existence, through student exchange visits.
Cllr David Sawyer, Portfolio Holder for
Education at Bedford Borough Council, said: “This recognition
outlines the inspirational work undertaken by teachers to ensure
their pupils have a passion for celebrating languages. I
congratulate everyone who contributed to this success. It is so
pleasing to know that young people are gaining the skills required
to allow them to broaden their horizons as adults.”
Italian is taught throughout the school from
Reception to Year 4 with all children having at least 30
minutes of Italian each week.
Children are taught using the principles of
CLIL (Context Learning in Language) which see all Italian lessons
being taught in the ‘target’ language with no English being spoken
at all.
Richard Benson, Head teacher, at Springfield
Lower School, said: “Our teaching style has a profound effect on
the children’s experiences and the rate that they acquire a new
language. It has been an amazing learning journey for the staff and
the children, with Italian now being spoken around the school both
in, and outside, lesson time.”
Springfield will seek to broaden its language
provision further next year, introducing French in Key Stage 2
whilst continuing to embrace the twenty plus home languages spoken
by children at the school.
In addition to the award, Springfield Lower
School will receive £500 of resources to support the teaching of
Italian within the school going forward.