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Languages

The languages spoken at Shaftesbury are plenty and we celebrate the diversity of our school through bringing those languages into the classroom. The number of bi-lingual children is high and we welcome and encourage children to explore and share their alternative means of communication with pride. Knowledge about language is vital to children obtaining a better grasp of English and helps provide the tools to express themselves in different ways. Through noticing similarities and differences with other languages, we believe that children will become masters of English. 

At Shaftesbury, our children have been learning Mandarin taught by specialist teachers. Children across the school take part in cultural activities and routines throughout the school year starting from their weekly Mandarin lessons to a range of cultural celebrations. We encourage our children to explore the spoken and written language to promote development. We find that these valuable experiences stand the children in good stead for MFL in secondary school which provides them with better life opportunities. The skills our pupils learn during Mandarin lessons will be able to be applied to other languages they study during their secondary education.  Being exposed to different cultures and languages will inspire our children to grow into empathetic citizens who embrace and commemorate differences as well as opening up windows of opportunity for them during their later careers.​

 

Please click on the attachment below to read about the Languages National Curriculum.