SPRINGFIELD LOWER SCHOOL - FANTASTICO!

Springfield Lower 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 have 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.