What Ofsted want with Primary Languages- A CPD with HMI lead Bianka Zemke
20th September 24
Written by Kate Percival
Last Thursday, we were lucky to have a special guest at our PLN networking twilight: Bianka Zemke, HMI Lead for languages at Ofsted. Bianka joined us to give a presentation on what makes an effective primary languages curriculum. This was followed by an informative Q&A session before we reflected on all that had been said in breakout rooms.
There was so much to take from this session. I know I speak for the wider PLN team as well as the 50 or so member schools who joined us, judging from the number of nodding heads and copious notetaking I could see on my Zoom screen. But below are my five top take-aways from the session. I have put the time stamps in brackets
1 - Three parts of a rope entwined (13:20)
Bianka gave a brilliant visual analogy of a language ‘rope’ with vocabulary, phonics and grammar always being entwined. If one were to break, the whole integrity of the rope would be affected. In a similar way, language learning has to incorporate these three elements all the time. By learning vocabulary in isolation, a learner cannot speak the language but merely regurgitate a set of words. The grammar is the glue that sticks the words and phrases together to make it make sense and the phonics are the keys to authentic pronunciation and the decoding of unfamiliar words. It made me think of how the PLN scheme beautifully intertwines these three elements so that primary children and non-specialist teachers can be guided gently through effective sequences of learning rather than discretely learning all three elements in a siloed manner.
2 – Less, done well, is often more (17:04)
I couldn’t agree more with this. In fact, as a classroom teacher for 15 years, it is a mantra I often wished would apply to the whole primary curriculum! But where language learning is concerned, in order for retention to take place, material has to be re-visited over and over again. Teachers often feel the pressure to rush through the content of a scheme but this is at the detriment of both the learning and the enjoyment of the subject. The PLN scheme is cyclical in nature and has recall warm-ups called ‘Go Fetch’ built into every lesson to support deep learning. Lesson plans indicate which activities can be omitted depending on whether lessons are 30 or 45 minutes long without losing the integrity of the objective. There is no expectation to complete every module in the scheme; better to decide on fewer topics but done thoroughly over the course of a year. This way, children will feel the sense of success as they remember more and achieve more. This then encourages their motivation to learn more!
3 – Systems (5:37)
When Bianka spoke about ‘systems’ she meant the importance school leaders place on language learning. We know this varies vastly between schools, yet the more high-profile and visible language learning is in a school, the more normalised speaking in a foreign language becomes. I have seen this first-hand when I have worked with schools individually. Simple steps such as foreign language signage posted around school, greeting children in the target language, celebrating home heritage languages within a school community and whole-school recognition of learning taking place in assemblies or on a school’s website really fly the flag for language learning. Bianka thanked us all personally for ‘being linguists’ and that’s what we all are - no matter our level. One of the questions in the Q&A was ‘What one thing, in your opinion, constitutes effective language provision in a school?’ Without hesitation, Bianka confirmed that it is when language learning becomes part of the very fabric of the school. And I have to agree.
4 - Phonics: a key to unlocking transition?
It was heart-warming to hear that Bianka referred to primary teachers as the experts in phonics teaching. One very interesting point she made was that foreign language phonics instruction stands children in such good stead when it comes to transition to KS3. I can personally see this link played out in my current role which, as of September this year, is partly based in the teaching of languages at secondary level. Much of the first few lessons of term are focussed on the those building blocks of pronunciation in order to support pupils to go on and achieve accurate and confident phonics understanding later down the line. Conversations about accurate pronunciation at GCSE are commonplace within the MFL department so it makes total sense to start this early. In Bianka’s words primary teachers can ‘incentivise secondary teachers with the support of phonics’ and what a great way to establish more of a connected link between the key stages!
5 – SEND provision
Another question for Bianka was around language provision for children with SEND. She said emphatically that the biggest barrier for children with special educational needs and disabilities not making progress in primary languages is them being removed for interventions. We at PLN totally agree and have been saying this for a long time. We are confident that the PLN scheme supports all learners of all abilities and needs and can be further adapted by individual teachers and settings as required. Remember, you know what works with your pupils best! We have seen a shift away from ‘differentiation’ and towards a ‘no ceilings approach’ to achievement, allowing children to aim high but with as much scaffold along the way as they need. A brilliant example of this is ‘Rainbow writing’ which allows all children to access writing in a foreign language and feel successful. Like any scaffold, once this is no longer needed, it can be removed. The beauty of our subject is, that often it is a great leveller for children of all abilities to be able to access from the same starting point. Bianka reminded us of this and it is something we need to remember ourselves and share with colleagues in our settings. Again, Bianka thanked us but we owe a big thank you to her for the reassuring and thought-provoking insight she was able to provide us. What a great way to kickstart the new academic year’s CPD journey! We would love to see as many of you as possible at the next networking twilight planned for Thursday 7th November (4.15pm-5.45pm). We hope to be focusing on a range of key themes throughout the year and hope to be inviting more guest speakers to join us. If you have a request for a particular topic, please do get in touch: kate@primarylanguages.network I hope to see you there!
If you have a question for the PLN team, remember each school is entitled to a free consultation with an expert. To book in, simply access the calendar via the CPD journey tab on the dashboard – click on the ‘Consultation with an expert’ button to choose a time slot.