Harrogate school seizes 'fantastic opportunity' to enthuse youngsters with embracing the world of languages

To mark the European Day of Languages, Oatlands Infant School invited families and staff members to film themselves reading a story in another language as a way of celebrating the many languages represented within the school community.

Throughout the week, the children have been treated to stories in Spanish, Catalan, French, German, Afrikaans, Polish, Bulgarian, Italian, Irish and Turkish.

Head Teacher, Chris Harrison, who joined the school this September, said, “It is critical that children feel seen and heard throughout their learning journey.

"We serve an increasingly diverse school community and we want every child and their families to feel welcome and loved at school.”

Languages Lead, Ann Hunt said: “Although the National Curriculum doesn’t require languages to be taught until KS2, at Oatlands Infant School we believe we have a fantastic opportunity to begin to enthuse our children about learning foreign languages. 

“In Reception, we take a multi-lingual approach, linking in with the topic; in Year 1, the children learn Spanish and in Year 2, French. 

"Our main aim is to foster curiosity and an awareness of the wider world. 

"We want to inspire our children to approach languages with confidence and enthusiasm as they continue their education.

"They have loved hearing some of their favourite stories read in other languages.

"We’re so grateful to all the families and staff members who contributed a video.”