So, think again if you think traditional Spanish lessons in school are the be all and end all of language learning for little learners. Because classrooms are suddenly becoming micro-episodes of Strictly, with dramatic Paso Dobles, swishy skirts, and those crucial flamenco arms.

Here’s why flamenco sessions deserve a perfect 10 score in your syllabus. 

Put Your Spin on a Cultural Classic with Serious School Appeal

 Flamenco originated as singing and clapping in sun-soaked south Spain, 200+ years ago.

Since then, it’s developed into an artistic explosion of Spanish guitars, foot stamping, hand clapping, finger snapping, and Mediterranean attitude.

In short, it’s colourful, loud, lively, expressive, and the opposite of sitting still, wrangling vocab and grammar during routine Spanish lessons in school.

Is it any wonder both kids and staff adore it – and the results it ignites? 

Flamenco Takes Spanish lessons in School to a Different Level

 Flamenco is both fun and genuinely good for children. It:

• Improves flexibility & confidence
• Boosts concentration
• Reduces stress while encouraging creativity

And when you weave it into Spanish lessons? Y listo!

Moreover, it supports and promotes the following language learning, cultural and personal benefits: 

• Better memory and intonation, thanks to rhythmic clapping and movement
• More natural speaking practice with the use of dance related vocabulary
• Active learning, helping pupils connect Spanish words to real actions
• Deeper connection to Spanish heritage
• Improved confidence and self-expression
• Higher engagement than traditional textbook learning

 What Teachers Are Saying

 Here’s what a recent la Academia client had to say about our flamenco dancing for schools:

“We really enjoyed our Spanish culture workshops. The children loved the music, the festival atmosphere, and meeting someone native to Spain. It was a great day!”

Flamenco might just be your new favourite lesson plan too.

Get in touch with us if you’re curious about bringing a burst of Spanish culture and language learning confidence to your classrooms.

Spanish lessons for children at a leading language school are fun and vibrant. Moreover, they help open up a world of opportunities far beyond the school gates.

Brainy Benefits of Spanish Lessons for Children

 Spanish lessons for children are chockfull of juicy benefits every parent wants to equip their young students with, like:

• Sharper thinking – Learning Spanish boosts memory, multitasking, and problem-solving.

• Speaking confidence – Kids become braver, better communicators, even shy ones.

• Adventurous spirit – Tackling the Spanish language makes children curious and open to new experiences.

These traits give your child that something extra, when they’re in the education system and when they enter the adult world.

Global Citizens in the Making

 We live in a multicultural, multilingual Britain – and that’s a good thing. Accordingly, learning Spanish from an early age helps your child to:

• Champion diversity – Understand and respect other cultures.

• Build tolerance – Learning about different traditions nurtures empathy and global awareness.

• Fit right in – Introduce them to the intercultural skills essential for getting on in a connected world.

Although there’s more to it than soft skills.

Big Futures and Bright Horizons

 According to Wikipedia’s List of countries and territories where Spanish is an official language: “Spanish is the official language in 20 sovereign states, one dependent territory (Puerto Rico), and one partially recognised state (Arab Democratic Republic), totaling around 442 million people.” That’s a lot of amigos!

Imagine how these sorts of numbers translate in terms of:

• Travel made easy – Ordering tapas in Madrid or exploring Mexico City will feel like child’s play.

• Career advantage – Spanish opens serious doors, from food to pharma.

• University entry – A second language looks very shiny on applications.

Give Your Child the Gift of Spanish

 At la Academia, our Spanish lessons or children are fun, playful, interactive, and confidence-building. They incorporate games, songs, and films, with qualified teachers who know how to inspire children to love learning Spanish.

So, why not expand your child’s world with after school and home-schooled Spanish lessons for children?

AFTER SCHOOL SPANISH CLASSES

Mondays | Key Stage 2 | 5.00pm – 6.00pm
Wednesdays | Advanced – GCSE Preparation | 4.30pm – 5.30pm
Wednesdays | Years 1, 2 and 3 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Thursdays | Advanced – Primary (Bilingual) | 4.00pm – 5.00pm
Thursdays | Year 1, 2 and 3 | 4.00pm – 5.00pm
Thursdays | Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 | 4.00pm – 5.00pm

HOME-SCHOOLED SPANISH CLASSES

Fridays | Primary – HOME-EDUCATED | 11.00am – 12.00pm (termly)

Get in touch for any of these courses or something more bespoke.

The British Council’s latest Language Trends England 2025 research lays the crisis bare:

“Language Trends England 2025 surveyed teachers at more than 1,000 primary, secondary and independent schools to provide an up-to-date picture of language education in England… the report builds on findings from 2024, which revealed that six in ten secondary schools faced challenges recruiting qualified language teachers.”

What Does This Mean for Your School?

 As a result, perhaps you too are juggling combined issues of:

• Unfilled language vacancies
• Overstretched non-specialist staff
• Larger class sizes with lower engagement
• A drop in language uptake at GCSE and A-Level

Worryingly, schools in disadvantaged areas are being hit hardest of all, causing widening gaps in language learning and missed opportunities for future success.

But help is at hand in the form of PPA language support.

Discover the Multiple Benefits of Outsourced PPA Language Support

High quality PPA language support lightens the load with expert-led, energetic delivery, including:

• Specialist MFL teaching during PPA
• Flamenco workshops and multicultural days
• Lunchtime and after school clubs
• Consultancy for non-specialist staff
• Efficient and precise curriculum integration

And you’re in safe hands with experienced teachers who know how to benefit both the classroom and the staffroom when you work with a leading-edge language school like Manchester’s la Academia.

Why Does This Matter?

Early exposure to MFL boosts confidence, curiosity, and cultural awareness, while helping shape global citizens of the future.

Don’t your student deserve this opportunity? And don’t your team members deserve to offer it, without burnout and staff attrition?At la Academia, we make PPA language support and supplementary MFL services fun, meaningful, and manageable for your staff and your students.

Get in touch to explore how we can support your school.

MFL became mandatory at primary school levels in 2014, for –

• KS1 – 5-7 year-olds
• KS2 – 7-11 year-olds

But surprisingly, Ofsted’s subject lead for languages Michael Wardle has witnessed a very mixed bag of results. He explained, “…given that many pupils should have been leaving Year 6 with four years’ worth of language study, it was disappointing to see how many schools were barely out of the starting block with their curriculum.” 

It’s a conundrum for many primary school teams, given the well-reported shortage of language teachers in the UK. But, finding an effective solution doesn’t have to be so challenging with trusted supplementary help at hand.

3 Brilliant Primary School MFL Boosts to Try 

Forming a meaningful partnership with a well-reputed local language school has the potential to resolve your MFL issues, and keep them resolved, with –

• Term time after school and lunch clubs to reinforce and amplify your school hours curriculum

• Multicultural days that provide engaging and memorable experiences to students, bringing language learning to life with national foods, music, singing and dancing

• PPA cover during periods of temporary skills shortages, e.g. when you’re recruiting to replace a teacher who has left, or the provision of specialist MFI support on a more semi-permanent basis

Michael Wardle has seen many instances of external supplementary help significantly boosting MFL standards in primary schools, concluding that, “… where a specialist teacher visits the school, class teachers practised what has been taught during the week in between languages lessons”.

At La Academia, our primary school MFL teachers are all experienced language teachers of KS1 and KS2 groups. So, if know you’ve still got work to do around MFL, get in touch to arrange a free lesson to try us for fit –

• Telephone – 0161 4911444
• Email – info@laacademia.co.uk

Sources 
Supporting Foreign Languages in your School: A guide for governors in primary schools, Association of School and College Leaders
Languages in outstanding primary schools, Michael Wardle, Ofsted

Season after season, Strictly captures the imagination of the new generation of would-be Aljažs and Katyas.

The flagship family entertainment show has single-handedly moved things on a long way since boys cringed about having to hold hands with girls for the Gay Gordons!

The Guardian reported – “Children are taking up dance lessons with such enthusiasm that the activity is now second in popularity only to football in Britain’s schools. The number of pupils choosing dance has risen 83% in four years, according to research by the Arts Council. A third of those are boys”.

The article concludes boys have been, “…Spurred on by role models such as Darren Gough, the England cricketer who was the first male winner of BBC1’s show Strictly Come Dancing.”

That’s great news. It means there’s no shortage of boy partners for the girls to choose from when they’re treated to flamenco for schools.

One of our amazing clients at St Margaret’s Primary School in Whalley Range told us “The children loved it!”

In addition to dancing, flamenco for schools has other benefits that students are enjoying themselves too much to even realise, such as –

·        Interactivity – Flamenco for schools bring Spanish language learning to life in an interactive and fun way.

·        Engagement – Students are more engaged when they fully buy in to something different and more exciting than one-dimensional learning.

·        Culture – Special culture days about Spain are completed to perfection with the addition of flamenco sessions, (followed by a tasty paella).

Flamenco isn’t a Strictly dance in its own right. But students recognise the flamenco they’ve seen every time the dramatic Paso Doble is performed.

John Whaite and his partner Johannes Radebe, Tilly Ramsay and her partner Nikita Kuzmin and Tom Fletcher and his partner Amy Dowden have served up sensational examples this season.

Elegant and strong flamenco hands are integral to the Paso Doble. When couples get them right it’s guaranteed to be FAB-U-LOUS and not a DANCE DISASTER, DAH-LING.

At La Academia, our wonderful, fully qualified teacher Rios is in demand for flamenco in schools year-round. He’s even more in demand during Strictly season when half the county goes dance mad.

Have you supplemented your students’ learning with the delights of dance yet?

Source

Huge rise in boys taking dance lessons, The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/mar/15/school-sports-dance

Schools continue to be more multi-cultural and diverse. As a result, progressive Trusts, headteachers and their teams are keen to embrace and leverage the melting pot of awe and wonder that comes with having a student base from many and various countries.

In addition, they’re recognising it’s no longer a big wide world their primary and junior students are growing up in.

So, they’re finding it enriching and expansive to use expert and credible KS1 and KS2 language support services for supplementary learning, such as –

• Special culture days that celebrate the Chinese language, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish or even Russian.
• Regular Spanish and/or French clubs.
• After school and/or lunchtime Spanish and/or French Clubs.
• Flamenco classes and clubs.
  

But the benefits of KS1 and KS2 language support don’t begin and end with broadening the horizons of 5-11 years old students.

There’s More to External KS1 and KS2 Language Support than the Joy of Language Learning

Schools are enlisting external KS1 and KS2 language support to help them plug gaps caused by the ongoing shortage of language teaching talent on the market.

Teach First explains –

“In an increasingly globalised world, the ability to speak additional languages can provide a major career boost for school leavers. But…There is also currently a shortage of modern foreign languages (MFL) teachers in schools across England. New Spanish and French teachers are particularly needed…”

At La Academia, all our team members are fully qualified teachers who can provide supplementary KS1 and KS2 language support and cover PPA with our lessons.

We’re so convinced you’ll love our KS1 and KS2 language support services we’re offering schools the opportunity to try a MFL taster lesson on us for free!

Get in touch today to arrange your complimentary try-before-you-buy session at –
T – 0161 491 1444
E – info@laacademia.co.uk

Sources 

Help lead a revival in modern foreign language teaching, Teach First
https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/teach-languages

PS. One to tell parents of 7-11 year-olds about – KS2 CHILDREN’S SPANISH FOR BEGINNERS GROUP (YEAR 3 TO YEAR 6) EVERY TUESDAY AT 5.00-6.00PM AT THE LA ACADEMIA SCHOOL IN CHEADLE

Places available immediately!

Repeat Day is celebrated on 3^rd June every year. So, it’s a befitting day to take a look at the science behind learning a foreign language by doing just that – repeating.

Lilli Kimmpa of the University Of Helsinki researched the subject and concluded:-

“Even short repetitive exposure to novel words induced a rapid neural response increase that is suggested to manifest memory-trace formation. Rapid learning of new words is crucial for language acquisition, and frequent exposure to spoken words enables vocabulary development.” 

Put plainly, repetition aids learning a foreign language by teaching us to say words and remember them. In addition, the more we say them, the more we understand them and learn to how to use them in various contexts.

The science of repetition goes beyond echoing parrot fashion. It takes a step even further with a method known as spaced repetition. According to Wikipedia:-

“Spaced repetition… is usually performed with flashcards. Newly introduced and more difficult flashcards are shown more frequently, while older and less difficult flashcards are shown less frequently in order to exploit the psychological spacing effect. The use of spaced repetition has been proven to increase rate of learning.

…spaced repetition is commonly applied in contexts in which a learner must acquire many items and retain them indefinitely in memory. It is, therefore, well suited for the problem of vocabulary acquisition in the course of second-language learning.”

At award-winning La Academia, we’re always ahead of the most effective teaching techniques per age group and per language. This an important point to make. Whilst there are similarities, one cap rarely fits all for learning a foreign language.

We trust our lessons aren’t reminiscent of Groundhog Day for our amazing students. But, with learning a foreign language, there’s something to be said for, “If it’s worth doing once; it’s worth doing again.”

Sources

Repetiton a key factor in language learning by Lilli Kimmpa, University of Helsinki, Science Daily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170502084630.htm

Spaced repetition, Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/spaced_repetition

I am passionate about languages and I have been teaching languages for a few years. I decided to specialise in teaching English and Spanish as a second language as they are two of the most spoken languages over the world. Very useful to travel anywhere!

Differences in Spanish and English phonics

I like point out some phonics that are not present in the English language from the very beginning as I think it is a good way to develop and add the “Spanish accent” in every word. Kids love exploring these sounds and it is very funny for them to practise some sounds like the double r or the j sound that don’t exist in English.

Teaching Spanish culture

Also I include different cultural sessions to explore the Spanish traditions and festivities as I think it is a good way for children to approach to the Spanish community and appreciate other ways of lifestyle and culture.

Tips for learning Spanish

The main tip for my students is not to be afraid of speaking, as the more we speak the more confident and comfortable we will be with the new language. Also I tell them to think in Spanish and avoid translating from English all the time as sometimes the translation can be completely the opposite of what you want to say. I know it can be difficult at the beginning but once you are able to do that language flows and all sudden you are having a full conversation.

Get started today!

So if you are thinking of giving it a chance, don’t doubt it and join us! Any time or age is perfect to start learning a new language. Whether you are looking for a Spanish teacher for you, your child or your school students, just contact la Academia on 0161 491 144 and info@laacademia.co.uk – we’ll be happy to help!

La Academia teaches at Primary Schools from Stockport to Worsley and Hyde to Warrington, and offers French, Spanish or Mandarin. Why should you consider using la Academia?

The foreign language required by the curriculum is high

Primary school students are expected to be able to:

• Listen carefully to spoken language and be able to join in and respond to the language they hear
• Engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, express their own opinions and respond to those of others
• Ask for clarification and help when needed
• Read simple texts and show understanding of words and phrases
• Extend their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words, including by using a dictionary
• Write phrases from memory, and adapt them to create new sentences
• Express their ideas clearly
• Describe people, places, objects and actions verbally and in writing

Not all primary schools have a language specialist

Teaching languages is very challenging – most primary schools do not have a language specialist on their staff.  Relying on parents can be hit or miss. OfSTED will observe language lessons – do you have enough expertise in-house?

Planning and preparation is time-consuming

To achieve all the requirements above demands a lot of planning, preparation and teaching.  Even for teachers with language qualifications at A level or above it’s a challenge to devote the time needed to do this successfully. La Academia offers a successful and popular MFL programme in Primary schools, for all ages. Our tried and tested lesson plans combined with experienced, professional and child-centred teachers teach children these key skills through age-appropriate games, challenges, songs and stories.

La Academia offer classes in French, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish to KS1 and KS2 in curriculum time. We also offer after school language clubs, and many schools use our trained early years MFL teachers for PPA cover.

See case studies of our work in local Primary Schools here: Holy Trinity – Spanish for KS1 and KS2,    Moss Hey Primary and Woodheys Primary.

Free trial lesson:

For a trial lesson at your school, contact la Academia on 0161 491 1444. We’ll explain more and arrange a date and time for a trial lesson with one of your classes.

But la Academia’s work with Primary schools also extends beyond teaching French or Spanish. As part of their work, our Primary school Spanish and French teachers have been inspected by OFSTED, have taught open lessons for parents and teachers, and have contributed Spanish displays and French displays to the schools.

Here’s an example of the work produced by two of our primary school Spanish classes for our teachers. On one Spanish display the topic was animals, the other shows work about the Spanish language. As you can see, the students produced some lovely, bright Spanish displays.

If your school would like to have some Spanish or French classes, remember that la Academia offers a free trial lesson for one class, so you can see our teachers in action! To arrange a free trial lesson for a class at your school, give us a ring on 0161 491 1444 or email us on info@laacademia.co.uk . Who knows, in a few months’ time it could be your school that is showing off some lovely Spanish displays – or French displays, or even Chinese! Give us a ring today!