Article Details

Author: Marie-Claire Lyon, Aberdeen City Council

Aberdeen City Council Education and Children Services Directorate opted for a strategic approach to implementing the 1+2 approach. The choice of L2 was made at cluster level following a head teachers’ meeting in associated schools groups. Most schools have chosen French with one cluster learning Chinese.

Session 2015-16

• All 48 primary schools have included the implementation of the 1+2 approach in their improvement plan, with particular emphasis on first steps to introducing L2 from P1-P3 and awareness-raising.
• MLPS provisions remain in place until PLL programme starts for P5-7.
• Each school nominated a 1+2 co-ordinator whose role is to oversee the implementation in their school. This includes liaising with SMT, negotiating time at whole staff meetings, staffroom notice boards, supporting colleagues in school, information at parents’ evenings and linking with development officers.

This session, resources are aimed at P1-P3.

• Development officers produced a teachers’ handbook including a summary of the 1+2 approach, generic PLL stage planners P1-P3 and a list of useful websites.
• Lesson plans for P1-P3 classes in French including sound files to be posted on our Glow website.
• French vocabulary and grammar booklets for teachers. These lesson plans and booklets will be adapted for Chinese, Gaelic, German and Spanish.
• Useful commercial resources.

• Training programme for 1+2 co-ordinators – methodology and leadership (twilight, in-service days and Aberdeen Learning Festival in February 2016). Training led by development officers with SCILT support.
• Twilight language classes for primary teachers taught by secondary teachers. The first session aimed at complete beginners offering progression in future classes.
• Planning residential training courses in France for primary teachers (Erasmus funded).

• Languages Ambassadors to secondary schools and Language Linking Global Thinking introduced to primary schools in collaboration with colleagues from Aberdeen University language departments.
• Word Wizard semi-finals to take place at Aberdeen University in March 2016.
• SCILT Business Brunch in February 2016 in Aberdeen.
• Links and projects with partner schools in our twin cities of Clermont-Ferrand in France and Regensburg in Germany.
• Three German Educational Trainee (GET) students to primary and secondary schools.
• Liaising with languages organisations to develop initiatives, including Rencontres Théâtrales and Spanish immersion days.

Session 2016-17: securing P1-P3 and introduction of P4-P5 to some schools.

Session 2017-18: introducing P4-P5 to all schools.

Session 2018-19: securing P4-P5 and introducing P6-P7.

Session 2019-20: programme in place for P1-P7.

Introduction of L3 

A development officer has been appointed with responsibility for Gaelic and Chinese.

• Plans to introduce Gaelic and Chinese as L3 in primary schools that opt in for this choice, starting session 2016-17.
• Selected number of clusters where German and Spanish are well established will continue with the same strong L3.
• Some schools may opt for other languages.
• One school has an established programme of Gaelic immersion education in place.