My name is Mrs Cordina and I am Languages coordinator at Churchfields Infants School. We are proud of the fact that we are a multicultural community at Churchfields and that many of our pupils have the advantage of experiencing languages other than English at home.

Our aim is to celebrate the languages in our school and to show respect for other languages and cultures. In Key Stage one, we focus on a different language each term. Each class learns some simple words in that language which are displayed in the classroom and around the school. Parents are encouraged to come and share stories in that language with their child’s class. In the Early Years, we learn a few simple words each week in one of the languages spoken by the children in the setting. Again, parents are encouraged to participate and to read a story in their language with the children.

We as a school are fully committed to supporting families in raising their children bilingually and parents are encouraged to speak their home language with their children. I am myself a parent of bilingual children and I run regular workshops about ways in which parents can foster their child’s bilingual development