If your school is offering Maximum Classics as its sole language offering at KS2, here are some useful points in advance of a visit from Ofsted.

Intent and planning

One of the benefits of Maximum Classics is that the planning and lesson resources are all ready to go from day one. The planning also shows lesson-by-lesson how the aims of the National Curriculum for KS2 language teaching are met. It’s useful, though, that this intent is communicated clearly and to as wide an audience as possible (not just Ofsted!). Here are some wonderful examples of how schools have set out their plans for Latin as a KS2 language on their school websites:

Latin as an MFL at Story Wood Primary School

Evidence

The course planning is all set out, but equally important is evidence of pupils’ work. Keep worksheets in books or folders. Use the output of cultural lessons in class displays.

Meaningful progression

The progression tests at the end of each unit are not only useful for showing evidence of progression, but are also useful tools for assessing where pupils are struggling, either individually or as a group. Setting a class-appropriate target mark for progression tests can show where material needs to be repeated or reinforced.

Be comfortable with less learning but at greater depth

Ofsted’s survey of languages provision at Outstanding primaries notes that, ‘although [in Latin] pupils had learned less vocabulary and fewer structures, they were expected to ‘do more with less’. Potentially, the teaching of languages more commonly seen in classrooms could learn from this.’

Mock MFL deep-dive

A learning walk can help identify areas of excellence, or where further support is needed. This comprehensive Latin learning walk document can help structure such a walk.

Learn from others’ experience

Primary teacher and MFL expert Ellie Chettle-Cully’s shares her experience of an Ofsted MFL deep-dive:

For a more in-depth read: From Intent to Excellence – A guide to teaching MC in the KS2 setting