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@Linguist_CIOL APRIL/MAY The Linguist 17 and funds. And that's where we're very lucky in this school," she adds. These all-important relationships are not just with external providers but also with staff and parents at the school. A key part of the strategy is for each department to include something in its annual development plan that supports the learning of Spanish. When Year 8 go to Cádiz, for example, they do geography fieldwork there, surveying passersby about tourism in the area. Kyle sees it as her responsibility to ensure that staff are on board with the programme. "We've run Spanish lessons after school for teaching and support staff, trips to Santander and Cádiz, and other social events," she says. "There has been flamenco dancing, a Spanish wine-tasting evening, and I'm currently trying to bring a Latin American band to the school. There is widespread enthusiasm for Spanish and great support from colleagues." Parental support is also key. As Channing becomes known for its Spanish programme, parents are choosing the school partly on the basis of its language offer, but many of the girls joined before Adelante was introduced. Concerts, plays and other cultural events help to enthuse the whole school community. One parent helped to set up an exchange with a school in Puebla, Mexico. Spanish enrichment activities such as this help to instil an appreciation for the language from a young age. Children in the junior school are taught by specialist Spanish teachers at least twice a week from age 4. Their PE lessons are supported by the senior school Spanish Assistant, who gives instructions in Spanish for the children to repeat. A transferable model? While a fee-paying school such as Channing can make funds available for senior staff, professional speakers and a wide range of activities, state schools may struggle to deliver such an ambitious programme with the current pressures on funding. There are, however, elements of Adelante that could be adopted by cash-strapped schools across the country. Most already offer careers events, inspirational speakers, cultural outings and trips abroad. Establishing a language focus to such activities can make a big impression on students. Talking to Channing's sixth-form hispanists, it is clear that small details have a lasting impact. "When you walk around school, you see little things that show how important it is to know another language – these signs that show that Spanish is valued," explains Chiara. Later, I meet a group of Year 9s in a room off the main library that is dedicated to foreign language books. To make it easy for students to find what they need, the books are categorised by age and language (the school also teaches French, German and the Classics, and has a lunchtime Mandarin club). "When I came to Channing, the language books were in disparate places in the library. It wasn't really obvious where you'd go if you wanted a book in Spanish or German or French," says Kyle. "So I asked the librarian if we could look at having a space for languages." This relatively small change has greatly improved access to books in other languages. The introduction of a reading challenge – a competition with a simple format whereby the student who reads the most Spanish books wins – has also helped. Maria, 14, speaks passionately about her experience: "In order to learn a language you really need to immerse yourself in it, so the challenge really did help because you're reading books in Spanish and gaining a huge vocabulary from that." The contest is heavily incentivised, with students winning house points as well as Spanish-themed prizes. "It's also about making things feel prestigious," says Kyle. When students had the opportunity to meet the Peruvian Ambassador, for example, they had to apply in Spanish, showcasing what they knew about Peru and the work of embassies. Having to earn their place on the trip reinforced the value the school attached to it, and it is this sense of the value of languages – and of being multilingual – that comes across when speaking to pupils of different ages. In three years, the Adelante programme has had a huge impact, with GCSE take-up improving dramatically. "For me, the success of the strategy will be seen in increased numbers of students taking Spanish at GCSE and A level, more going on to study Spanish or languages at university, and beyond that, more students going out into the world of work with strong language skills," says Kyle. And while Channing is in a particularly privileged position, elements of the initiative could be brought into schools across the UK to inspire children to learn languages. ENTHUSIASTIC LEARNERS Year 9 students read in the foreign language room of the library