"Modern languages are my favourite subjects. I have studied French for 3 years and started Spanish this year. The activities are always in different styles so you have to be imaginative and it’s really fun."
"The teachers are all nice and easy to talk to but they still teach efficiently and with lots of detail."
Our Languages Faulty is fully committed to our School’s Intent, and we have a particular focus on:
- delivering an aspirational, challenging and academic curriculum;
- developing independent, globally aware learners;
- providing the opportunity for every student to learn a language.
We want every student to experience success in Languages, and for them to appreciate the significance of learning a language and how this can enhance their prospects in the future. We cover a broad range of topics and skills, and students are encouraged to work independently and with their peers to develop their language capabilities. We focus on developing confident linguists who feel comfortable using language unprompted in different situations.
Key Stage 3
Our aims align with the National Curriculum, and we want all students to:
- understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources;
- speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation;
- write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt;
- discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied
The curriculum is carefully structured, so that there are progressive levels of challenge and high expectations in each year. From Year 7, students learn to form sentences and apply grammar rules to express themselves in the target language, while developing their skills in reading, listening, speaking and writing. They will begin to develop their awareness of Spanish or French within the wider world, and to learn about other cultures.
By the end of Year 9, our students will be able to communicate effectively in the target language and have developed a solid foundation of grammar before moving on to their GCSE. They will have a wide vocabulary across a range of topics and continue to be curious about the culture and countries associated with their language of study.
Key Stage 4
Students follow a 2-year course in Year 10 & Year 11, AQA French or Spanish to either Foundation or Higher Tier at GCSE. The exam consists of the following:
- 25% Speaking - a 15 minute test consisting of a pre-prepared role-play and photo card, plus a general conversation on several topic areas.
- 25% Listening - examined at the end of Year 11.
- 25% Reading - (including translation from target language to English) examined at the end of Year 11.
- 25% Writing - At foundation tier students complete a photo description, a 40 word response, a translation from English into the target language, and finally a 90 word response. At higher tier, students complete a 90 word response, a 150 word response, and an extended translation from English into the target language.
Enrichment Opportunities
- Year 7 Flying Theatre
- Year 8 International Day - combining MFL with international business
- Year 9 Trip to Spain or France
- Mentoring Opportunities with other students
Head of Faculty - Mrs J Rogers-Hussey
