As the Modern Foreign Languages team it is our desire to enrich student’s lives by becoming better linguists and citizens who are tolerant of other people & other cultures. The importance of learning a language is an integral part of the learning journey of our students.
Within the Modern Foreign Languages team we are fortunate in having a well-qualified and energetic staff, that are firmly committed to mixed -ability teaching. We are very proud of our achievements both in making languages a popular choice of study for all ages and abilities and also for our examination results which exceed results nationally. Many of our students have continued their studies through to A level and a University Degree, whether Single Honours or Joint.
One language is offered from Year 7: Spanish. Our aim is to give students a positive and enjoyable experience of language learning. This is achieved by adopting techniques which encourage real activity and involvement in the classroom. We are delighted to announce our most recent purchase of a digital language laboratory which enables students to practise and perfect their linguistic fluency and pronunciation as well as to create their own video conversations and dialogues. It is our passion to improve listening skills and develop authentic accents, skills which will enable students to cope with real-life situations. The language laboratory also encourages students to be more independent in their learning through the use of online revision websites such as ‘Memrise’ & ‘Quizlet’, as well as access to our school portal & the digital language services we have invested in and which we follow in lessons.
Our Curriculum journey:
We believe our curriculum journey is one of ‘Mastery’ of a language, one which enables students of all abilities to make progress & feel secure:
Different learning styles are addressed equally in our teaching: kinaesthetic, visual, auditory, reading and writing.
Tasks within the classroom are differentiated as well as homework booklets.
Homework is vital to the embedding of the language and is set weekly.
Each unit of study builds on the previous one.
Every module starts with a cultural quiz & includes something topical of a Spanish speaking country.
Each lesson provides the opportunity to revisit material, reuse & extend the language acquired.
Class participation is praised and rewarded whether the answer is right or wrong.
Core language is always highlighted and revisited at the start and end of every lesson.
Qualities of tolerance, understanding, diversity and politeness are encouraged
What does the curriculum look like?
All students follow a language at Key stage 3 (years 7-9): Spanish.
Year 10 & 11 provision includes: Spanish. French only for year 11 students (academic year 2019-20)
Years 13 provision includes: Spanish (academic year 2019-20)
Text Books Spanish:
KS 3: Viva books 1,2,&3 rojo (Pearson) + Digital Activelearn
KS 4: Viva AQA Higher (Pearson) + Digital Activelearn
KS 5: A level AQA Spanish (Oxford) + Digital Kerboodle
Text Books French:
KS 4 : AQA Studio Higher (Pearson) + Digital Activelearn
Extra curricular:
Organised visits abroad have become a regular part of the Modern foreign Languages’ Curriculum as we feel that they are an integral part of language learning.
Last September saw a return trip to Suances, Cantabria in Northern Spain. This was our seventh trip to the region and involved students from years 9, 10 and 11. Our students were able to experience the delights of the Picos de Europa; to step back in time walking along the cobbled streets of Santillana del mar; and to experience the cultural differences of a Spanish school and put their linguistic abilities to the test. We hope this first- hand experience along with much hard work has contributed to our consistent above average GCSE results. This year, summer 2019, 79% of our students attained between Grade 9 – 4, 35% grades 9-7. Many of the year 9 students have chosen to further their Spanish studies through to GCSE.