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Modern Foreign Languages

“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way."   Frank Smith, Psycholinguist

The Modern Foreign Languages department has a dedicated team, working hard to raise the profile of languages. We believe that lessons should be exciting, enjoyable and interactive, whilst allowing students to achieve their full potential. Currently, KS3 students study Spanish and will have the opportunity to continue this at GCSE level. Current KS4 students study GCSE French. We offer trips abroad, and will be taking Year 8 on a Mediterranean Water sports trip to Spain this year. We also hope to offer a trip to France very soon.

KS3

In Year 7, students learn how to talk about themselves, family, hobbies, give opinions and much more. Students will also get to grips with basic Spanish grammar and learn how to use present tense verbs, and will also have the opportunity to learn the future tense. By the end of the year they will be confident conversationalists in Spanish.
In Year 8, students learn language from real-life contexts, such as making and responding to invitations, shopping for food, eating at a restaurant and talking about clothes. Students also have the opportunity to learn about Spanish-speaking countries. Students acquire more grammatical knowledge, by studying the preterite (past tense) and learn how to write more complex texts.

In Year 9, students learn how to talk about their likes and dislikes, illnesses, young peoples’ rights and French-speaking countries. Students will master the past and future tenses, and learn how to use reflexive verbs.
By the end of KS3, our students are more independent learners and have excellent foundations in French/Spanish, and can continue to build on these at GCSE level.

KS4

At KS4 we complete the OCR GCSE course, which we believe offers a broad, enjoyable and worthwhile course of study. The French GCSE is both challenging and rewarding, and favoured by top universities and employers alike. Students study five topic areas: Home and Local Area, Leisure and Entertainment, Education and Work, Travel and the Wider World and Health and Sport.

Students are examined on the four skills areas – Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing – to ensure that candidates are not disadvantaged by performance in any one exam type. There are four controlled assessments, totalling 60%, and only two exams at the end of the course to test listening and reading skills. At the end of the course, students will have a valuable qualification and will also have acquired valuable lifelong skills.