Modern Languages
Years 7-9
In Year 7 all of our students study French in four-weekly lessons. They are loosely put into 4 sets in September and this setting is refined by the internal exams at Christmas. Many students come to us from feeder schools, having done very little, if any, French before. In spite of this, it is very common for such students to be brought up to speed and even to be in the top set by January.
In Years 8 and 9 our students take up a second Modern Foreign Language – Spanish. Students study the two languages in three lessons per language per week. For one set, where the students are receiving support for learning difficulties, we make the judgement that the time spent studying a second language is better spent receiving that learning support. These students continue to study French.
Years 10 and 11 (GCSE) AQA Exam Board
All of our students from the first three sets go on to study a Modern Foreign Language at GCSE and may study two languages. The four language skills of speaking, writing, listening and reading are tested. There are terminal exams for reading and listening while greater weighting is given to the testing of writing and speaking which is carried out throughout the two year course by controlled assessment.
A Level – OCR Exam Board
Our students work in small classes, typically receiving tuition from our full-time staff as well as receiving a weekly one to one session with our language assistant who helps them with their oral work, improving their pronunciation, intonation and accuracy.
We have links with a De La Salle school in Rouen as well as one in Barcelona. We encourage study partnerships for sixth form students whereby we help them to team up with a French or Spanish student of the same age, studying English. The aim is for the students to carry out a number of one to one exchanges with their partner throughout the Sixth Form years in order to experience the culture and language they are studying at first hand.
Bilingual students, whose background is French or Spanish, are enabled to sit GCSE and A Level examinations early if it is felt appropriate for them to do so.
