Modern Foreign Languages

Head of Subject: Mrs S. Mainwaring

Subject overview:

The importance of speaking more than just one language is ever-increasing. In the Languages Faculty, we encourage students to develop the skills and confidence to communicate and interact with others in a variety of languages as well as supporting students to understand other countries and cultures so that they can be more adaptable to new experiences.

Students beginning in Y7 may be allocated French, German or Spanish as their first Language. They will continue with this language until the end of Y8 and usually take this for GCSE. In Y8, the majority of students also have the opportunity to pick up a second language in addition to their first. The same curriculum structure is used across all three Languages.

The department also provides a variety of cultural and educational visits, including a German exchange and a French cultural visit to Normandy.

Year 7:

Term 1: Who am I?

• Personal Information (name, age, family, pets)
• Where do I live?
• Describing the local area. Comparison with Target Language (TL) country

Term 2: What do I like doing? What am I good at?

• School (subjects, school systems, opinions)
• Free time (hobbies, sports)

Term 3: What’s my style?

• Clothes (school uniform, style, shopping)
• Future Plans

Year 8:

Term 1: What do I like to eat and drink?

• Food and Drink (healthy eating, cafés, giving opinions, typical TL dishes)

Term 2: What do I watch and read?

• TV, films, books (describing characters, plot, giving opinions, TL films/books)

Term 3: What is my house like?

• House and Home (rooms, activities, prepositions). Comparison with TL country.

Key Stage 4:

Pearson Edexcel GCSE French
Pearson Edexcel GCSE German
Pearson Edexcel GCSE Spanish
click here for Key Stage 4 course details and guidance

Post-16:

AQA A-level French
AQA A-level German
AQA A-level Spanish
click here for post-16 (sixth form) courses and information