Modern Foreign Languages
The Modern Foreign Language Department is a thriving and successful department, comprising of a Head of Faculty, Spanish Lead and French Lead and three additional members of teaching staff. Each year the department benefits from employing two Foreign Language Assistants to work with A Level and GCSE groups.
We are very proud of our GCSE results in Modern Languages; in 2023 81.5% of our students achieved grades 9-4 in French, 91% in German and 74% in Spanish. This has been achieved as a result of a collaborative approach to planning and a shared vision of the department in terms of teaching and learning. The department works as a team, with the strength being the sharing of resources and support wherever possible.
In Key Stage 3 the department uses the 'Studio' series of text books for French and ‘Viva’ for Spanish. At Key Stage 4, French and Spanish GCSEs are taught using a variety of resources but mainly Active Teach. At Key Stage 5 the department currently offers A Level French and has taught A level Spanish in the past and has the capacity to do so in the future. Key Stage 3 and 4 students have 6 periods per fortnight and Key Stage 5 have 12 periods per fortnight, each of 50 minutes duration.
The Modern Foreign Languages Department occupies several rooms along two corridors which have recently had extensive refurbishment. All rooms are equipped with an Interactive Whiteboard. It is a well resourced department and each member of the department has a laptop computer.
The department is forward looking and determined to improve further, in spite of continued success, especially in light of the changes to the GCSE and A Level specifications
The aim for the department over the next few years is to maintain the high standards already achieved and to focus not only on grades 8-9, but also performance at Key Stage 3 to lead into GCSE.