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Modern Languages

The Staff Team

The language department consists of four members of staff. We are a dedicated, close knit team which is passionate about languages. Although the teaching, learning and promotion of languages remain our key focus, we are all involved in many other aspects of school life.

Mrs Brocklebank is head of department and is a long-serving member of staff.

Mrs Thomas who has occupied a multitude of senior roles within the school teaches mainly German.

Miss Richmond has been teaching at the school for 15 years. She organises our very successful German exchange which has been a feature of the school for 50 years. In addition to this she is also in charge of our Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award.

Miss Johnston, another long serving member of our school, is also a highly skilled musician. She teaches music and drama in addition to French and German.

Contact details for the Languages Department

The Learning Space

We occupy 4 light and airy rooms in a corridor with 2 other classrooms. Our rooms and the corridor have key language displays as well as examples of best practice. We use up to date technology and resources and encourage students to use the online resources we subscribe to as well. The MFL classroom is a buzz of activity as we encourage students to speak French and German every lesson through well-structured activities, often using both corridor space and sometimes other spaces around the school.

The Curriculum

Curriculum Roadmaps

Click the image for a PDF

Key Stage 3

Students study French and German at KS3

Year 7

French – Greetings and phonics, family and self, town and home, film project.

German – Greetings, numbers, age and birthday, school items, subjects and opinions, time, food and drink at school, family and pets, appearance and character, sports and hobbies, favourite things.

Year 8

French – leisure, school, holidays, festivals, health, film and literature.

German – Town, directions, holidays, on an exchange, daily routine.

Year 9

French – TV and cinema, future plans, education and jobs, volunteering.

German – New technology, music and festivals, TV and cinema, school and future plans.

Key Stage 4

GCSE – AQA examination board

The course aims to develop students’ ability to understand and communicate effectively in the foreign language, acquire language learning skills and develop an understanding of how a language works, as well as encourage enjoyment and provide a basis for further study of French, German and other foreign languages.

The course structure will cover four units:

Unit 1 Listening
Unit 2 Speaking
Unit 3 Reading
Unit 4 Writing

The course content will be:

Theme 1: Identity and culture Me, my family and friends. Technology in everyday life Free time activities Customs and festivals in German/French-speaking countries/communities
Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest Home, town, neighbourhood and region Social issues Global issues Travel and tourism
Theme 3: Current and future study and employment My studies Life at school/college Education post-16

Assessment: All final exams worth 25% GCSE French and German have a Foundation Tier (grades 1–5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4–9). Students must take all four question papers at the same tier. All question papers must be taken in the same series.

Key Stage 5

A level – AQA examination board

The new A2 French and German course has been designed to give a profound understanding of your chosen language and students will not only learn about the mechanics of the language, for example, the grammar and vocabulary, but also how people live and use the language on a day to day basis. Students must obtain the minimum requirement of GCSEs to access an A level course i.e. 7 GCSE grades 4-9 and a grade 6 for their chosen A level language option of French or German. An interest in a range of social, cultural and contemporary topics is important.

Students will study: Current trends: family, cyber society, voluntary work Current Issues: diverse society, life for the marginalised, crime and punishment Political and artistic culture: heritage, music, cinema, teenage and politics, demonstration and strikes, politics and immigration A film and a literary text from the specification

A level Examination details: