Modern Foreign Languages

The Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) department is based on the top floor of the main building and all classrooms benefit from recent renovations to create a fantastic learning environment with beautiful views to match.

The MFL teachers are passionate about languages and aim to help students develop a love and curiosity for other languages and cultures whilst equipping them with a wide range of skills to be successful citizens of the future. We believe that language development is an important skill for everyone.

Teaching and Learning

In Year 7, students will either study Spanish or French, in a roughly equal split. The Scheme of Work is tailored to be able to prepare students to meet the demands of the GCSE. The Viva books (Spanish) and Studio books (French) and associated multimedia packages are used to support listening and reading practice in lessons. Students have 6 lessons a fortnight.

In Year 8, there are two dual linguist groups for the top performing students based on all the Year 7 assessment and classroom data. These students are given the opportunity to study the other language that they didn’t start in Year 7. All other Year 8 students continue with the language they began in Year 7.

In Year 10, single language students have the option of continuing that language for the two year GCSE course and dual linguists can opt to take one or both of the languages they have learnt since Year 8.

In KS3 language lessons, students study a wide range of language points and topics, including holidays, local area and free time. Some lesson time is also dedicated to teaching listening and reading skills as well as writing and speaking.  An approach to learning is used involving a variety of techniques and resources. The emphasis is on using French and Spanish as a means of communication as much as possible. An emphasis on the use of spontaneous speaking is being developed successfully across the key stages in order to cater for the changes in the GCSE specification where a more rigorous approach to language learning is promoted.

In the sixth form, students can choose to study Spanish and/or French A levels. The A level course builds on students’ knowledge and understanding in the topics covered at GCSE but also introduces more complex language structures and there is a higher emphasis on fluency. Students study a wide range of current affairs topics, whilst also studying a book and a film in the target language.

Additional Information

We encourage students to be immersed in as much of the target language as is possible outside school – Memrise, Quizlet, BBC Languages, YouTube, Spanish/French music on Spotify, TV stations on the internet and don’t forget to download Duolingo on your phones to practice vocabulary! We have subscriptions to interactive language sites such as Kerboodle that students enjoy.

Study Visits

Barcelona Language and Culture trip for Year 7

Paris Language and Culture trip for Year 7

Benalmádena cultural visit for Year 10+

Salamanca Language and Culture trip for Year 12 and 13

Montpellier cultural visit for Year 10+

Teaching staff