Modern Foreign Languages

Our Approach

We believe in building strong foundations through systematic and explicit teaching of the three pillars of language learning: phonics, vocabulary and grammar. Our carefully structured curriculum ensures students don’t face too much language too fast, allowing them to develop confidence and genuine understanding.

In Years 7 and 8, students focus on mastering the building blocks of language through:

• Clear, paced phonics instruction to develop confident pronunciation and the ability to tackle unfamiliar words
• High-frequency vocabulary (approximately 10 new words per lesson) that provides practical communication skills
• Grammar taught as functional tools for real communication, with one key grammatical concept introduced each week

In Year 9, students consolidate their grammatical knowledge and continue to expand their vocabulary, preparing them for the demands of GCSE study.

What Makes Our Curriculum Special

Our curriculum has been informed by research-based pedagogy, this means:

• Transparent explanations of how language works
• Meaningful practice opportunities that build towards producing unscripted language
• Integrated revisiting and consolidation to ensure knowledge sticks

By the End of KS3

Students will have developed:

• Confidence in understanding and producing key sound-spelling correspondences
• A vocabulary of approximately 360 high-frequency words
• Understanding of essential grammar functions
• An appreciation of other cultures and international values
• The ability to reflect on their own language and make comparisons with the target language

KS4 MFL

Building on the strong foundations established at KS3, our KS4 our curriculum prepares students for success in the Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1).

Our Approach

We continue to develop students’ language skills through the three pillars of phonics, vocabulary and grammar, whilst expanding their ability to communicate independently and confidently about subjects that are meaningful and interesting to them.

Our curriculum is organised around six engaging thematic contexts that are relevant to students’ current and future needs:

• My personal world– family, friends, relationships and equality
• Lifestyle and wellbeing– physical and mental wellbeing, food, drink and sports
• My neighbourhood– places in town, shopping, transport and the natural world
• Media and technology– social media, gaming and environmental issues
• Studying and my future– school and future opportunities including work and travel
• Travel and tourism– music, TV, film, accommodation and tourist attractions

Built on a foundation of inclusivity and accessibility, our course caters to the needs of all students, regardless of their background or ability.

In Years 10 and 11, students build on their KS3 knowledge to:

• Expand their vocabulary to 1200 words at Foundation tier or 1700 words at Higher tier
• Develop confidence in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing
• Communicate about topics that reflect their diverse experiences and interests

Assessment Structure

The qualification consists of four exams assessing separately listening, reading and writing and speaking. All papers are available at Foundation or Higher tier and students must be entered for a single tier across all papers.

Paper 1: Speaking (25% of the qualification)

• Three tasks: read aloud with short interaction, transactional role play and picture description with conversation

Paper 2: Listening and Understanding (25% of the qualification)

• Comprehension questions and dictation task to demonstrate understanding of sound-symbol correspondences

Paper 3: Reading and Understanding (25% of the qualification)

• Comprehension questions and translation from TL into English

Paper 4: Writing (25% of the qualification)

• Open-response questions in formal and informal contexts and translation from English into TL

Beyond GCSE

This qualification offers a suitable progression route to GCE AS and A Level in French or Spanish, developing transferable skills that support higher education study and the transition to employment.