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Languages

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“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart” Nelson Mandela.

Languages are increasingly important in the business world and globalised society. Studying languages enables us to communicate effectively with people from around the world. In addition, it opens doors to new cultures and experiences.

We look to develop students’ confidence in a range of transferable skills, along with reinforcing high standards of literacy, in order to provide the skills that will help them be successful in any professional field.

Our students will gain a cultural understanding of the target language countries. This is achieved through a range of topics, film, food, festivals and opportunities to go on a residential trip abroad. Students learn how to communicate effectively in a range of tenses, in addition to debating skills, both for everyday purposes as well as to discuss global and moral issues.

Through studying grammar in another language, along with translation, students will benefit from an improved understanding of English. They also gain skills of inferring information, gauging mood and tone, and understanding a variety of texts both factual and fictional. This will help link to other subjects too and improve all-round confidence in speaking, encouraging them to be open-minded individuals and citizens of the world who respect and appreciate different cultures, and can profit from a variety of opportunities for future career paths.

Students have the opportunity to study the following languages:

• Year 7. All students study French
• Year 8. All students study French and Spanish
• Year 9. Students continue to study either French or Spanish or both
• Year 10 & Year 11. Students can choose to study either French, Spanish or German (fast-track) at GCSE. Opportunity to take a GCSE in Home Languages (including Italian, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese)
• Year 12 & Year 13. Students can choose between French, German and Spanish A Levels

Extra-curricular opportunities
Students have several opportunities to go on a residential trip to either France, Spain or Germany. This includes visits to the Loire Valley for KS3 and 4 French students, Granada for KS3 Spanish students and Berlin for A Level German students. As a result, students can benefit from experiencing the culture, as well as improving their linguistic skills. Furthermore, we encourage pupils to foster a love of languages, by taking part in a range of cultural events and celebrations of the target language countries. Throughout the year, there are several events for students to get involved with, from the European Day of Languages Bake Off, Día de los Muertos mask designing competition and the Foreign Language Christmas card competition to name but a few.
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Subjects

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Religious Education
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