Faculty: Modern Foreign Languages
Head of Faculty: Mr K O’Rouke
Vision
Our vision is that students at Hawkley Hall High School will become articulate, confident and skilled linguists to the best of their ability and that they will develop a love for language and respect other cultures.
Intent
The MFL curriculum at Hawkley Hall High School allows all students to learn a foreign language and another culture irrespective of their ability or starting point. We believe the study of a modern foreign language opens new doors, broadens the mind, develops cultural knowledge and understanding and fosters and helps to develop many other useful transferable skills such as communication, listening skills, presentation skills, problem solving and creativity. We also believe that learning a language develops confidence and helps you grow as a person and allows individuals to become more open-minded global citizens
Our aim is to encourage students to have a desire for learning a foreign language as an opening to other cultures and opportunities, such as travel, further education and employment prospects. Our curriculum allows students to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond, both in speech and in writing. It provides opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, to think creatively and read a variety of texts. Our intention is to build the foundations for learning to language learning to the next step and the next level, giving students to the platform to take their language learning further into continued study and the workplace.
Learning Journey
Curriculum Description
Throughout Key Stage 3 students are taught Spanish in ability sets. They have Spanish lessons twice each week. Home learning tasks are usually set weekly. Four assessments are completed with sets 1 and 2 every term to track and monitor the progress of students in Spanish, whereas 3 assessments are completed with set 3 every term and 2 assessments with set 4 every term. Feedback is provided to students in terms of the skills they are working towards or have mastered. Targets for further improvement are then shared with students.
At Key Stage 4 Spanish is a subject that is taught as a GCSE option and is a subject that is counted towards the English Baccalaureate. Students that opt to take Spanish in Key Stage 4 have 3 hours a week in Year 10 and 2 hours a week in Year 11 and are working towards one GCSE qualification. They follow the AQA GCSE specification (8698) and will be awarded a grade 1-9 following their GCSE examinations in the summer of Year 11. Year 11 are presently the last cohort to follow the old specification AQA Spanish (4695) Assessments to track progress are set regularly throughout each half term. With feedback being related to GCSE criteria to highlight areas of strength and development throughout the course.
Throughout their time at Hawkley Hall, students are taught the following key skills:
- Listening: Understand and respond to different types of spoken language.
- Speaking: Communicate and interact in speech.
- Reading: Understand and respond to different types of written language
- Writing: Communicate in writing
Overview of the Modern Foreign Languages Curriculum
The topics students cover throughout Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 are outlined in the table below:
| Year | Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
| 7 | Myself and family | School and subjects | Free time activities | House and Home | Town and types of towns | Grammar, reading and topic focus |
| 8 | Holidays | Barcelona | Food | Fashion and special occasions | My life | Grammar, reading and topic focus |
| 9 | Technology | Healthy lifestyles | School / education | Work and future plans | Latin American countries | Grammar, reading and topic focus |
| 10 | Me, my family and friends | My studies | Social issues | Customs and festivals in Spanish-speaking countries | Travel and tourismEducation post-16 | Me, my family and friendsMarriage/ partnership |
| 11 | Global issues
The environment |
Career choices and ambitions | Technology in Everyday Life | Global issuesPoverty/ homelessness | Revision and preparation for assessment | Revision and preparation for assessmentGCSE exams |
GCSE Exam Board Specifiction
The specification code for GCSE Spanish is AQA GCSE Spanish 8698. Click here to view the GCSE specification
Additional Information
The faculty offers extra help and support with help with homework available at lunchtimes. Key Stage 4 intervention sessions also take place Monday lunchtime and Tuesday lunchtime and Wednesday and Friday after school. Revision sessions also take place during the February half term holidays and during the Easter Holidays. The faculty also runs a trip to Spain visiting Barcelona and the surrounding region.