Modern Foreign Languages
Modern Foreign Languages are more than useful; they are the glue that holds global relationships together. All other areas of the curriculum benefit from being studied alongside one or more MFLs, in a global context, so their reach widens. A European MFL qualification gives ALL university and employment applications an edge. Two or more and the world is our oyster. CRGS MFL teachers have this ingrained in our psyche: we create a purposeful and respectful environment wherein staff enjoy teaching, so they give of their very best and students feel safe to take risks, make mistakes and love learning language, so they become international citizens with a multicultural linguistic mindset.
Department Team
• Dr M Alhambra Díaz - i/c Spanish, Teacher of Spanish & French
• Mr E Baratta - Teacher of French (and Italian)
• Dr A Hartford - Head of German, Teacher of French & German
• Mrs S Holmes - Teacher of German and French
• Mrs K Livingston - Head of MFL, Teacher of French
• Mrs L Sinfield - Teacher of French & German, (SCITT mentor)
• Mrs F Townsend - Teacher of French, Assistant Lead Subject Mentor, SCITT, Time for subject Specialism work, Head of Y7
Curriculum at a Glance
FRENCH
KS3 French
In Years 7-9, all students study from the Vif! course, a vibrant and diverse course which prepares students well for the next stage of learning and helps to enthuse them with francophone knowledge and culture as well as grounding them securely in the language. In Year 8, there are 4 mixed ability (tutor) groups of 32 students for 5 or 4 periods per week. In Year 9 we move to setting in 2 streams with an upper (28-32 students) and lower group (18-24 students) in each stream and one Y9 group being taught in a form group. Students know their level thanks to our level descriptors in each skill, akin to GCSE grade descriptors, which their assessments relate to.
KS4 French
French is a thriving subject at CRGS where students enjoy their learning and enthusiastically participate in a number of enrichment opportunities outside of the classroom. Students study the AQA French GCSE GCSE French 8658 | Specification | AQA which prepares them well for A level studies and to communicate in francophone countries, as well as enthusing them with a love of varied cultures. All benefit from 2 streams of teaching, with two upper groups (28-32 students) and one or two lower groups (16-24 students) in each.
KS5 French
A level French is popular and enjoyed at CRGS with students studying the AQA French A level A-level French 7652 | Specification | AQA. CRGS more commonly has 1 reasonable-sized group of 10-20 students. Where the group is on the larger size, we can split it in Year 13 to focus more individually on speaking, allowing a more comfortable approach to practising the required skills. This is usually rewarded with confident students who tackle the speaking exam with full support and develop outstandingly original themes and discussions. Students thrive in their French studies, enjoying the film Au Revoir Les Enfants and the novel L’Etranger by Camus, as well as visits to the “institut français” in London to support this learning. The Swiss Exchange with a Geneva collège, which has been running for 19 years, also enriches students’ learning and offers a unique opportunity for personal development and understanding of other cultures.
Enrichment & Support
The MFL Show takes place in the Summer Term and students enthusiastically take part from across the year groups. They showcase their confidence in use of language and public speaking in different languages. Parents and carers enjoy attending to see their development and love of diverse culture and language.
The MFL Journal is an excellent addition to the enrichment programme. It was created by and is run by Sixth Form students, with students across the year groups participating, delighting in seeing their written word published in a foreign language and available for the school community to read.
MFL competitions: Many competitions take place across the year groups and languages, and our students are very often successful. We have had champions in Spelling Bees, Translation Bees, and in the Anthea Bell Translation Prize. We also take part in the National Language Competition and the Linguistics Olympiad, where students have succeeded in achieving Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates.
French Visits
• A new Year 9 summer term excursion to France is work in progress
• Year 9 and Year 10 Exchange to Lyon
• Sixth Form Exchange to Geneva
• Sixth Form BFI conferences or remote sessions
• Sixth Form visit to the French Institute, Kensington
French Clubs
• Sixth Form film club is work in progress
• KS3&4 mentoring club
• GCSE improve your grade club
• Oxbridge Preparation
• A* at A level club and A level improve your grade club
• Modern Languages and Linguistics club for the Sixth Form
French Curriculum Documents
Understanding French at KS3
Understanding French at KS4
Understanding French at KS5
Understanding French at KS3 (Cultural Capital)
Understanding French at KS4 (Cultural Capital)
GERMAN
Years 8/9 German
2-3 groups in Year 8 (depending on uptake) of mixed ability, at least 1 of 32 students, 2 periods per week. The same groups follow through to Year 9, 4 periods per week
KS4 German
Usually 1 group (depending on uptake) of 12-25 students, mixed ability, 4 periods per week
KS5 German
Usually, 1 mixed ability group of 2-15 students in each year, 8 periods per week in Year 12, 10 per week in Year 13.
Enrichment & Support
The MFL Show takes place in the Summer Term and students enthusiastically take part from across the year groups. They showcase their confidence in use of language and public speaking in different languages. Parents and carers enjoy attending to see their development and love of diverse culture and language.
The MFL Journal is an excellent addition to the enrichment programme. It was created by and is run by Sixth Form students, with students across the year groups participating, delighting in seeing their written word published in a foreign language and available for the school community to read.
MFL competitions: Many competitions take place across the year groups and languages, and our students are very often successful. We have had champions in Spelling Bees, Translation Bees, and in the Anthea Bell Translation Prize. We also take part in the National Language Competition and the Linguistics Olympiad, where students have succeeded in achieving Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates.
German Visits
• Year 8 Summer or Christmas Markets trip to Cologne / Aachen
• German Exchange to Weinheim (KS3-5)
• Years 12/13 film conference
German Clubs
• Lower School German club
• GCSE revision
• One-on-one mentoring
• Oxbridge preparation
• Modern Languages and Linguistics club for the Sixth Form
German Curriculum Documents
Understanding German at KS3
Understanding German at KS4
Understanding German at KS5
Understanding German at KS3 (Cultural Capital)
Understanding German at KS4 (Cultural Capital)
SPANISH
KS4 Spanish
Spanish is taught ab initio as an extra-curricular GCSE with 1 hour after school and 2 half hours at lunchtimes in Year 10 and 1 timetabled lesson and 1 after school lesson in Year 11. There is usually one mixed ability group of between 5-20 students. We study the AQA Spanish GCSE course (8692) following the OUP textbook which prepares them well for A level and to communicate in Spanish-speaking countries, as well as enthusing them with a love of their different cultures. Students enjoy the course and have performed very well in examinations as well as participating in various enrichment opportunities outside the classroom.
KS5 Spanish
A level Spanish is popular at CRGS with students studying the AQA Spanish A level course. There is usually one mixed-ability group of between 8-12 students per year, which means students have plenty of opportunities to practise their spoken Spanish in classroom discussions and debates, allowing them to develop into confident speakers with excellent knowledge of current affairs and the culture and history of the Spanish-speaking world. Students also enjoy studying and analysing the film Volver by Pedro Almodóvar and the short novel Crónica de una muerte anunciada (Chronicle of a Death Foretold) by Gabriel García Márquez and they are given different opportunities for enrichment, such as our yearly visit to the British Film Institute for their course on Almodóvar or to museums such as the National Gallery and Tate Modern to look at Hispanic art. Depending on numbers, we have also organised trips to Spain to allow students to immerse themselves in the language and culture, such as our trip to Granada in 2023.
Enrichment & Support
The MFL Show takes place in the Summer Term and students enthusiastically take part from across the year groups. They showcase their confidence in use of language and public speaking in different languages. Parents and carers enjoy attending to see their development and love of diverse culture and language.
The MFL Journal is an excellent addition to the enrichment programme. It was created by and is run by Sixth Form students, with students across the year groups participating, delighting in seeing their written word published in a foreign language and available for the school community to read.
MFL competitions: Many competitions take place across the year groups and languages, and our students are very often successful. We have had champions in Spelling Bees, Translation Bees, and in the Anthea Bell Translation Prize. We also take part in the National Language Competition and the Linguistics Olympiad, where students have succeeded in achieving Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates.
Spanish Visits
• Trips to Spain open to students from Years 10, 11, 12 and 13. There have been trips in the past to Salamanca and Granada and we are in the process of organising a trip to Madrid.
• Yearly visit to the British Film Institute for their course on Pedro Almodóvar, usually combined with a visit to a London gallery to look at Hispanic art.
Spanish Clubs
• Oxbridge prep
• Mentoring
• Modern Languages and Linguistics club for the Sixth Form
• We are in the process on organising a Spanish club for KS3 students
Spanish Curriculum Documents
Understanding Spanish at KS5
Understadning Spanish at KS4 (Cultural Capital)
