• To enable students to be able to communicate in a foreign language, gaining competency, knowledge and a broad skillset as well as awareness of our diverse society. 
• To develop confident language learners, able to thrive in the modern world.
• To engage students in languages through a broad and balanced curriculum, empowering students via the four skills of language: writing, reading, speaking and listening.
• To appreciate literature, culture, grammar and the syntax of language, building up their own expressive skills in the foreign language.

 

In order to be successful, we consider the following aspects:

• Providing time to learn a range of grammatical tenses in the context of linked themes to build a progressive skillset
• Teaching for mastery enabling all students including SEND to achieve potential whilst providing challenge for more able
• A curriculum structured around retrieval practice, spaced repetition and interleaving, revisiting vocabulary and grammar structures in order to secure long term retention including weekly low stakes testing
• Providing as much exposure as possible to complex language from year 7, focusing on accuracy in spoken and written French and Spanish allowing for responsive teaching where skills and knowledge are inextricably linked
• Embedding positive learning habits and promoting curiosity based on respect for other cultures.

MFL at Duston encourages deeper thinking, thorough practise and cultural awareness, as well as drawing upon grammar, language and comprehension skills.

 

Students study the Edexcel Specification for French and Spanish at GCSE level, taking four exams in total at the end of Year 11.

Students will either be entered for the Foundation or Higher paper in all four exams. 

Paper 1 Listening - Foundation: 30 minutes

                                  Higher: 40 minutes

 

Paper 2 Speaking – Foundation: between 7-9 minutes

                                   Higher: between 10-12 minutes Paper 3 Reading - Foundation: 45 minutes

                                 Higher: 1 hour

 

Paper 4 Writing - Foundation: 1 hour 10 minutes

                                Higher: 1 hour 20 minutes                     

 

The total marks from these four papers will be used to calculate the overall GCSE grade. 

All four exam papers are evenly weighted.