Modern foriegn languages
learning journey & curriculum

french learning journey 12 13.pdf

spanish learning journey 12 13.pdf

mandarin learning journey 7 11.pdf

We feel passionate about languages and the opportunities they offer to truly develop students, provide enriching experiences and open doors to transform lives.

From the start of Year 7, we encourage students to build on their foundational knowledge of language(s) and talk like a linguist – they are expected to use subject-specific vocabulary like pronoun, infinitive and conjugation. We ask them to think like a linguist, considering concepts such as the gender and number of nouns and the careful structural order of words in a sentence, to develop the skills of a linguist, which allows students to unpick their own language and deepen their understanding of word families, etymology and structure and write like a linguist.

As students move through the key stages, they are introduced to different time frames and tenses and learn, revisit and expand a wide variety of vocabulary, allowing them to discuss, argue, justify and challenge different themes. Students tackle topics such as healthy lifestyles, future ambitions and cultural differences between countries in the target language.

Beyond the syntax itself, learning languages is a vehicle for expanding cultural awareness and developing new ways of thinking. It fosters students’ curiosity and deepens their understanding of the world and its citizens. Students are immersed in a new culture, promoting wider cultural understanding and celebrating diversity. Students develop communication and interpersonal skills, empowering them, as adults of the future, to navigate an increasingly diverse global community. Developing knowledge, proficiency and mastery in languages creates opportunities for students, inspiring futures and unparalleled experiences such as studying, living and working abroad.

Languages at Cleeve School are inherently ambitious. We offer an ambitious diet of languages for students, with students of Year 7 beginning their language-learning with us on one of two pathways: either on the nationally-recognised Mandarin Excellence Programme, an intensive study programme in Mandarin Chinese, or with an equally ambitious two European languages (French and Spanish). Throughout students’ time at Cleeve School we endeavour to broaden and enrich even further beyond these horizons with further opportunities where possible like the experience of Polish or Latin at GCSE level.

Each lesson within languages is ambitious. Students use an impressive array of vocabulary and subject-specific terminology such as pronouns, infinitives and participles. We embed skills for further study throughout our Key Stage 3 curriculum so that students are exposed to challenge and are given regular opportunities to develop confidence and demonstrate mastery and fluency.

Our curriculum is inclusive, providing breadth and opportunity for all students. From the opportunities themselves, such as specific pathways like the Mandarin Excellence Programme and dual and single linguist from Year 8, to the content we cover in lessons.

We offer opportunities that traditionally are only offered to the few, such as learning Mandarin, studying more than one language at the same time, learning Latin, studying a foreign film or text, and bring this to the forefront as an opportunity for all.

We bring the authentic experience of communicating with a native speaker to students, with the deployment of speakers and foreign language assistants throughout Key Stages 4 and 5, as well as increasingly at Key Stage 3.We believe each student should see themselves reflected in the curriculum. We study all aspects of culture and cover the study of a wide range of countries and regions through our studied languages.

We believe all students should have access to resources to support their studies so we go beyond the Knowledge Goal booklets and provide each and every student with an additional vocabulary booklet for each year of their studies, as well as interactive resources to access both in and outside of school.

The curriculum within languages is sequenced so that students continually revisit topics, grammatical points and concepts, adding layers of detail and deepening understanding. In Year 7 for example, students are introduced to the present tense across a whole module, which is revisited with further irregular verbs in Years 8 and 9, studied in greater depth at GCSE level and still a core part of the knowledge and study at A Level.

At Key Stage 3, GCSE-level concepts and skills are embedded throughout the curriculum, allowing students to become fully familiar with the types of tasks and skills that will be assessed in Year 11. For example, Year 7 students practise reading a previously unseen piece of text aloud, demonstrating a clear grasp of phonics, and respond in a role play, which both feature in the KS4 exams and challenge students mastery of the language.

Throughout Key Stages 3 and 4 students develop their understanding of grammatical structures before beginning specific grammar-focused lessons in Year 12, building to translation lessons in Year 13, allowing students to master translational skills.