Edexcel

 A Level:

 http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/french-2016.html

 http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/german-2016.html

 http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/spanish-2016.html

 Edexcel 

 GCSE: 

 http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/subjects/languages.html

At Farlingaye, we aim to enable our students to communicate in at least one European language in a wide range of authentic situations.  Learning a language is a skill for life and students with a GCSE in French, German and / or Spanish will benefit from increased confidence and problem-solving skills.

We also attach great significance to cultural content, encouraging out students to become tolerant, global citizens.  We are proud to offer A Level in all three languages.

Teaching and Learning Styles

There is varied format for lessons, ranging from full-class teaching to carousel activities and group or 1:1 work with language assistants.

*  In Year 7, students begin studying either French or Spanish (random allocation) and continue with this language until the end of Year 9 or beyond.  Currently, almost the whole Year group begin German in Year 8.

*  Students are taught in tutor groups in Year 7 and mostly in ability groups in Years 8 and 9.

*  GCSE groups may be mixed-ability or arranged by ability depending on the layout of the school timetable and number of groups in any particular year.

Year 7:

Students learn the present tense of regular and irregular verbs and how to give and justify opinions.  They learn the differences between English and other European languages, e.g. masculine and feminine, word order, adjectival agreement.

Years 8 & 9:

Students learn the past and future tenses, how to extract meaning from longer texts and how to communicate with more confidence and sophistication.

Assessment approaches:

Students are generally assessed in one skill each half term, Listening or Listening and Reading, Speaking and Writing.  Students are encouraged to reflect on their own performance in assessments and how to make further progress.

We base our sequence of units and topics across Years 10 and 11 on the Pearson Edexcel course (Studio, Stimmt and Viva).

For full details of our specifications, please follow this link https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses.html

Students are taught how to adapt new languages in order to express their own thoughts with clarity and increasing accuracy in order to help them progress to A Level.

We base our sequence of units and topics across Years 10 and 11 on the Pearson Edexcel course and endorsed resources.  Students learn about current trends and issues in the target cultures, e.g. Music, Festivals and Traditions, the World of Work, the Environment and gain a historical perspective in Year 13, e.g. Divided German, Vichy France, Spanish Civil War.  A film is studied in Year 12 and literary text in Year 13.

For full details of our specifications, please follow this link

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels.html

Higher education institutions view languages as 'facilitating subjects', which provide students with critical-thinking and analytical skills.  A language can be studied with any combination of subjects at university.

Faculty staff give generously of their time and are always available to assist students in small groups at exam time.

The Faculty runs a large number of extra-curricular activities, including annual exchanges to Clermont-Ferrand, Wuerzburg and Seville, a trip to Berlin for Years 11-13 and an Activities Week trip to France or Spain (alternating).  There are also plans for a Year 11 and Sixth Form trip to Paris.

The Team are looking forward to reinstating visits abroad as soon as possible.