Modern Foreign Languages
Welcome to the MFL Department. We believe that learning a foreign language can help students build confidence with their speaking skills, support literacy through increased understanding of grammar and provide students with a competitive edge with college and careers choices. Most importantly, we believe the ability to learn a language is a crucial skill in today's increasingly international world.
To support this, we also recognise the importance of developing cultural and international understanding. Our themes and topics are rooted in students' own experiences and interests such as sport, leisure time and future careers. At the same time, we introduce them to cultural features of the countries that they are studying.
Our aim is to ensure that learners of all abilities have the opportunity to be open-minded global citizens who can reach their potential. Our pupils will be confident to travel, using the transactional language and cultural understanding that they have developed.
Our pupils will develop problem-solving skills that will enable them to deduce the meaning of something unknown or find another way to express themselves using the knowledge that they have.
Our pupils will be ready for the next step in their language learning journey, should they choose to continue post GCSE.
All of our pupils will leave us having learned not only a new language but with the skills to learn another language of their choice in the future.
Languages Beyond the classroom
We offer a range of extra-curricular activities such as trips, languages clubs, art events and celebration of European Day of Languages further encourage our students to engage with language learning and celebrate culture and diversity.
We have a cultural exchange programme with Freies Christliches Gymnasium, our partner school in Germany. All pupils are invited to join in our joint activities whether that is by taking part in trips or in the in school activities, such as online meetings. Read about our trip to Germany in Sails and Oars.
Your Language Learning Journey at Stockport School
The languages department is in the process of implementing a series of changes to the curriculum.
- Pupils who joined us in September 2021 or after will now sit their GCSE examinations at the end of year 10. This will now allow them a wider option choice when pupils complete the options process in year 9. Our chosen exam board for this cohort is AQA.
- Pupils who joined us in September 2022 or after will be working towards the new GCSE specification for first examination in 2026. Pupils sitting the new style GCSE will also complete this course in year 10. This will also involve a change of exam board to Edexcel.
Languages and Literacy
- Most of our pupils in year 7 and 8 receive 8 hours of languages lessons per fortnight.
- Some of our pupils receive a split of 4 hours of language and 4 hours of literacy support lessons based on pupil need.
Our schemes of work are designed so that all pupils are covering the same topic at the same time and broadly the same grammatical concepts with those at 8 hours studying them to greater depth. Below is the outline of the topics covered. Topics are revisited as part of the learning journey from KS3 to KS4 with developing complexity.
Our Curriculum - redeveloped
The MFL team are working to redevelop the curriculum to support pupils who will sit the current legacy GCSE in year 10 and the new GCSE.
Pupils currently in years 10 and 11 are coming to the end of their GCSE course with AQA and will sit their examinations in 2025. The course covers three key themes:
Theme 1: Family, friends, relationships, free-time, and celebrations.
Theme 2: Where I live and where I travel, and local and global issues including the environment.
Theme 3: Education and future career plans.
The curriculum plans below outline the learning journey taken by our pupils currently in year 7-9. As we redevelop our curriculum model to meet the needs of the new specification, there may be variations. If you have any questions about what your child is currently studying in MFL, please contact their class teacher.
French
German
Spanish
We do not currently teach Spanish in years 7 and 8.
The MFL Team
Lead Practitioner of MFL
Director of Study
Assistant Director of Study
Mr N Pattison (Head of Spanish)
Teachers
Mr D Tipler (French and German)
Mr J Miller (French and German)
Mrs S Lyon (French)
Mrs R Glass (French)
Ms A Jourde (French and Spanish)
Prince's Teaching Institute
The MFL department at Stockport School is linked to the Prince's Teaching Institute and has achieved their Subject Leadership Certificate. This enables us to link with other MFL departments through training opportunities and networking, supporting the development of new ideas and approaches to learning MFL.
The School has been awarded the PTI Mark for Modern Languages