Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)

KS4 Exam Board: AQA

At Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy, MFL is important because:

• it enables pupils to communicate with confidence in another language and to develop curiosity about the wider world;
• it broadens pupils' cultural understanding of France and Spain and the wider French and Spanish-speaking world, helping them become open-minded global citizens;
• it strengthens literacy, memory, problem-solving and communication skills that support pupils across the wider curriculum and beyond school.

Curriculum

Our curriculum is designed to:

• Build pupils' knowledge of vocabulary, phonics and grammar progressively from Year 7 to GCSE;
• Develop the four key language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing through regular retrieval, modelling and structured practice;
• Prepare pupils for GCSE success while also giving them the confidence and foundations needed for further language study at KS5 and beyond.

In MFL, we deliver the curriculum through:

• Teaching MFL is different because pupils are learning to communicate in another language while also developing cultural awareness, confidence and resilience. Lessons combine vocabulary, grammar, phonics, listening, speaking, reading and writing, with regular retrieval practice and opportunities for pupils to use language creatively and independently.
• A carefully sequenced programme of study where vocabulary, grammar and phonics are introduced, revisited and applied in different contexts over time;
• A balance of teacher modelling, sentence builders, retrieval practice, independent practice, pair work and extended written and spoken responses.

Curriculum Overview

Assessment

• Low-stakes retrieval activities, mini whiteboard work, vocabulary checks and spaced retrieval tests are used to check knowledge over time.
• Formative assessment takes place through live marking, questioning, peer/self-assessment, targeted feedback and SIR marking tasks.
• Summative assessments assess listening, speaking, reading, writing, translation, vocabulary and grammar at key points during the year.
• At KS4, pupils complete GCSE-style practice tasks and assessments linked to the demands of the final examination.

GCSE Assessment

GCSE French and GCSE Spanish is assessed through four components: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.

Each component is worth 25% of the GCSE qualification.

Students are entered for either Foundation tier or Higher tier and must sit the same tier across all four skills.

We know our curriculum is successful when:

• Pupils can understand and respond to spoken and written French/Spanish with increasing confidence and independence.
• Pupils can communicate their own ideas in French/Spanish using accurate vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and a range of time frames.
• Pupils can make links between topics and apply previously learned language in new contexts.
• Pupils develop cultural awareness, confidence and ambition, including the option to continue French/Spanish at A-level or use languages in future study, travel and employment.

Revision

KS3 Dynamo French KS3

KS3 Viva Spanish

AQA GCSE Spanish Higher: AQA Approved GCSE Spanish Higher Student Book

AQA Approved GCSE French Higher Student Book