Modern Foreign Languages

Main strengths:

• Good teaching from a strong team

• Excellent lessons in citizenship and geography taught in a foreign language

• Effective planning that supports lower attainers well

• A good range of carefully prepared resources

• Strong and firmly committed leadership

Commentary

64. The school provides its students with a wide choice of languages. These include French, German and Spanish, with Russian or Japanese for some students in Years 10 and 11. Overall results in 2002 for most Language groups at GCSE were broadly consistent with national averages. Results in Spanish were good, with students reaching standards higher than in their other school subjects. In French, boys gained significantly more A* to C grades than is usually the case.

Standards of achievement in Russian or Japanese show good achievement in a short space of time. In some year 10 lessons, where citizenship is taught in French or Spanish, students make excellent progress. This is a result of highly innovative and skilled teaching using excellent resources such as the day’s early morning TV news, video clips and photographs from contemporary sources.

66. There is excellent teaching in lessons in Year 7 where geography is taught in French. Very effective planning, careful presentation and a range of practice of new language enable students of all levels of ability to achieve well. Homework is carefully marked and used well to reinforce learning. Clear objectives are set and lessons are planned in detail.

67. The Head of department leads and manages the languages team very well. The manager of the language college gives very effective support. There is clear vision, firm direction and a good grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the school’s complex language provision.

European and community languages

The school has been a specialist school since 1997 and the quality of the work seen and documented is a key strength to the school.

Overall the quality of provision is very good.

Main Strengths:

• Very good range of languages available in the school, including Russian and Japanese.

• Excellent work with primary schools

• Very good teaching of citizenship through the medium of French and Spanish.

• Strong and enthusiastic leadership

• Excellent teaching of geography through the medium of French

• Vocational courses with languages content in Years 10 and 11

Commentary

68. There is a very good range of languages offered to students. All students study two languages in Years 7 to 9 and there are express groups for French and Spanish. Students benefit from a choice of a very good range of languages. In year 10, the range of languages offered for higher attaining students is further enhanced by Japanese and Russian. Both are very well taught and students make very good progress. In addition these students are taught citizenship through the medium of French or Spanish. In these lessons, they deal confidently with subjects such as racism and benefit from high quality innovatory teaching.

70. The community work of the specialist school is a particular strength. The school works very well with its partner primary schools by providing extra master classes for gifted and talented students from primary schools. The progress these students make is very impressive and their enthusiasm and enjoyment of language learning is very clear, particularly when trying to say Spanish tongue twisters or talking about themselves in Catalan. They also make a very good start to learning Russian.

73. There is an impressive range of extra-curricular activities and trips organised for all age groups in the school. These motivate students and help them to understand the purpose of learning a foreign language.

74. The quality of leadership of the school’s specialist status is very good; the manager is very creative, enthusiastic and committed to the success of the school.