Languages
Team Leader - Mrs C. Hibberd
The teaching of Languages at Northampton School for Boys is outstanding and the Team is staffed by very enthusiastic, experienced linguists. We devise our own Schemes of Work designed to make language learning enjoyable and engaging, whilst developing a strong linguistic foundation in knowledge of grammar. We carry out projects including researching areas and traditions of the French, Spanish and German speaking worlds, film analysis and story writing alongside the traditional topic areas of Home and Town, Family, Hobbies and Healthy Living.
Students study one of the three languages on offer from Year 7 through to Year 11. This gives them the confidence, strategies and tuition they need to excel in their Modern Language learning. In Years 7- 10, students will be timetabled with three lessons per week, and four lessons per week in Year 11.
The vocabulary for all lessons in Year 7-11 is prepared in booklets, so students can refer to this for accurate spellings and vocab learning for weekly tests. This is also accessible online through Quizlet. The Languages Team uses regular practice of all four skills and we emphasise Speaking as the core skill to provide a platform into developing Writing skills.
Assessments and Schemes of Work
Pathways are set in Year 7 and all students are given information on how to attain their minimum attainment grade in each year. All assessments will be graded using the pathway system.
The VLE has all schemes of work, assessment skills and strategies, vocabulary, Home Learning information and exam specifications. Both GCSE and A level are examined using AQA specifications which can be found here: Please Click Here
Home Learning and Assessment
Assessments will take place each term and all four skills will be assessed at several points through the year to represent the 25% split in the skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing.
Every week boys will receive either a learning task (based on the vocabulary booklets) which will be tested in class with scores recorded, and from Year 9 onwards also an extended writing/speaking task to prepare which will be marked with feedback provided. This will mean that they receive one revision based home-learning task and one writing based home-learning task roughly per fortnight. Regular marking and target setting in class will also mean that feedback is specialised to your son and help sessions are offered where needed.
For further suggestions on how long your son should spend on their Home learning, please contact chibberd@nsb.northants.sch.uk.
Encouraging Literacy and Wider Reading
The Department has offered a number of trips to foreign films and theatre and the library houses magazines, foreign newspapers and a range of accessible books for all age groups in French, Spanish and German.
All students can receive the Mary Glasgow student Languages Magazines through school.
In addition, there are also catch up and revision sessions available with staff and with the department as a whole on Tuesday in 2020/21.
EAL and World/Home and Wider Reading
The Languages Department actively encourages those who speak a Language other than English at home to extend their knowledge and, if sufficiently accurate in written and spoken use of the language, to seek accreditation for this. We will actively support entry for GCSE or A-level in these languages – please do get in touch with us. Contact the department co-ordinator for EAL. Teachers can be contacted via the school office for their attention. Please e-mail: nsb@nsb.northants.sch.uk
We have recently supported Italian, German, Polish, Urdu and Turkish speaking students to gain qualifications.
Please contact the school if you would like to find out more about the curriculum.
Languages Team
| Mrs C. Hibberd | Curriculum Team Leader | German & French |
| Mr F. Charidine | French & Spanish | |
| Mr R. Deserces | French & Spanish | |
| Mrs L. Edwards | Spanish | |
| Ms H. Rickaby | French & Spanish | |
| Mrs M. Askew | French | |
| Miss C. Prats Tellez | French & Spanish | |
| Miss C. Harvey | ||
