Overviews of courses
Quick links: KS3 KS4 KS5 PLTS (Personal Learning & Thinking Skills)
The purpose of these overviews is to give students and parents a clear understanding of the content, progress and expectations for the core task assessments in each skill, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. All students will be required to attach a copy of the overviews to their exercise books at the start of each unit.
For Key Stage 3 there are 6 units per course per year which roughly correspond to the half-terms.
Depending on the date for Easter, Units 4 may overlap with the first half-term of the Summer term. Key Stage 4 programmes of study vary slightly according to the language and materials used.
The downloads are in word format and you may be required to enable macros (if prompted) so that the page layout is correct.
- KS3 general information sheets
- Schedule of Modules and Units for KS3 term by term
- For a curriculum maps for an individual course, click on icon by the course title.
KS4 German
KS4 French
KS4 Spanish
KEY STAGE 3
Course Aims:
By Year 9 pupils should know what is involved in learning a language and have a range of strategies and skills for collecting or researching new language from the sources they meet. They should be able to engage with native speakers, writers and texts of various kinds for purposes of real communication, to extract real information, or to read, listen or view for their own enjoyment.
- Parents wishing to know more about the courses offered can get up-to-date information on our website at http://www.sbslangs.org.uk/.
- Students will be able to experience another European language during the summer term during one of their 3 allocated MFL weekly lessons. The object of this is to improve their language learning strategies and cognitive linguistic skills.
- A half-termly leaflet detailing the course-content is issued to each student and can also be downloaded from the website; click on “Key Stage 3 Overviews” on the navigation bar on the left-hand side.
Skills Required and Course Content:
|
Year 7 |
French |
Meeting & greeting |
School & school objects |
Counting / Birthdays |
|
Classroom vocabulary |
Colours |
France: History and geography |
Family & animals |
Presenting yourself and physical description |
|
Where you live |
House & home |
What you do in the evening |
Telling the time |
The French-speaking world |
|
In town |
Asking & giving directions |
Expressing opinions |
Ordering food and drinks |
Paris |
|
Daily routine |
School subjects |
Giving reasons |
After school |
How schools work in France |
|
Sport & games |
Musical instruments |
Hobbies & pass-times |
At the leisure centre |
Holidays |
|
Years 8 German / Spanish First year of study |
As for Year 7 French with reference to German / Spanish speaking countries and cultures |
|
Year 8 Second year |
French |
Talking about yourself |
Describing past events |
Saying where you have been |
|
Describing your routine |
Social activities |
Entertainment (Cinema) |
Family & friends |
What you like doing |
|
Parts of the body |
Illness & medical problems |
Food & shopping |
Invitations |
Paris& the metro |
|
Use of the past tense |
What you would like to do |
Accommodation |
Instructions |
Where you have been & what you have done |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year 9 Second year |
German / Spanish |
Personal information |
Weather |
School |
|
Saying what you did yesterday |
Telling the time |
Holidays & Transport |
Buying tickets |
Lost & found |
|
Writing a holiday postcard |
Parts of the body & health |
At the doctors & keeping fit |
Daily routine |
Describing a busy week |
|
Breakfast |
Opinions about food |
At the market |
Spending & saving |
Family |
|
Describing a journey |
Holidayplanning |
Directions |
Invitations |
Clothes |
|
Birthdays |
TV preferences |
Saying what you would like to do |
|
|
|
Year 9 |
French |
Discovering France |
Describing a town |
Your town |
|
Families & home |
Making requests |
Preparations for a party |
Talking about relationships with people |
Using the past and future tenses |
|
Perfect & imperfect tenses |
Keeping fit & healthy eating |
Imperatives / how to give advice |
Clothes & fashion |
Talking about music |
|
Understanding the news |
Talking about the future |
The weather |
Arranging a trip |
|
Assessment & Deadlines:
Formal assessments are carried out at the end of every unit. Other formative assessments take place with due notice and suitable preparation via class and homework. The performance of pupils in class work and homework in all four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are assessed and formative comments given to the students indicating what they need to do to improve their level.
Awards are issued termly for students who excel in each class relative to his/her ability. Deadlines for revision or the submission of work are given by the class teacher and recorded in the pupils’ diaries. The vast majority of students are targeted at level 6+ by the end of year 9.
Students are issued with an overview sheet for every unit containing objectives and assessment criteria. Parents can access these via our website at www.sbslangs.org.uk/ks3overview.htm.
Extended Learning:
- Homework consisting of approximately 1 hour is set weekly on a specific day. A completion date will be given and may take the form of any one or combination of the four skills. Students will use their text book as their primary resource.
- The library maintains and increasing stock of printed, audio cassette / CD, video, DVD and CD rom material to support students and their parents.
- The department organises an exchange annually with our partner school in France, which are open to students in Years 8 and 9. There are other language based activities throughout the school year which are announced in the news letter.
- Pen-friend schemes with students in our French and German partner schools are also offered to pupils.
- German, Spanish and French day trips to the Europa centre are offered.
- The department has a web site with up-to-date learning resources and information for parents. Your can access the site via the curriculum link on the school’s home-page or directly via http://www.sbslangs.org.uk/.
