GCSE Spanish
Pupils study their language course over a 2-year period and cover three thematic areas, with sub-topics within the below theme areas.
Theme 1 : People and Lifestyle
Theme 1 covers the following three topics:
- Topic 1: Identity and relationships with others
- Topic 2: Healthy living and lifestyle
- Topic 3: Education and work
Theme 2: Popular culture
Theme 2 covers the following three topics:
- Topic 1: Free-time activities
- Topic 2: Customs, festivals and celebrations
- Topic 3: Celebrity culture
Theme 3: Communication and the world around us
Theme 3 covers the following three topics:
- Topic 1: Travel and tourism, including places of interest
- Topic 2: Media and technology
- Topic 3: The environment and where people live
GCSE Languages are assessed through 4 skill areas, listening, speaking, reading and writing at the end of the course. Each skill equates to 25% of the final grade.
There are two tiers of entry, Higher and Foundation. Higher allows pupils to achieve grades 9-4 and Foundation 5-1. Pupils should have an idea of the tier of entry they will be aiming to sit in the final examinations, but these are reviewed throughout the course in relation to the Pre-Public Examinations (PPEs). Final decisions on tier of entry are made following the second series of PPEs.
Paper 2, Speaking, takes place before the main exam period.
Paper 1, Listening and Paper 3, Reading take place in the same examination session, with Paper 4, Writing, taking place in a separate exam session.
Pupils will be assessed throughout the 2 year course in all skill areas. In Year 10, pupils will sit a full mock paper in each skill area by the end of the academic year.
In Year 11 students pupils will complete PPEs, one in October/November, and one in February. In both of these, pupils will sit Paper 1, Paper 3 and Paper 4.
A second speaking mock examination will take place in January, with the first mock speaking examination completed in June of Year 10.
In addition to this, we have several common interim assessments mainly focussing on the written aspect of the examination.
Independent learning is key for success in Modern Foreign Languages; therefore an independent learning programme will be in place with 3 key activities to be completed weekly.
- Vocabulary learning
- Topic test from Exampro, testing listening and reading skills with past examination questions.
- Speaking revision - this comes in the format of a speaking booklet with some example questions that pupils can prepare responses to and revise from these for their speaking and in turn support their writing exam.
There are plenty of useful websites for additional revision:
AQA website: www.aqa.org.uk
Students can use this to access the vocabulary specification to learn and a variety of past papers.
BBC Bitesize: GCSE Modern Foreign Languages - BBC Bitesize
Another useful website, with practice questions and past exam papers and revision videos and notes.
Quizlet: Languages Flashcards | Quizlet
An immersion visit takes place in Year 10, with previous visits to Málaga and Seville.
The visit planned for October 2024 will be heading to Granada, Sevilla and Córdoba.
In addition to this, pupils may have the opportunity to take part in one of the several other extracurricular activities:
- Speaking practice with the Spanish Language assistant or with Spanish teachers after school.
- National competitions (ranging from Poetry and story writing through to solving international crimes!).
- The in-school 'Duolingo' league.
- Workshops around short films or creative translation.
- Tapas visits.
