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What is it like to study Spanish at Monk's Walk School?
Pupils will enjoy developing their linguistic skills in the four key areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing, whilst building a solid knowledge of key grammar, as well as a mix of high frequency and topic-specific vocabulary. They will also study phonics and how to understand and say words correctly. This will allow them to use language accurately and creatively. Studies will be enhanced through gaining an appreciation of cultural diversity and the use of authentic material from Spanish-speaking countries. The curriculum is further enriched through a variety of in-school activities, such as participation in the European Day of Languages, House events, Writing and other competitions, and Penpal opportunities with a Chilean school. In addition, the school offers a trip to Spain for year 8 and year 10 students.
How is Spanish assessed?
Students are assessed using a variety of formative and summative assessments in each of the 4 key skills. In addition, throughout all key stages, students are tested regularly on vocabulary and grammar, which are set as preparation or revision outside of the classroom.
The Key Stage 3 curriculum
In Year 7, there is a high focus on phonics, high-frequency vocabulary and grammar basics. These form the building blocks from which students can further develop their confidence and ability to understand and create language themselves. In Year 8, students learn decoding skills in order to be able to understand longer passages in the target language. They extend their repertoire grammatically by learning to use the past tense so that by the end of year 8 they are able to understand and communicate using three tenses. In Year 9 students enjoy the study of a Salvadoran film, Voces Inocentes. In addition to practicing and building mastery in core grammar, many students start to learn higher-level grammatical structures. They are also encouraged to be more creative in writing and speaking, using more original, interesting and persuasive language.
Subject Overviews
Year 7 Language Guide
The Key Stage 4 Curriculum
Students at Monk’s Walk school follow the Edexcel specification which covers five themes of learning:
- Identity and Culture, including family, friendship, relationships, technology, free time activities and celebrations.
- Local area, holiday and travel, including where I live and holiday and travel.
- School.
- Work and future plans.
- International and global dimension.
The Key Stage 5 Curriculum
Students at Monk’s Walk school follow the AQA specification for A’level which covers the following:
- Trends and issues in Hispanic society, including traditional and modern values, the Internet and gender equality.
- Artistic culture in the Hispanic world, including role models, regional identity and cultural heritage.
- Multiculturalism in Hispanic society, including immigration, racism and cultural harmony.
- Aspects of Political Life in the Hispanic World, political engagement, monarchy and dictatorship, and popular protest movements.
Students also study a book and a film: “Como Agua Para Chocolate” (Laura Esquivel) and “Volver” (Pedro Almodóvar) respectively.
They also complete an individual research project on a subject of their choosing.
