Report a Concern German
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart”.
Nelson Mandela
Head of Department: Ms.Sinot
Head of Subject: Ms Learoyd
Our Vision
We aim to inspire a love of languages through giving pupils exposure to both the linguistic and cultural aspects of our subject. Pupils are immersed in the language from Year 7, building communicative competence.
Our Curriculum
Our German curriculum aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and passion to confidently use the German language to communicate effectively, as well as providing students with an in-depth knowledge of the rich cultural backdrop of the German-speaking world. We aim and work towards mastery of the language and all its components, with a spiral-based curriculum that allows students to re-visit key grammar and vocabulary points at different phases over time in order to master increasing levels of complexity. As well as focusing on mastering the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, we have a strong focus on strengthening inter-cultural communication skills through exploration of the German-speaking world. In order to do this, we continually work on de-colonising our curriculum, exposing students to literature, music, film, history, politics and more from all corners of the German-speaking. We also have a particular focus on developing speaking skills in our curriculum and supporting increasing levels of 'spontaneous' target language through the use of Knowledge Organisers and other techniques that help to improve those problem-solving and critical-thinking skills needed to become confident and competent linguists.
Key Stage 3
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TOPICS AND KEY IDEAS |
| YEAR 7 |
My family and I. My school My free time Where I live Daily life Special Occasions (Culture) |
| YEAR 8 |
Holidays Hobbies Technology Special Occasions (Culture) |
| YEAR 9 |
All about me Ordinary Days and Special Occasions School and future plans
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For more information, visit our learning journey below.
KEY STAGE 4
Pupils study the Edexcel GCSE course at GCSE. Pupils revisit many of the topics studied at KS3, adding additional complexity in relation to vocabulary and grammar. The table gives a brief overview of topics studied. Our learning organisers provided to pupils give the specific vocabulary and grammatical constructions expected at each stage.
| TOPICS AND KEY IDEAS | |
| YEAR 10 |
Where I live Holidays Schools My future life |
| YEAR 11 |
My future life The world we live in Speaking examinations
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Assessment
At Key Stage 3, we formally assess pupils twice a year. These results are reported to you formally as parents, with an opportunity to discuss at the forthcoming parents evening. We also assess pupils reading skills using a standardised test twice a year. These assessments are supplemented by regular in class formative assessment. You can learn more about our approach to assessment at Key Stage 3 by visiting the link here.
At Key Stage 4 pupils are assessed twice a year in the form of a mock examination. These reflect components of the GCSE course. These assessments are supplemented by regular in class formative assessment. Together, we use this information to provide additional guided study support for pupils.
Homework
Pupils receive regular homework, using our Language Nut platform at Key Stage 3 and 4.
At Key Stage 4, pupils get an hour of homework a week for their option subjects. This may take the form of extended writing, vocabulary quizzing, speaking exam practice or wider reading.
Useful Resources
https://www.languagesonline.org.uk/Hotpotatoes/index.html
View our learning journey
Please click here for KS3-4 Learning Journey
