Modern Languages

MODERN LANGUAGES

“Formby High School “demonstrates a clear and ongoing commitment to promoting language learning, cultural awareness, and global citizenship within the school community. The school’s motivation to celebrate the diversity of languages spoken by pupils and to encourage curiosity about world languages and cultures is commendable. Your Polyglots programme represents a commendable example of inclusive practice, celebrating the bilingual and multilingual skills of your student body. Your participation in national competitions such as Mother Tongue Other Tongue, The Stephen Spender Prize, and The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators highlights a long-standing commitment to high-quality language education.”

Feedback from the British Council as FHS received the ‘International School Foundation Level’ in recognition of our languages provision. (2025)

Curriculum Intent

Students are encouraged to have a positive view of themselves as engaged language learners. They interact with classmates, celebrate differences and diversity, broaden their horizons, and explore Spanish culture. Students are supported towards self-efficacy using the building blocks of phonics, vocabulary and grammar in order to use language skills for travelling, studying or working abroad.

Engagement

Students in all years have regular opportunities to compete in school-based and national competitions such as Spanish Spelling Bee, translation competitions linked to Oxford University, essay and creative competitions with Lancaster University, as well as taster sessions in other languages such as Basque, Portuguese, Italian and Chinese. We encourage students to consider their use of languages for future careers with regular live webinars from local universities and the Civil Service as part of the government’s outreach programme.

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Key Stage 3 Curriculum (Spanish)

Year 7: All About Me

Year 7 students are supported in their transition from all Key Stage 2 language experiences. They develop the ability to respond to speakers of another language both in speech and writing in short sentences with a range of vocabulary. They begin to learn background knowledge of Spain. ‘French fortnight’ introduces students to links between languages.

Year 8: Spanish Identity

Year 8 students embed Year 7 knowledge and transfer their language skills to new contexts, building a supported verb lexicon awareness in three time frames. They gain a broader understanding of Spanish regions with topics related to geography, history, culture and identity, including an awareness of regional languages. ‘French fortnight’ at the end of Year 8 develops the use of another language.

Year 9: The Spanish-Speaking World

Year 9 students embed Year 7 and Year 8 knowledge and learn to appreciate the indigenous cultures of Latin America with an awareness of Spanish heritage and colonisation. Year 9 students are more secure in their knowledge of high frequency vocabulary and verbs in three time frames and have spaced practice to revisit prior knowledge, developing the skills for possible transition to GCSE Spanish. Year 9 students recognise the importance of learning languages for employability and the usefulness of transactional language for world-wide travel with taster sessions in French and Portuguese.

Click here for Key Stage 3 Knowledge Organisers and revision materials

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Spanish GCSE

Year 10 and 11 students are supported in their transition from Key Stage 3 and develop a broader cultural awareness of the modern Spanish-speaking world with GCSE topics from the AQA specification including customs, work, travel, relationships, healthy living, role models and environment. GCSE students begin to draw inferences and grammar use becomes more proceduralized. The most proficient students work at Higher Tier to produce more complex language in less scaffolded environments and develop the skills for progression to A level.

Click here for GCSE Spanish Knowledge Organisers and revision materials

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Spanish A Level

A Level students are supported in the transition from GCSE to A Level following the AQA specification. Students are equipped with the cultural capital and language skills that give opportunities to study, travel and work in other countries. A Level students communicate effectively with composite knowledge and understanding of politics, history and culture in societies where Spanish is spoken. The most proficient students discuss and debate diverse topics, are vocabulary rich and use language with self-assurance and authentic pronunciation. We enjoy close links with local universities and students have opportunities for campus tours, taster lectures and webinars as well as national competitions. A Level students are supported in their progression to higher education, including Oxbridge entries in addition to supported work experience placements using their language skills.

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“I moved to this school in Year 12 and I found the Spanish teachers particularly supportive and helpful with the jump from GCSE and I felt confident in my first few weeks at university because of the practice Formby High gave me at A level.”

Grace

“The Languages department at Formby High is second to none, they constantly check up on you and are always there to offer advice. Make the most of it!”

Lucy

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Polyglots

Students who have an additional language background have the opportunity, where suitable, to gain accreditation in their additional language at GCSE, AS or A Level as part of our ‘Polyglots’ programme. Additionally, some non-bilingual students have followed the spirit of the Polyglots and have taught themselves a new language such as Japanese or Korean from scratch in their own time and many have progressed to study new languages at university.