Introduction to Department:  

The Spanish department aims to provide students with a solid grounding in grammar, phonics, and vocabulary. The four main skills, listening, reading, speaking, and writing, are developed in almost all lessons and are reinforced through assessments tailored to the curriculum requirements of each year group. The department’s key principles are communication, variety, and motivation. Learners are motivated to acquire languages through diverse teaching methods and a strong emphasis on communicative competence. 

The curriculum provides a high level of challenge, enabling students to achieve strong outcomes. By learning a life skill, students gain confidence to pursue further education or employment within Europe and internationally. Cross-curricular links are established throughout the Spanish curriculum, incorporating skills acquired in English, History, Geography, and Art. 

Grammar is introduced cumulatively, ensuring that concepts covered in one topic are reinforced in subsequent topics to strengthen understanding over time. Vocabulary is systematically revisited, and assessments in Years 8 and 9 include content from previous terms to ensure retention. At Key Stage 4, assessments are designed to develop the skills required for the GCSE examination. Outside lessons, students extend their learning through platforms such as Memrise, Quizlet, Languages Online, and Duolingo. 

Reading is emphasised as a core skill. Pupils progress from basic recognition of information to comprehension and inference tasks. In Key Stage 5, students analyse novels or plays in Spanish and produce essays on themes or characters as part of their A-Level examinations. Phonics are systematically taught with targeted resources for specific sounds. 

The quality of teaching and learning, together with extra-curricular opportunities, ensures that Spanish remains a popular subject, reflected in the high number of students who continue to A-Level. 

Extra and Super-curricular:  

• Residential trips to Barcelona (KS3/4) and Andalucía (A-Level) 
• Participation in the UK Linguistics Olympiad 
• One-to-one GCSE mentoring by Sixth Form students 
• Spanish prefects run competitions and events to motivate younger pupils 

Recommended websites:  

• Pearson ActiveLearn for independent work 
• Kerboodle for textbook access and study tasks 
• Languages Online, Memrise, Duolingo, Conjuguemos for vocabulary and grammar practice 

Recommended Reading: 

• Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners – Olly Richards – KS4 
  A graded collection of stories designed to reinforce key vocabulary and structures. 
• Spanish Short Stories for Intermediate Learners – Olly Richards – KS4/KS5 
  A continuation text that develops reading fluency and introduces more complex grammar. 
• Breaking Out of Beginner’s Spanish – Joseph Keenan – KS4/KS5 
  A highly regarded guide explaining how Spanish really works in everyday communication. 
• Palabra por Palabra- Mike Thacker, Phil Turk- Vocabulary for A-Level Spanish 
• ¡Acción Gramática!- Phil Turk, Francisco Villatoro, Mike Zollo- Spanish grammar for A-Level 
• Modern Languages Study Guide: La Casa de Bernarda Alba- Mike Thacker, Sebastián Bianchi- Study guide for A-Level Spanish book study 
• Modern Languages Study Guide: El Laberinto del Fauno- José Antonio García Sánchez, Tony Weston- Study guide for A-Level Spanish film study

Learning by Key Stage  

KS3

In Year 7, pupils are taught in tutor groups. They are taught all three Modern Foreign Languages (French, German and Spanish) on a carousel system, with two teachers teaching them two languages at any given time. Students select the language they wish to continue studying to GCSE around Easter in Year 7. In rare cases students must study their second-choice language to mitigate timetable constraints. In Years 8 and 9, teaching groups are mixed according to chosen language and remain consistent. Topics covered include Free Time, Arranging to Go Out, Travel Plans, Festivals, Friendships and Relationships, School, Daily Routine, Holidays, Home and Local Area, Food and Mealtimes, and Illnesses and Injuries. A small number of pupils may be offered an alternative GCSE option by the MFL Department. 

KS4

Pearson Edexcel GCSE Spanish Pearson Edexcel GCSE Spanish (2024) | Pearson qualifications 

Spanish is delivered in mixed teaching groups according to option choices, five hours per fortnight. Grammar is reinforced, exam skills are developed, and the following themes are studied: Identity and Culture, Local Area, Holiday and Travel, School, Future Aspirations, Work and Study, and International and Global Dimension. 

The GCSE includes four examinations: 

• Listening: comprehension of spoken Spanish 
• Reading: comprehension through written responses, multiple choice, and translation 
• Writing: ability to produce complex, coherent Spanish and translate from English 
• Speaking: production of Spanish in real-life scenarios, photo description, and discussion of given themes 

  

KS5

AQA Spanish A-level Spanish 7692 | Specification | AQA 

Spanish is taught eight hours per fortnight by two teachers who split the content. Year 12 topics include the family, cyberspace, art, architecture, regional identity, gender equality, and celebrity influence. Year 13 topics include immigration, integration, cohabitation, monarchies and dictatorships, youth and politics, and trade unions. 

Students study El Laberinto del Fauno and La Casa de Bernarda Alba, producing essays for Paper 2 (20%). Paper 1 (Listening, Reading, Translation) assesses vocabulary, grammar, translation, and summary skills (50%). Paper 3 (Speaking) evaluates knowledge of topics and analytical skills (30%), including an Independent Research Project on Hispanic culture, society, or history.  

Staff

Head of Department: Mr A Green adg@bishopwordsworths.org.uk 

Teachers of:  

• Mrs L Bould lvb@bishopwordsworths.org.uk 
• Miss C Bédard cmb@bishopwordsworths.org.uk 
• Ms R Dewar rcd@bishopwordsworths.org.uk 
• Mrs F Martin fma@bishopwordsworths.org.uk 
• Miss A Taylor act@bishopwordsworths.org.uk