French
Key Stage 3
Students who study French do so for 2 hours a week, in their form group. Our aim is to ensure that students not only gain a firm linguistic foundation in the language, but are also given the opportunity to discover the culture of countries where French is spoken. We use ‘Expo’ for French our core text book, but this is supplemented with a variety of other resources: teacher-made and published worksheets, ICT software, websites to which we subscribe and other published materials.
Key Stage 4
We encourage all students at HGS to continue studying at GCSE level the foreign language they study at Key Stage 3.
This allows our students to be fully equipped for the future in an increasingly globalised world. Being able to communicate in a foreign language is not only a skill that is highly valued by employers and further education institutions, but it also allows young people to seize opportunities that will greatly enhance their personal development, such as travelling the world, or studying any subject abroad for a year through university exchange programmes.
Students are entered for GCSE French with the AQA examinations board.
The GCSE course is assessed through listening, speaking, reading and writing components. The four skills are weighted equally at 25% each and are tested by external examinations at the end of the course.
Key Stage 5
Students are traditionally taught in small groups, which allows them to be very well supported in their language studies and to become confident and fluent speakers. The course gives them an excellent insight into current social issues affecting French-speaking countries and students have the opportunity to study a French film and French literature. Finally, the AQA A-Level course requires all students to conduct an independent research project, which will provide them with skills that will prove invaluable at University.