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Morpeth School

Modern Foreign Languages

Head of Department: Maureen Oswald

Deputy Heads of Department: Asiya Ali, Jacynth Bennett

The Modern Foreign Languages Department consists of 7 members of teaching staff, and 3 foreign language assistants. French is taught to all Year 7 pupils for 3 periods a week and then for 2 periods per week in Year 8. In addition, pupils are given the choice to study either Spanish or Bengali in Years 8 and 9.

A Modern Foreign Languages lesson

Facilities and Resources

The department is situated in a newly refurbished area. It occupies 6 rooms, 5 classrooms, including a networked computer room and one large work room which is suitable for conversation classes with the language assistant. Each full-time teacher has their own classroom base, equipped with OHP, tape recorder, listening headsets and an inter-active whiteboard.

Both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 are well-resourced, with ‘Expo‘ 1 – 4 as the coursebook for French. ‘Listos‘ is used for Spanish. There are many supplementary materials for both French and Spanish at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. The Bengali department is always developing new materials for use at all levels in Bengali.

Commitment and curriculum

We are committed to mixed ability teaching and recognise that to do this effectively, the curriculum has to be planned carefully. The department wholeheartedly supports the school’s grouping policy. Pupils have been given the opportunity to sit their GCSE exams early where they have demonstrated the commitment and ability to do so. We organise the seating of our teaching groups to support learning and to encourage equal opportunities.

Beyond the curriculum

The department offers many extra-curricular opportunities to the pupils. Year 9 pupils have the opportunity to spend several days in Bilbao and in Year 7, pupils spend a day in Le Touquet. In addition, through the Tower Hamlets Gifted and Talented programme, we have been able to take pupils to the Europa Centre in Hornchurch. Pupils in Year 9 visit our local primary schools where they teach work they have prepared to small groups of Year 5 and 6 pupils.

We have also been involved in delivering MFL to our primary feeder schools.