AES

At Key Stage 4 students will follow the EdExcel GCSE syllabus.

For French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese, work is assessed using controlled assessments in Speaking (30%) and Writing (30%) over the course of Years 10 and 11 and examinations in Listening and Reading (each worth 20%) at the end of Year 11.

For Japanese and Russian GCSE, there are no controlled assessments. All four skills are examined in Year 11 at the end of the course. There will be internal exams in Year 10 for all languages in listening and reading and in Year 11, students will sit a mock exam in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

The themes covered at GCSE follow on from the Key Stage 3 curriculum and they provide teachers with choice and flexibility and the scope to adapt the curriculum to allow for a more personalised approach to learning.

The following content is a suggestion on each of the four themes at GCSE. Some classes may undertake work on other topics related to the theme.

Common topic areas

The papers for listening and reading skills taken at the end of Year 11 refer to more generic content areas and feature scenarios set in a country where the language is spoken. These include:

Out and about

Visitor information; Basic weather; Local amenities; Accommodation; Public transport; Directions

Customer service and transactions

Cafés and restaurants; Shops; Dealing with problems

Personal information

General interests; Leisure activities; Family and friends; Lifestyle (healthy eating and exercise)

Future plans, education and work

Basic language of the internet; Simple job advertisements; Simple job applications and CV; School and college; Work and work experience

Controlled Assessments

In Key Stage 4 students of French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese will undertake termly controlled assessments in speaking and writing in all languages starting in the Autumn Term of Year 10.

Controlled Assessments in speaking will be internally set and assessed under controlled conditions. The content and focus will be determined by the teacher and will relate to one or more of the four topic areas. In writing, the chosen topic area may be the same provided that the task has a different focus. Writing assessments are internally set and externally marked.

A series of lessons on the theme chosen for the Controlled Assessment will be delivered in class and teachers will be able to correct any work done by the student on this theme ahead of the Controlled Assessment. Two preparation lessons then follow, where the students are given a copy of the task and time to prepare their answer, whether oral or written. During this time, students work independently however, textbooks, exercise books and dictionaries are allowed. At the end of the preparation time, which includes at least one homework slot, students must condense their preparation down to a list of a maximum of thirty prompt words and up to five pictures which are recorded on an official EdExcel form and submitted along with the assessment. This prompt sheet is the only support available to them when they undertake the final Controlled Assessment. 

For more information on Controlled Assessments and the GCSE course, visit the Edexcel website: www.edexcel.com

Setting

At GCSE students are set according to achievement across year halves in French, German and Spanish. There is one group for Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese and for triple linguists. Setting in Key Stage 4 is reviewed regularly following assessments and there is movement between sets at the end of each term as result. Students in all languages receive regular oral and written feedback on their progress against their target grades and are given opportunities to undertake self and peer assessment.

Native Speakers

Year 10 Native Speaker support is provided at lunchtime twice a cycle for those students who have taken their GCSE and wish to maintain the standard of their language. More recently students have been entered for the AS examination to prepare them for higher level study in the sixth form.

NVQ French and German

NVQ stands for National Vocational Qualification and has been developed by industry to meet the needs of the modern workplace. The NVQ is designed to be flexible and achievable and as there is no final examination students build up a portfolio of assessments over years 10 and 11. NVQ is a nationally recognised qualification which allows for progression to both further education and employment and which, at level 2, is equivalent to a C grade or higher at GCSE.

Students follow an applied language course, focusing for example on leisure and tourism or business language. They complete a number of assessed tasks throughout the course in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students develop skills such as communication, independence, team work, creativity and self-reflection.  It is hoped that the more applied nature of this course as well as its more manageable approach to assessment will be a more suitable programme of study for some students than the existing GCSE.

Key dates for Key Stage 4, 2011 - 2012