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Buxton Community School

Buxton Community School

Modern Foreign Languages

Head of Department: Claire Austin  (claire.austin@buxton.derbyshire.sch.uk)

Key Stage 3

YEAR 7

Course Outline

Students begin their MFL journey by building strong foundations in either French or Spanish, depending on their language allocation. Learning focuses on phonics, essential grammar, everyday communication and cultural understanding.

French – Key Areas of Study

  • Describing yourself (appearance, personality, family relationships)

  • Talking about hobbies and preferences

  • School life and daily routine

  • Food, drink and healthy living

  • Celebrations and festivals

  • Introduction to the past and near future tenses

Spanish – Key Areas of Study

  • Introducing yourself, family and pets

  • Describing physical appearance and personality

  • Hobbies, sports and weather

  • Home, town and local area

  • School subjects and routines

  • Food, drink, healthy lifestyles and holidays

Forms of Assessment

  • Short end-of-unit tests assessing listening, speaking, reading and writing

  • Regular vocabulary and grammar quizzes

  • Extended speaking or writing tasks at the end of each topic

What Parents Can Do to Help

  • Encourage your child to practise vocabulary using flashcards or apps (e.g., Quizlet).

  • Ask them to teach you new words – this reinforces memory.

  • Support them in completing homework and practising pronunciation.

  • Watch age-appropriate French/Spanish films or TV clips to expose them to authentic language.

YEAR 8

Course Outline

In Year 8, students deepen their grammatical knowledge, broaden vocabulary and learn to communicate in more detail, using a greater range of tenses and opinions.

French – Key Areas of Study

  • Food and drink, healthy lifestyle choices

  • Describing past activities (perfect tense)

  • Opinions about school subjects, rules and uniform

  • Exploring jobs and future plans

  • Festivals and cultural celebrations

Spanish – Key Areas of Study

  • Town and directions

  • Planning outings and future arrangements (near future tense)

  • School subjects and life in Spanish-speaking countries

  • Healthy lifestyles and body/illness

  • Holidays: past, present and future

Forms of Assessment

  • Mid-topic and end-of-topic assessments

  • Written or spoken presentations

  • Listening and reading comprehension tasks

What Parents Can Do to Help

  • Talk about what they are learning and help them revise vocabulary regularly.

  • Watch cooking, travel or cultural programmes relating to French/Spanish-speaking countries.

  • Look at maps and discuss where French and Spanish are spoken across the world.

  • Encourage reading short texts, menus, packaging or online articles in the target language.

YEAR 9

Course Outline

Year 9 acts as a bridge into GCSE study, focusing on increased independence, accuracy and confidence across all four skills.

French – Key Areas of Study

  • Talking about lifestyle and healthy habits

  • More detailed work on past and future tenses

  • Opinions on school, education and jobs

  • Free time, films, TV, music

  • Festivals, celebrations and cultural traditions

Spanish – Key Areas of Study

  • Digital life and online safety

  • Daily routine and household responsibilities

  • Travel and tourism, including extended writing

  • Past, present and future tense mastery

  • Cultural topics across the Hispanic world

Forms of Assessment

  • End-of-unit tests in all skills

  • Speaking assessments (photo cards, role plays)

  • Extended writing pieces

What Parents Can Do to Help

  • Encourage regular revision using flashcards, online resources or vocabulary apps.

  • Watch documentaries or YouTube channels in the target language with English subtitles.

  • Discuss world events and international culture to build global awareness.

  • Visit restaurants or cultural events themed around French or Spanish-speaking communities.

KEY STAGE 4

GCSE French / GCSE Spanish (Years 10 & 11)
Exam board: AQA

GCSE Languages build on KS3 learning and develop students’ ability to communicate effectively in real-world contexts. Content is organised into three key themes.

Course Outline

Theme 1 – Identity & Culture

  • Family and relationships

  • Appearance, personality and friendships

  • Technology and social media

  • Free time: sports, hobbies, TV, cinema and music

  • Festivals and celebrations in French/Spanish-speaking countries

Theme 2 – Local, National, International & Global Areas of Interest

  • Home and town

  • Social issues: health, lifestyle, well-being

  • Global issues: environment, poverty, homelessness

  • Travel and tourism

  • Holidays: past, present, future

Theme 3 – Education & Work

  • School life, teachers and school rules

  • Comparing UK and French/Spanish schools

  • Jobs, career choices and future plans

  • Work experience

Forms of Assessment (AQA GCSE)

Assessment is 100% exam, taken at the end of Year 11. Students sit exams in:

  • Listening (25%)

  • Speaking (25%) – role play, photo card, general conversation

  • Reading (25%)

  • Writing (25%) – messages, structured writing, translation

Mock assessments take place in Year 10 and Year 11 to support progress.

What Parents Can Do to Help

  • Encourage regular use of vocabulary apps (e.g., Quizlet, Memrise, Seneca).

  • Support frequent short bursts of revision rather than occasional long sessions.

  • Practise speaking with your child – even simple conversations help confidence.

  • Ask your child to explain grammar concepts they have learned (teaching reinforces understanding).

  • Expose them to real language: music, films, news, YouTube, social media accounts in the target language.

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