Students may opt to study French or Spanish in Year 10 depending upon their

studies to date.  The department follows the  AQA GCSE in both subjects.  Those students who are currently doing the short course GCSE can add the other 2 skills in Years 10 and 11 and convert the qualification into a full GCSE.  Those who have not yet begun the GCSE course can do so during Years 10 and 11.  It must be stressed that many universities require a GCSE in a modern language before they will allow students on a degree course, so you will need to consider this before

deciding whether to continue with a foreign language in the future.

The course has four skill elements, namely Listening, Reading, Speaking and

Writing.  There are examinations in Listening and Reading and both are worth 20% of the final mark.  For the skill areas of Speaking and Writing there are no exams, but students produce assessed work in lesson time and each skill is worth 30% of the final mark.  This allows students the opportunity to work in controlled conditions rather than in examination conditions, with access to plans and dictionaries.

Students may submit work in May of Years 10 and 11 for Speaking and Writing and there are exam sessions in January and/or June for the skills of Listening and

Reading.

The French results at Beaufort have been consistently excellent with the majority of students achieving a grade C or better in the language.  Currently all students in Year 10 are on target to achieve a grade C or better.

If you would like to know more about the courses or your suitability for further study, ask your languages teacher or Mr Glover (French) or Mr Reece (Spanish).