Modern Foreign Languages

Welcome to the Modern Foreign Languages department at Prince Henry’s High school. Due to the school’s Language College status this is a particularly busy and active department both within the school and outside, including peripatetic work with local primary and middle schools. It is a large department comprising 10 full and part time teachers and 3 Language assistants.

The languages taught are French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Japanese and Chinese.

KS2

The MFL department at PHHS has a Key Stage 2 coordinator, Mrs E. Bloom, who goes to primary and special schools throughout the Vale of Evesham and teaches French in some of these schools and supports the teachers working in the remaining schools, some of which are the main feeder schools to PHHS.

KS3

In Year 9 all pupils at PHHS learn French and a second language, either Spanish or German depending on which abbey they are put into. In order to ensure a smooth transition from Year 8 at their middle school into Year 9 at PHHS, pupils are taught by teachers from our department who go to the middle schools and teach German and Spanish. These pupils also learn French so when they arrive from middle school at PHHS they are already in the practice of learning two languages. Pupils are assessed throughout the year and sit an exam at the end of the year 9. All assessments are based on the National Curriculum attainment target levels.

KS 4

All pupils at PHHS will study a language at GCSE level. At the end of Key Stage 3 all pupils are given various options as to the languages they wish to study at Key Stage 4. They can choose one or both of the languages they studied in Year 9 and as well as this, there is the option to start a new language; Japanese and Italian.

A Level

The languages available at A level are French, German, Spanish and Italian. In order to study a language at A level students must have a good GCSE in that language. In Year 12 pupils study at AS level and complete exams at the end of the year. They can then go on to study at A2 level in Year 13 where again, they complete exams at the end of the year.

Trips Abroad

We run numerous trips abroad, aimed at giving pupils the invaluable experience of visiting the country in which the language they study is spoken. In the academic year 2009-2010 the department ran exchanges to Millau in the South of France, Dresden in Eastern Germany and Majorca. The exchanges are well supported and as well as giving our pupils the opportunity to spend time with a family abroad, they also have the chance to reciprocate the hospitality they have received and be host to a student from overseas. In addition to the exchanges with the European countries there is also an annual trip to China. This is a cultural trip, primarily for Year 12’s, to the province of Jiangsu and forms part of an exchange with Yangzhou High School. The Chinese students make a return visit and get to explore the highlights of Worcestershire and surrounding area.

Department Facilities

There are 8 classrooms belonging to the MFL department, all with interactive whiteboards and software dedicated to the learning and teaching of foreign languages. One of these classrooms has a computer suite, enabling pupils to make use of the ICT resources specifically aimed at 13-18 year olds learning languages.