Modern Foreign Languages Department

Modern Languages are housed in our own suite of five classrooms, each well equipped with computer, overhead projector and tape recorder, and a central Languages Office for resources and admin storage. All of our classrooms have fully networked computers connected to interactive whiteboards. We have DVD/video facilities in three of our rooms, and a Departmental video camera used for recording role-plays and student presentations. Our team is experienced, consisting of five full-time and two part-time members of staff. There is a Head of Faculty and a Curriculum Leader for French. We are an extremely supportive team of teachers who work together to help all students achieve their best.

Students at Windsor High School learn either German or French from Year 7; with the language they study decided by the tutor group they join. This language is studied until the end of KS3, at which point pupils can choose to continue with the language to GCSE. We follow the AQA Modular course for both French and German, with our students consistently achieving results well above National Averages. Our team is fully committed to enabling students to achieve their very best, and making the whole experience of learning a Modern Language as fun and stimulating as possible.

We enjoy very strong links with both France and Germany, and use these contacts fully to provide our pupils with authentic access to the target language countries. Pupils studying German have the opportunity to take part in The Two Nations Tournament, an annual Sports & Language Exchange with our partner school situated in an idyllic location on the edge of the Black Forest. Teams of pupils stay with host families, and compete against each other in a range of sports over two weeks, with the winning school taking home The Two Nations Trophy.

Pupils studying French have taken part in joint projects with our partner school in France over a number of years and this year will have the opportunity to visit the school in Montpelier as part of the Exchange Programme.

Every year, we offer a residential trip in Activities Week to either France or Germany, and our most popular trip in recent years has been The Continental Experience, where pupils spend three days experiencing the sights of Paris before travelling to Germany to explore the spectacular area of the Rhein Valley. We have also offered a programme of Work in France to Year 10 students, as well as day trips to Boulogne and the Continental Christmas Markets for our younger linguists.

At Windsor, we believe in celebrating all languages, not just those which we teach. Every year during Alternative Curriculum Day, teachers use their knowledge and expertise to offer students a taster session in other languages such as Welsh, Swedish, Russian, and Spanish, as well as running workshops which focus on anti-racism and a multicultural society.

We have a Spanish club for pupils in Year 8 & 9 and our KS4 pupils offer 2 foreign language classes to our year 7 pupils. It is our aim for pupils to leave the school with the knowledge that foreign languages are all around them and play an important role in everyday life.

This is an exciting faculty to work in. We use a wide range of up to date teaching materials and work collaboratively to share ideas and best practice. We are all reflective practitioners, welcoming opportunities for paired observations both within the Faculty and in other schools with whom we have strong links. Most of the Faculty are trained mentors for PGCE students and we welcome the new experiences these trainees bring to the Faculty.

Our current priorities for development are to use new technologies to further enhance learning opportunities, to embed Assessment for Learning to raise standards further, to deliver our international links by running a successful Exchange with our partner school in France and to introduce Spanish into the Curriculum.