In Year 7 at Coop Academy Bebington all students study Spanish before deciding if they would like to continue with the subject at the end of year 9. This gives students the opportunity to either build upon their prior learning from KS2 or embark upon what may be an entirely new linguistic experience. Two hours per week are devoted to learning a language in years 7 and 8, one hour in year 9 and three hours in years 10 and 11. We believe this enables students to build the strong foundations, which are fundamental in acquiring a foreign language either for GCSE or to continue later in life.

At Coop Academy Bebington the MFL curriculum is based around independent language skills, which enable students to communicate for real and practical purposes. Students develop the skills and the confidence to be able to express their ideas and thoughts in Spanish and understand and respond to speakers, both in the oral and written forms. On the curriculum journey from KS3 (Year 7,8 and 9) to KS4 (Years 10 and 11) and beyond, students develop their linguistic skills in each of the four key areas; speaking, listening, reading and writing. Our teaching is interactive, challenging and designed to enable students to use their language skills independently and manipulate language so that it is fit for any purpose in the real world. It is our intention to not only equip our students with the language skills and knowledge they need for immediate use in the classroom, but also for further language study and use in higher education or in future employment in the modern world.

The MFL curriculum at Coop academy Bebington aims to bring languages alive in the classroom; all our lessons provide the opportunity for students to hear and speak Spanish in a developmental and encouraging environment. Our language learning is inspiring and challenging, and we are committed to providing our learners with exciting opportunities to foster their interest in other cultures and deepen their understanding of society beyond their own experiences. The MFL curriculum provides students with the skills, knowledge and cultural capital they need to help ensure they are prepared for life post Brexit, with an awareness of the world around them and the opportunities awaiting them. 

Our Curriculums aim for Modern Foreign Languages at the Coop Academy Bebington

• To instil in students that languages are important in the modern world.
•  To develop a love of the Spanish language and be able to communicate with people from Spanish speaking countries.
• To develop independence, confidence and the understanding that we make mistakes in order to make progress.
• To mould our students into being successful, resilient learners and to enable them to become competent at problem solving.
• To ensure that students have a deep understanding of Spanish grammar and vocabulary, which they are able to use spontaneously and with confidence across a range of topics and all four skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
• To ensure that students understand, appreciate and have tolerance and empathy towards other cultures/countries where Spanish is spoken.

What do we expect students to gain from this subject?

• To develop literacy/critical thinking/problem solving skills.
• To develop transferable skills for employment in a post Brexit UK.
• To be able to communicate effectively in spoken and written Spanish.
• To be able to be adaptable and to develop confidence and to always challenge themselves.
• Enjoyment and engagement in the Spanish language and culture.
• A lifelong love of language learning.

Staff Members

Mr P. Avison – Curriculum Coordinator

Miss C Hargreaves

Mrs L Rhodes Costa

Year 7

All About Me

• Introducing yourself.
• Giving personal information.
• Colours/adjectives
• Days/months of the year.
• Classroom language.

All About Me

• Numbers 1-100
• Family
• Physical descriptions.
• Pets/ animals.
• describing your personality.
• Christmas in Spain

Leisure

• Talking about sports
• Giving opinions.
• Describing the weather.
• Talking about famous Spanish sports personalities.

Home Town

• Describing where you live.
• Describing your house.
• Describing your bedroom.
• Describing your ideal house.
• Household chores.

My Town

• Describing your town.
• Giving directions.
• Describing plans for the weekend.
• Describing your local areas.

School

• School subjects.
• Telling the time.
• Describing school facilities.
• School rules
• Describing teachers.
• Extra-curricular activities.
• Future plans.

Year 8

Food & Drink

• Describing food and drink.
• Giving opinions on food.
• Ordering in a restaurant.
• Describing meal times.

Healthy Living

• Describing healthy living.
• Illness and injury.
• Keeping fit.

Leisure

• Making arrangements to go out.
• Making excuses.
• Describing sporting events.

Shopping

• Talking about clothes.
• Describing what you wear.
• Describing shopping habits.
• Making complaints.

Home & Family

• Describing morning routines.
• Afternoon and evening routines.
• Describing relationships with family and friends.

Jobs

• Describing current and past jobs
• Describing what you do at work
• Describing your ideal job.

Year 9

Leisure

• Describing leisure activities.
• Describing social media habits.

Leisure

• Describing past leisure activities
• Tv /music preferences
• Cinema habits

Leisure

• Describing holidays
• Describing holiday activities.
• Giving opinions in the past tense.

Global Issues

• Describing global issues.
• Solutions to global issues

The Environment

• Describing environmental problems.
• Solutions to environmental issues.

Spain & South America

• Describing Spanish cities.
• Describing cities in South America.

In GCSE Spanish you will develop the four main aspects of essential skills for communication in Spanish (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)

During the course you will cover topics within the following themes: 

• Identity and Culture
• Describing yourself and others 
• Learning about customs and festivals in Spanish speaking countries 
• Local area, holiday and travel 
• Describing your town, local area and neighbourhood 
• Describing holidays your future travel plans
• School 
• Describe your school life, your subjects and rules at your school 
• Future aspirations, study and work 
• Explain what you would like to do in the future in terms of study and work plans
• Describe what plans you have for the future 
• International and global dimension 
• Global issues such as the environment and poverty

Exam board Specification and Title

AQA GCSE Spanish (8698)

A GCSE in Spanish is extremely useful for a variety of jobs, not just for teaching or translating. Employers value these skills in careers such as tourism, web design, medicine, engineering or ICT. If you are considering a career in any of these areas, or if you just want to keep your options open for the future, a GCSE in a language is a very good choice. If you decide to study a language learning to university level, you will be given the opportunity to spend time in Spain or in a Latin American country. A qualification in a language shows potential employers or colleges that you can use the four essential skills of communication. It will also prove to be particularly useful in a post Brexit European Union. Employers are actively looking for individuals with foreign language skills to fill a variety of positions in their companies.