Modern Foreign Languages
Curriculum intent
At Hayes School, our commitment is to provide moments of joy, support pupils to thrive beyond our gates, and nurture community and character through a curriculum that is conceptual, inclusive and responsive. Our values — kindness, endeavour, inclusivity and responsibility — shape every aspect of this curriculum. They ensure that every pupil, particularly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable, is known, supported and challenged to achieve highly and to flourish in school and beyond.
Purpose
Our vision in Modern Languages at Hayes is for all students to become enthusiastic and confident communicators in a foreign language, whether they are studying French, German or Spanish. We want Hayes students to be able to manipulate language independently, building on foundations of vocabulary knowledge and applying grammatical concepts effectively.
MFL students pursue the ability to communicate effectively with other cultures. We explore how to learn a language and we open student minds. We enable students to manipulate the language independently, foster linguistic curiosity, and equip them with the confidence and skills to be able to use them in the future.
Specification Information
French GCSE Edexcel Pearson
French A Level Edexcel Pearson
German GCSE Edexcel Pearson
German A Level Edexcel Pearson
Spanish GCSE Edexcel Pearson
Spanish A Level Edexcel Pearson
Academic End PointsFrench |
|
| Year 7 |
Year 7 French introduces students to the foundations of language learning, developing confidence in communicating simple personal information while building key skills in pronunciation, vocabulary acquisition and grammatical awareness. Students learn how French works through the study of gender, articles, nouns, adjectives, verbs and basic sentence structures, alongside strategies for learning and retaining new vocabulary. They develop the ability to ask and answer questions about themselves, including their name, age, birthday, family, pets, physical appearance, personality and favourite activities, while beginning to express simple opinions and justifications. Throughout the year, students are introduced to fundamental grammatical concepts such as present tense verbs, adjective agreement, negation, question formation, pronouns and prepositions, enabling them to produce increasingly accurate spoken and written language. The curriculum also widens students’ cultural awareness through the study of French-speaking countries, French songs, poetry and aspects of everyday life in the Francophone world. By the end of Year 7, students can understand and communicate simple information about themselves, read and listen for key details, and write short texts with growing confidence, accuracy and independence. |
| Year 8 | Year 7 French introduces students to the foundations of language learning, developing confidence in communicating simple personal information while building key skills in pronunciation, vocabulary acquisition and grammatical awareness. Students learn how French works through the study of gender, articles, nouns, adjectives, verbs and basic sentence structures, alongside strategies for learning and retaining new vocabulary. They develop the ability to ask and answer questions about themselves, including their name, age, birthday, family, pets, physical appearance, personality and favourite activities, while beginning to express simple opinions and justifications. Throughout the year, students are introduced to fundamental grammatical concepts such as present tense verbs, adjective agreement, negation, question formation, pronouns and prepositions, enabling them to produce increasingly accurate spoken and written language. The curriculum also widens students’ cultural awareness through the study of French-speaking countries, French songs, poetry and aspects of everyday life in the Francophone world. By the end of Year 7, students can understand and communicate simple information about themselves, read and listen for key details, and write short texts with growing confidence, accuracy and independence. |
| Year 9 | Year 9 French prepares students for GCSE study by developing their ability to communicate confidently across a range of topics using present, past and future time frames. Students expand their vocabulary and grammatical knowledge through topics such as health, daily routine, shopping, television and film, holidays and Paris, while learning to express and justify opinions in greater detail. They develop a secure understanding of key grammatical concepts including reflexive verbs, the perfect tense, negatives, quantifiers, infinitive constructions and transactional language. Throughout the year, students strengthen their listening, reading, speaking, writing and translation skills through increasingly authentic and demanding tasks, including role plays, photo cards and extended written responses. The curriculum also promotes cultural understanding through the study of French-speaking countries, traditions, markets, films and landmarks, helping students become more independent and resilient language learners. |
| Year 10 | Year 10 French builds on Key Stage 3 foundations by developing students’ confidence in communicating about a range of GCSE themes, including free time, family and friends, school, and health and lifestyle. Students broaden their vocabulary and strengthen their understanding of key grammatical concepts such as reflexive verbs, adjective agreement, direct object pronouns, negatives and the use of present, perfect, imperfect and future tenses. They learn to combine multiple time frames, express and justify opinions, describe photographs, respond to role-play tasks and produce longer spoken and written responses with increasing accuracy and sophistication. Throughout the year, students develop their listening, reading, translation, speaking and writing skills through GCSE-style tasks that require greater independence and resilience. The curriculum also enhances cultural understanding through exploration of life in France and the wider Francophone world, preparing students for successful GCSE study. |
| Year 11 | Year 11 French consolidates and extends GCSE knowledge, enabling students to communicate confidently and spontaneously across a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar topics. Students develop their understanding of complex grammatical structures, including the conditional, future, perfect and imperfect tenses, while increasing their accuracy in translation, extended writing and spoken interaction. Through topics such as holidays, the environment, where they live and future plans, students learn to express and justify opinions, handle role-play situations, describe photographs and respond effectively to GCSE-style examination tasks. They strengthen their listening and reading skills by interpreting increasingly challenging texts and spoken language, while refining pronunciation and developing a more authentic accent. The curriculum culminates in a structured programme of revision and examination preparation, equipping students with the linguistic knowledge, cultural awareness and independent learning skills needed for success at GCSE and beyond. |
| Year 12 | Year 12 French marks the transition from GCSE to A Level study, developing students’ ability to discuss complex social, cultural and contemporary issues with increasing fluency, accuracy and independence. Students engage with a wide range of authentic topics, including changes in French society, music, media, education, the world of work, festivals and traditions, while deepening their understanding of the Francophone world through debate, research and analysis. The curriculum broadens grammatical knowledge through the study of advanced structures such as the subjunctive, conditional, pluperfect, passive voice, complex pronouns and sophisticated sentence construction, alongside regular translation and summarising tasks. Students also develop critical analytical skills through the study of the film Intouchables, learning to explore themes, characters, cinematic techniques and social context through structured essay writing. Students become more confident and independent linguists, capable of engaging with authentic texts, expressing nuanced viewpoints and preparing effectively for the demands of A Level French. |
| Year 13 | Year 13 French develops students into confident, fluent and independent linguists who can engage critically with complex social, cultural and historical issues within the French-speaking world. Students study challenging topics including immigration, multiculturalism, French society during the Occupation, the Vichy regime and the Resistance, while engaging with authentic sources, conducting independent research and presenting informed viewpoints. They further refine their mastery of advanced grammar, including the subjunctive, passive voice, complex pronoun structures, mixed tenses and sophisticated sentence construction, applying these accurately in translation, discussion and extended writing. Through the study of Un sac de billes and wider historical and cultural themes, students develop analytical and essay-writing skills, exploring themes, context, character and authorial intent in depth. The curriculum culminates in highly proficient communication, critical thinking and cultural understanding, preparing students for success in A Level examinations and future study beyond school. |
Academic End PointsGerman |
|
| Year 7 | Year 7 German develops students’ ability to communicate basic personal information, ask and answer simple questions, and understand spoken and written German through topics such as greetings, numbers, countries, classroom language and birthdays. Students learn key linguistic foundations including German pronunciation, sound–spelling patterns, the alphabet, noun genders, capitalisation of nouns, articles, question formation and basic verb use. During the Meine Schule unit, pupils extend their language to discuss school subjects, timetables, opinions, food, drink and clothing, while developing their understanding of inversion, connectives and time expressions. In the Meine Familie unit, students learn to describe family members, pets, physical appearance and personality, applying plural forms, possessive adjectives and a wider range of verb forms. Throughout the year, students build vocabulary-learning strategies, translation skills, listening and reading comprehension, grammatical accuracy, pronunciation and confidence in speaking and writing. The curriculum also develops students’ cultural awareness of German-speaking countries while introducing linguistic terminology such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, gender, word order, tenses and cognates to support future language learning. |
| Year 8 | Year 8 German builds on students’ prior learning by developing their ability to communicate across a wider range of topics using both present and perfect tenses, with increasing accuracy in pronunciation, grammar and sentence construction. In the Meine Freizeit unit, students learn to discuss sports, hobbies and free-time activities, express and justify opinions, talk about what others do, and arrange social plans using a wider range of verbs and question forms. The Mein Haus unit develops language for describing where students live, rooms in the home, household activities and chores, while introducing the dative case, prepositions and adverbs of frequency. In Meine Stadt, students learn to describe places in their town, explain what people can do there, and use transactional language in cafés and snack bars, including ordering food and handling simple role-play conversations. Throughout the year, students strengthen their understanding of key grammatical concepts such as verb conjugation, word order, inversion, cases, pronouns, connectives and justified opinions, while expanding their vocabulary and translation skills. The curriculum also develops GCSE-style listening, reading, speaking and writing skills, enabling students to extract information from texts and audio, write in greater detail, and participate confidently in structured conversations in German. |
| Year 9 | Year 9 German consolidates and extends students’ knowledge by developing their ability to communicate confidently across a range of topics using present, past and future tenses, while preparing for the demands of GCSE study. Students learn to discuss food, hobbies and daily life in greater detail, revisiting and expanding vocabulary from Key Stage 3 while mastering the formation and use of the perfect tense and more complex time expressions. The curriculum includes topics such as health, body parts and fitness, enabling students to describe illnesses, understand advice, and develop their understanding of plurals, imperatives and verb structures. Students also study shopping, money, clothing, media and technology, learning to participate in transactional conversations, express preferences, apply adjective endings, and use a wider variety of grammatical structures. In the final units, students develop their use of the future tense, explore careers and workplaces, move confidently between three tenses, and learn to justify opinions using more sophisticated language. Throughout the year, students strengthen translation, speaking, listening, reading and writing skills while gaining cultural knowledge of German-speaking countries through topics such as festivals, Christmas markets, Oktoberfest and the history of the GDR, providing a strong foundation for GCSE German. |
| Year 10 | Year 10 German builds on Key Stage 3 learning by increasing students’ confidence in using present, past and future tenses, giving and justifying opinions, and communicating with greater accuracy and fluency across a range of GCSE-style topics. In the Die Schule unit, students develop language to discuss school life, subjects, teachers, uniform, rules and future study plans, while exploring cultural differences between the German and British education systems. The Free Time unit revisits and extends vocabulary related to hobbies, music, television, film, social media and technology, enabling students to express detailed opinions and participate in transactional conversations. In My Personal World, students learn to describe family relationships, physical and personality characteristics, role models and celebrations, while applying more sophisticated grammatical structures including reflexive and separable verbs and relative pronouns. The Lifestyle and Wellbeing unit develops students’ ability to discuss health, diet, sport, wellbeing and illnesses, compare habits across different time frames, and use more advanced language such as comparatives, superlatives and conditional structures. Throughout the year, students strengthen GCSE listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation skills, broaden their cultural understanding of German-speaking countries, and develop the grammatical knowledge needed to produce increasingly detailed and accurate communication. |
| Year 11 | Year 11 German consolidates GCSE knowledge and develops students’ confidence in communicating spontaneously and accurately across a range of familiar and unfamiliar topics using a minimum of three tenses. In the My Area unit, students learn to describe their local area, home and shopping habits, discuss transport and amenities, and take part in role-play situations involving directions, shopping and travel. The Travel and Tourism unit develops language for holidays, accommodation, activities, weather and travel problems, while strengthening students’ use of past, present, future and conditional tenses. Through the Our World topic, students explore environmental issues, sustainability and global responsibilities, expressing opinions and using modal verbs, complex structures and a range of time frames to discuss solutions. In the Future Plans unit, students discuss careers, strengths and weaknesses, aspirations, further education and life after examinations, using increasingly sophisticated language and grammatical constructions. Throughout the year, students refine their listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation skills, deepen their understanding of advanced grammar such as cases, conditional forms and subordinating structures, and prepare for GCSE success through regular retrieval, role-play and examination-style practice. |
| Year 12 | Year 12 German moves beyond the personal topics studied at GCSE and introduces students to contemporary social, cultural and historical issues within the German-speaking world, enabling them to discuss ideas with greater sophistication, fluency and cultural awareness. Students develop detailed knowledge of topics including environmental issues, sustainability, alternative energy, German media, music, education, festivals and traditions, while exploring how these themes reflect life and society in German-speaking countries. They gain a deeper understanding of German culture through the study of topics such as recycling and environmental policy, the German school system, popular culture, Christmas and Karneval traditions, and the role of media and technology in society. Alongside this, students build secure knowledge of advanced grammar, including the case system, complex word order, adjective endings, subordinate clauses, tenses, modal verbs, reflexive and separable verbs, and the foundations of the subjunctive. The curriculum also introduces literary and historical study through Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s Der Besuch der alten Dame and an exploration of post-war Germany, the division of East and West Germany, and life in the GDR, developing students’ analytical and essay-writing skills. Throughout the year, students engage increasingly with authentic texts, films, media sources and independent research, strengthening their listening, reading, speaking, translation and critical thinking skills in preparation for advanced A Level study. |
| Year 13 | Year 13 German develops students into highly confident and independent linguists who can discuss complex social, cultural, political and historical issues with fluency, accuracy and sophistication. Students gain an in-depth understanding of immigration, multiculturalism and integration in Germany, exploring the contribution of migrant communities, the challenges of social integration, discrimination, extremism and political responses to immigration. They also develop detailed historical knowledge of post-war Germany, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the fall of the Berlin Wall, reunification and the continuing social, economic and cultural impact of division and reunification on German society. Alongside these themes, students undertake advanced literary and film study through Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s Der Besuch der alten Dame and Goodbye Lenin!, analysing characterisation, themes, context, style and authorial or directorial techniques through extended analytical essays. Students continue to refine their mastery of advanced grammar, translation and spontaneous spoken German while engaging with authentic texts, films, articles and independent research. By the end of the course, students are able to communicate persuasively on complex issues, critically evaluate cultural and historical perspectives, and demonstrate the linguistic, analytical and intercultural understanding required for success in A Level German and future study. |
Academic End PointsSpanish |
|
| Year 7 | Year 7 Spanish introduces students to the foundations of language learning, building confidence in communication through topics such as personal information, family, countries and school. Students develop core vocabulary and grammatical knowledge, including noun gender, adjective agreement, present tense verbs, question formation and expressing simple opinions, while improving their pronunciation, reading, listening and writing skills. Through regular practice, retrieval activities and classroom interaction, students learn how to understand and use Spanish with increasing accuracy, apply language-learning strategies and communicate about themselves and others in familiar contexts. The curriculum also develops cultural awareness through exploration of the Spanish-speaking world, encouraging curiosity about different countries, traditions and ways of life. By the end of the year, students are able to understand and produce short spoken and written texts, laying secure foundations for future language study. |
| Year 8 | Year 8 Spanish builds on the foundations established in Year 7 by developing students’ ability to communicate in greater detail across topics including family and pets, food, home and daily routine. Students strengthen their understanding of key grammatical concepts such as verb conjugation, adjective agreement, reflexive verbs and the conditional tense, while becoming increasingly confident in using both present and future-oriented language, expressing opinions and providing justifications. Through listening, reading, speaking, writing and translation activities, students develop greater independence in manipulating language, extracting information from texts and holding simple conversations. The curriculum also promotes cultural awareness through the exploration of Spanish-speaking traditions, food, lifestyles and daily life, helping students understand similarities and differences across cultures. By the end of the year, students have developed a broader vocabulary, greater grammatical accuracy and emerging GCSE-style skills, providing a strong foundation for further language study. |
| Year 9 | Year 9 Spanish consolidates Key Stage 3 learning and prepares students for GCSE by developing confidence in communicating across a wider range of topics, including personal identity, free time, tourism, holidays, clothing and school life. Students build fluency in using and recognising multiple tenses, including the present, perfect, preterite and future tenses, while extending their use of opinions, justifications, comparatives, superlatives and a broader range of grammatical structures. Through listening, reading, speaking, writing and translation activities, students learn to sustain longer responses, ask and answer questions with increasing spontaneity and manipulate language with greater accuracy and independence. Cultural understanding is deepened through exploration of Spanish-speaking traditions, cities, festivals, tourism and lifestyles, enabling students to make meaningful links between language and culture. By the end of the year, students can communicate confidently using three time frames, write extended texts and apply the core grammatical knowledge and vocabulary needed for successful progression to GCSE study. |
| Year 10 | Year 10 Spanish builds on the foundations established at Key Stage 3, developing students’ confidence in communicating about a wider range of topics including free time, holidays, identity, relationships, lifestyle and wellbeing. Students strengthen their ability to use multiple time frames, including the present, preterite, perfect, imperfect, conditional and future tenses, while broadening their vocabulary and applying increasingly sophisticated grammatical structures with greater accuracy. Through regular practice in listening, reading, speaking, writing and translation, students learn to express and justify opinions, describe experiences, give advice and sustain longer responses in preparation for GCSE-style assessments. The curriculum also promotes cultural awareness through exploration of Spanish-speaking traditions, festivals, lifestyles and contemporary issues, helping students to engage more meaningfully with the wider Hispanic world. By the end of the year, students demonstrate increased fluency, resilience and independence, with secure grammatical foundations and the ability to communicate confidently across a range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts. |
| Year 11 | Year 11 Spanish consolidates and extends GCSE learning, enabling students to communicate confidently and spontaneously across a broad range of familiar and contemporary topics, including education, local area, social and environmental issues, and future aspirations. Students refine their ability to understand and manipulate complex language through the secure use of multiple tenses, including the present, preterite, perfect, imperfect, future and conditional, while developing greater accuracy in grammar, translation and extended writing. Through regular practice in listening, reading, speaking and writing, students learn to justify opinions, infer meaning from challenging texts, respond spontaneously to unfamiliar questions and apply sophisticated structures such as negatives, comparatives, impersonal constructions and, where appropriate, the subjunctive. Cultural understanding is strengthened through exploration of Spanish-speaking societies, education systems, environmental issues and the changing world of work. By the end of the year, students are resilient and independent language learners who can communicate with confidence, apply advanced grammatical knowledge accurately and demonstrate the linguistic fluency and cultural awareness required for success at GCSE and beyond. |
| Year 12 | Year 12 Spanish marks the transition from GCSE to A Level study, moving students beyond personal topics towards the exploration of contemporary social, cultural and political issues across the Spanish-speaking world. Students develop greater fluency, independence and analytical depth through the study of themes such as changes in Spanish society, family structures, employment, music, traditions, media, tourism and cultural identity, while engaging with authentic listening and reading materials. They strengthen their command of advanced grammatical structures, including complex verb tenses, the subjunctive mood, pronoun usage and sophisticated sentence construction, enabling them to express nuanced opinions and support arguments with evidence. Students also begin the study of the film Volver, developing critical analysis, essay-writing skills and an understanding of wider cultural and historical contexts. Through independent research, debate, translation and discussion, students become increasingly confident communicators who can engage with complex ideas in Spanish and demonstrate the linguistic accuracy, cultural understanding and analytical skills required for successful progression into Year 13 and A Level examinations. |
| Year 13 | Year 13 Spanish represents the culmination of A Level study, enabling students to communicate with confidence, fluency and sophistication on a wide range of contemporary, cultural and historical issues affecting the Spanish-speaking world. Students refine their mastery of advanced grammatical structures, including complex uses of the subjunctive, passive constructions, compound tenses and nuanced translation skills, while developing the ability to analyse and evaluate authentic materials in both spoken and written forms. Through the study of the film Volver, Federico García Lorca’s Bodas de Sangre, Spanish history, immigration, democracy and social change, students deepen their understanding of the cultural, political and literary contexts of Spain. They further develop their research, debate and presentation skills through independent investigation and preparation for the Individual Research Project, while producing analytical essays that demonstrate critical engagement with themes, characters, style and context. By the end of the year, students are highly independent linguists who can communicate persuasively, think critically about complex issues, engage confidently with authentic texts and cultural works, and apply advanced linguistic knowledge in preparation for university-level study and beyond. |
Click here to visualise the French learner journey
