French and Spanish are thriving world languages at the Royal School, with strong uptake figures and outstanding results.
Head of Department: Mrs Valerie Henbury-Demargne
- Students are encouraged to gain competence through confidence and enjoyment; we use a breadth of strategies and resources to support each individual to reach their potential.
- Our classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards, our department has its own suite of Chromebooks, and we use a variety of learning platforms to enhance and support in class learning and prep.
- Trips are also an integral part of the learning experience; and Year 12have the option of a work experience week in Aurillac.
- While younger years take part in the Young Scribe competition in French, the Sixth Form have an engaging programme of foreign language film evenings, and “Joutes Oratoires”, where A-level, IB and Pre-U students debate in French against other schools from the south London area.
- Lunchtime clubs add extra spice to our curriculum, with a Spanish conversation club, and a French cooking club doubling up as a GCSE conversation club.
In Year 7 onwards, all pupils study French and Spanish. Pupils at our Prep School have a more formal introduction to French, however new joiners are offered a catch-up club in the first term of Year 7. Spanish is a beginner course in Year 7.
While they can choose between French and Spanish as an option for KS4, and we like to encourage all pupils to select a language at GCSE if they can; we are always delighted that some pupils opt to carry on with both, making them dual linguists at GCSE.
The school is an examination centre for GCSE and A Level Mandarin Chinese for native Chinese students.
Where next? It is our great joy when our single and dual A Level linguists choose to go on to do degree courses in Languages, or pursue a Higher Education course in another subject with a Language option alongside it.