Modern Languages

At St Mary’s School, learning Modern Foreign Languages is a vital and integral part of our broad and balanced curriculum. Whether it is seen as a stimulating intellectual challenge, a way of developing social skills or a means of deepening understanding of other cultures, language learning enriches the experience of every student.We are proud of the exceptionally broad choice we offer our students: French, German, Italian and Spanish are all taught by specialists.

On joining the school in Year 7, girls learn French in their form groups, quickly building basic vocabulary and an understanding of grammatical concepts. From Year 8 French is taught in sets so that each student develops at an appropriate pace. In Year 8 girls also choose a second foreign language, which may be German, Italian or Spanish. Both French and the second language are studied throughout Years 8 and 9.

Our students all take at least one language to GCSE level and some girls choose to take two. In Years 10 and 11 girls build on the vocabulary and grammar developed in earlier years. They become more able to express complex ideas both orally and in writing and study themes in greater depth as well as tackling new topics such as fashion, technology and environmental issues. Our students are entered for the Edexcel GCSE which involves examinations in listening and reading (40% of the final grade) and controlled assessments in speaking and writing (60%).

St Mary’s has a lively programme of trips abroad to complement girls’ studies. Details vary from year to year, but as an example in the past 12 months there have been three visits to France, three to Spain (including an exchange) and one to Italy. Language-related activities in school encompass foreign language films, penfriends, visits from theatre companies and in International Week quizzes, competitions, food-tasting and dressing-up.   We also offer Dutch conversation lessons to support our exchange visit to the William of Orange School in the Netherlands.

International School Award

We at St Mary’s School are passionate about creating an international and global ethos  throughout the school. We have held the International School Award since 2008 and endeavour to enrich the curriculum with activities that celebrate and embrace pupils’ own as well as other cultural identities. We believe in helping our students gain a global and local outlook; by being well informed about the world we live in, we hope that they feel a sense of commitment to justice, equality and sustainable development. Just some of this year’s international activities include links with schools in Ghana, Peru, Spain and Holland, a nativity play in Spanish, Ghana day, International week and international cookery.