In the MFL department we strive to offer our students a rich, broad, ambitious and holistic MFL curriculum at all Key Stages that caters for all types of learners. We endeavour to set up our students to experience success in languages.

Typically, by the end of KS3 our students achieve FCSE MFL qualifications in 2 foreign languages. At KS4 we have an upwards trend of foreign language uptake at GCSE level and the same occurs at KS5 with A-level uptake in the three languages taught at NCW. We continue to promote learning languages at all levels by offering FCSE in a third language to KS4 and 5 students. We are also offering Open University courses to suitable students.

Our curriculum presents opportunities for our students to make progress not only academically but within the areas in the Curriculum Framework for people and young children with vision impairment (CFVI).

Our delivery aims to enthuse students and develop confident, critical thinkers that understand that they are citizens of the world.

The MFL curriculum has been uniquely developed for NCW students. It has been carefully conceived within a coherent and progressive framework that keeps the individual learner at the core.

MFL PRINCIPLES

Our pedagogy is underpinned by:

• Passion for languages.
• Subject knowledge.
• Understanding of teaching principles for children and young people with a vision impairment.
• Promoting a class environment where pupils experience languages first hand and immerse themselves fully in the use of the foreign language. Students’ contributions are always encouraged and valued. Making errors is part of learning.
• Having high expectations and a “can do” attitude.
• Regular revisiting of language, grammar and knowledge to promote long-term learning and to provide a base for extending.
• Meticulous attention is paid to tailoring to individuals; anticipating the need to adapt resources to make them accessible, possible misconceptions or a potential lack of skills or incidental knowledge of some students.
• There is regular, constant constructive feedback given to students in a range of forms (verbal or written; in class, through homework and assessments). This systematic checking for understanding informs future teaching, potential homework tasks and, if needed, student interventions.
• Upholding reflective MFL learners that understand their strengths and areas of improvement.
• Promoting learners that take charge and are responsible for their own learning. Students are expected to share their knowledge with others; enriching the learning experience (work experience students in the MFL department, students create podcasts to teach others, classwork/ homework support).

Our MFL curriculum is rich, broad and ambitious because it:

• Strives to develop the learners holistically, preparing them to have a wider understanding of the world, diversity and cultures.
• Inspires students to cherish foreign languages because of the personal and academic growth that language learning can provide to them.
• Encourages students to consider languages as a viable work path where they can match and even surpass sighted peers in language skills (e.g. simultaneous translation).
• Fosters enjoyment, independence and success.
• Covers a range of topics and contexts.
• Provides first-hand experiences such as event days (e.g. Japan day, European language day), e-pals, contact with native speakers (CSVs, volunteers and visitors), trips and foreign work experience (Covid permitting)
• Promotes learning for fun and reading for pleasure.
• Features authentic materials: poems, songs, stories, extracts, and audio material.

Gives students who speak other languages the opportunity to gain academic accreditation for their knowledge of that foreign language.

The objective is to build on the student’s knowledge of the language and culture whilst preparing them to undertake GCSE exams.

Beatriz Molina

January 2024