The MFL department at Bonus Pastor aims to open students’ horizons through broadening their cultural knowledge and developing successful communicators in the target language. We aim to nurture an outward-looking approach to the world in order to enhance students’ personal and professional lives. We hope to equip students with the necessary skills to travel without fear and become confident and inquisitive global citizens.  

French

Spanish

Our lessons cover the four skills; listening, speaking, reading, and writing, ensuring pupils of all abilities develop cultural knowledge whilst developing their language skills. All our lessons are centred around improving knowledge in phonics, vocabulary and grammar to equip our students with the knowledge to communicate in the target language in a variety of contexts, with increased confidence.

MFL Big Ideas

Key Stage 3 French & Spanish

All Key Stage 3 pupils' study either French or Spanish for 300 minutes a fortnight. We build on student's knowledge from primary school and ensure that student's have strong foundations in French/Spanish to prepare them for GCSE. Each term is based around a topic such as media and technology, and each lesson focuses on answering a question in French/Spanish. This allows students to review core grammar and vocabulary each term as well as broaden their knowledge in the target language.

Key Stage 3 language lessons are focussed on deepening student knowledge as well as learning more about Francophone/Hispanic culture. We spend some time in class each term learning about festivals, watching foreign language films and doing research projects. This allows students to understand the purpose of learning languages and helps broaden their horizons. 

KS3 French Overview

KS3 Spanish Overview

Key Stage 4 French & Spanish

Languages are a popular choice at Bonus Pastor Catholic College for all students. Year 10 and Year 11 students’ study for the AQA examinations and develop their speaking, reading, writing and listening skills. We develop their base knowledge so that they can use their language competently at home or abroad. 

Students do well in languages at Bonus Pastor Catholic College, and every year we have pupils who go on to pursue French and/or Spanish at their chosen college/sixth form. 

For a detailed overview of our KS3 and KS4 curriculum please view the links below.

GCSE French Overview

GCSE Spanish Overview

Enrichment and Extra-Curricular Activities

The MFL department are proud to run several extra-curricular activities for out students. We run weekly lunchtime grammar clinics, a bi-weekly Arabic club and a weekly MFL culture club. Last year activities in MFL club included watching foreign language films, cooking French and Mexican foods, doing arts and crafts inspired by French and Spanish artists and partaking in taster sessions in languages such as Portuguese. In all of our clubs we encourage our students to become lifelong language learners, and we celebrate all the cultures that we study. 

Trips

The MFL department runs trips both in the UK and abroad. Each year, many of our Year 9 and 10 students are taken to the BFI to participate in a film day where they learn more about the langue and culture they study. We run a yearly Year 7 trip to Northern France, a yearly Year 8 trip to Paris and a Key Stage 4 trip to Madrid. This means that every student who studies languages has the opportunity has to engage in the subject outside of the classroom. 

For more information please email the Head of Department

Ms M. Butler