Curriculum, Teaching & Learning

Spanish

More than 570 million people speak Spanish worldwide, with 477 million of them being native speakers spread across the Iberian peninsula, the USA and Central and South America. This number is expected to rise to 754 million people by 2050, pushed by population growth in Spanish-speaking countries as well as the growing number of Spanish speakers in the United States.

The Spanish Department currently delivers a fast track GCSE course enabling talented linguists to learn a second Modern Foreign Language at KS4 to complement their French or German studies. Students begin ab initio in Year 10 and achieve a Higher Tier GCSE qualification by the end of Year 11.

The Department offers a caring, stimulating and secure environment for all pupils who choose Spanish as one of their GCSE option subjects and may choose to go on and study the language to A level. We place an emphasis on not only nurturing a love of the language but also, fostering an appreciation of the Hispanic speaking world and encouraging all students to develop as individuals. We hope that by learning Spanish, students will acquire not only a mastery of the language, but also a love for learning, as well as numerous other transferable skills. High quality, creative and dynamic teaching from committed and imaginative subject experts encourages students to develop their confidence, their own sense of self-worth, which will help them in all areas of their future lives. The academically rigorous nature of the discipline, and the fast track nature of the GCSE course in particular ensures that all students are sufficiently stretched and challenged.