William Ellis School has been a designated Language College since 1997 and as such offers a rich and diverse curriculum for all year groups.

 

There are eight full-time and one part-time member of staff who are supported by three foreign languages assistants and a part-time support staff.

The excellent commitment of this team ensures that a wide range of enrichment activities is offered including languages clubs during the lunch hour, GCSE workshops after school, educational visits and trips abroad.

Teaching and learning focuses on language acquisition through a variety of means with an emphasis on encouraging boys to learn, understand and use key language. Languages is traditionally split into four skill areas (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and work centres on developing ability in each area. Lesson activities may include exploiting a text for comprehension, listening to authentic materials via tape or cd, role-play, interactive games. All boys have regular ICT based lessons throughout KS3 & KS4.

 

Homework is recognised as an integral part of learning and is set every week in each language. Typical homework activities will include learning vocabulary, preparing short presentations or responses for speaking, writing sentences or a short paragraph on the topic studied, reading a text and answering questions.

 

Class teachers regularly set assessments across the four skill areas. There is a final end of year exam in listening, reading and writing only based on the year’s work. Pupils are only assessed at the end of the year in speaking during KS4.

Students are actively encouraged to review their learning and evaluate their own progress.