Languages

Finham Park 2 works closely with Finham Park School, which is the home of the only secondary school Confucius Classroom in the West Midlands to deliver the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP), an intensive language learning programme funded by the British government. From their arrival in Y7, MEP students receive four hours per week of Mandarin tuition and complete up to four hours per week of independent study in the form of online activities, language and project work. With this generous amount of curriculum time, students make rapid progress and quickly build up confidence in understanding the language and culture of China. They also receive plenty of opportunities to enjoy cultural activities, for example a visit this year from a Chinese language rock band and shadow-puppet workshops, as well as opportunities to represent the school at special events.

• In Year 7, most of our pupils study Spanish with a small group studying Mandarin through the MEP.
• In Years 8, French and Spanish are taught through a bespoke skills-focused course linked to Studio in French and Mira/Viva in Spanish.
• Topics in Year 7 include: Introducing myself, Family and Friends, Where I live, A Day in my Life and Free time.
• Topics in Year 8 include: My Area, Food and Lifestyle, Media, Life as a Teenager and A region of Spain/France.
• Topics is Year 9 including: Relationships, My town and region, My school, Free time and Asking someone to go out.

• At GCSE, the Department prepares candidates for the AQA, specification over the course of 2 years. Again it is a bespoke course supported by Studio in French and ¡Viva! in Spanish. This is a linear course and students are examined in year 11 on the 4 skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
• Themes covered are:
  • Theme 1: Identity and Culture
  • Theme 2: Local, National, International and Global areas of interest
  • Theme 3: Current and Future study and Employment