Aims and Values
At Bournemouth School, we believe strongly in the need to study Languages in terms of preparing our students for a 21st century globalised society. The emphasis of teaching is on making sure that students are exposed to and use the language studied as often as possible. We aim to do this in a supportive environment, where all students are challenged and enjoy their lessons. As a Grammar School we aim to offer as diverse a range of languages as possible; consequently students are currently able to study French, German and Spanish. The Languages Department plays a vital role across the school in not just developing students’ academic and linguistic ability but also their cultural awareness and creativity.
Accommodation and Resources
The Languages Department has seven main teaching rooms all of which are equipped with interactive whiteboards; these are used by the staff to help deliver vibrant and engaging lessons. In addition the department has two ICT suites which students use to develop their languages skills on an individual basis through the use of our extensive range of software and internet based resources. The department also makes use of a range of more traditional resources such as textbooks, audio CDs and games to ensure that students acquire a solid foundation in the basics of the subject. Furthermore, the department is fortunate to have Foreign Language Assistants for French, German and Spanish who regularly work with small groups of students to develop the fluency of their speaking skills.
Staffing
The Department has nine teachers of whom three are part-time. All of whom are responsible for teaching a range of languages across the Key Stages. As a team all staff are committed to the sharing of best practice, resources and ideas to ensure that the lessons that are taught are of a consistently high standard across the age range and languages that we offer.
Extra-Curricular Activities
The Languages Department offers a range of activities and educational visits to further enrich the curriculum that we offer. These activities include specific Languages Days where students are given the opportunity to spend a day working on a Languages based project. To help broaden our students cultural and linguistic horizons we offer visits to France on an annual basis and biennial visits to Germany and Spain for students studying those languages.