Our Spanish curriculum is built around three core ambitions:

Develop Confident, Skilled Communicators

Pupils will learn to:

• Speak, listen, read and write in Spanish with increasing accuracy and fluency
• Use a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures
• Communicate in real-life situations and adapt their language for different contexts

Through regular practice and structured progression, pupils become confident in expressing themselves independently.

Foster Cultural Understanding and Global Awareness

Spanish lessons at Forge Valley go beyond vocabulary and grammar. Pupils explore:

• Customs, festivals and traditions across Spain and the Spanish-speaking world
• The diverse history, geography and societies of Spanish-speaking countries
• The importance of languages in building respect, curiosity and cultural awareness

We want our pupils to develop an appreciation for different ways of life and broaden their understanding of the world.

Build Resilience, Curiosity and Lifelong Learning Skills

Language learning develops transferable skills including:

• Problem-solving and memory strategies
• Analysis of patterns and structures
• Communication, teamwork and active listening

These skills support learning across all subjects and help pupils become confident, independent thinkers.

Higher Education Pathways

GCSE Spanish provides a strong foundation for:

Post‑16 Study

• A‑Level Spanish
• Level 3 Applied Languages or Linguistics courses
• International Baccalaureate Language courses
• Travel & Tourism qualifications
• Business and Marketing courses (often with optional language units)

University Degrees

Pupils with GCSE Spanish—and especially those who continue studying it—can progress to degrees such as:

• Spanish or Modern Languages
• Spanish combined with another subject (e.g., Business, Law, Politics, History)
• Linguistics
• Translation and Interpreting
• International Relations
• Hospitality and Tourism Management
• Global Studies
• Teaching or Education degrees with languages
• Business or Marketing with a year abroad

A GCSE makes these pathways more accessible and builds confidence for higher-level language study.

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Career Opportunities Linked to Spanish

Knowing Spanish is a huge advantage: it is the second most widely spoken language in the world, used across Europe, the Americas and parts of Africa.

GCSE Spanish can lead to careers in:

Business & Global Trade

• International business and management
• Marketing and brand development
• Import/export roles
• Customer relations with global companies

Tourism, Hospitality & Travel

• Airline cabin crew
• Tourism officer or holiday representative
• Hotel and hospitality management
• Travel consultancy

Education & Community Roles

• Teacher or teaching assistant (with further training)
• Language tutor
• Youth and community worker
• International school or exchange programme roles

Media, Communications & Creative Industries

• Journalism
• Social media management
• Content creation and editing
• Broadcasting
• Film, TV and digital media

Public Services & International Work

• Civil Service
• Armed forces roles requiring language skills
• Police (especially in diverse communities)
• Diplomacy and embassy work
• International aid and charity roles

Specialist Language Careers

(Usually after further study)

• Translator or interpreter
• Linguist
• Cultural liaison officer
• International researcher
• Conference interpreting

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Life Skills Gained from GCSE Spanish

Regardless of career choices, Spanish equips pupils with lifelong strengths:

Communication Skills

Expressing ideas clearly and adapting to new situations.

Cultural Awareness

Understanding and appreciating other cultures—essential in diverse societies.

Confidence and Independence

Travelling, working or studying abroad becomes far more accessible.

Problem‑Solving and Memory Skills

Building patterns, spotting connections and thinking creatively.

Employability

A language qualification stands out on CVs and personal statements.

You don’t need to speak Spanish yourself to help your child succeed. Small, consistent support at home can make a huge difference to their confidence, motivation and progress. Here are some simple and effective ways to encourage their language learning.

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Encourage Regular Practice

• Help your child build a short daily routine—10 minutes is enough.
• Support them in revising vocabulary using flashcards (paper or apps).
• Encourage them to revisit class notes, knowledge organisers or revision guides.

Little and often is much more effective than occasional long sessions.

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Make Use of Free Online Tools

Even without understanding Spanish, you can guide your child to useful resources such as:

• BBC Bitesize Spanish (beginner-friendly explanations)
• Duolingo / Memrise / Quizlet for vocabulary recall
• SpanishDict for accurate translations and pronunciation
• GCSEPod or Seneca Learning (if the school provides these)

You can help by setting reminders, celebrating progress or exploring the resources with them.

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Practise Speaking Together

You don’t need to know Spanish to engage in speaking practice. Try:

• Asking your child to teach you a few words or phrases
• Reading vocabulary aloud together
• Letting them “be the teacher” and explain a grammar point
• Encouraging them to use Spanish at home (e.g., counting, colours, simple greetings)

Teaching someone else is excellent revision.

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Build Interest in Spanish-Speaking Cultures

Pupils learn better when they feel curious about the culture. You can:

• Watch Spanish-language films or cartoons with English subtitles
• Listen to Spanish music or podcasts (kid-friendly options available)
• Try Spanish or Latin American recipes
• Look at maps of Spanish-speaking countries together

This helps pupils understand why learning a language is exciting and worthwhile.

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Support Homework and Organisation

You can help by:

• Checking your child knows what homework is due
• Encouraging early completion instead of last-minute work
• Helping them find a quiet space to practise speaking or listening
• Supporting them in organising their vocabulary lists or revision cards

Even gentle reminders make a big difference.

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Use Technology to Build Confidence

Many tools allow pupils to hear correct pronunciation:

• Google Translate speaker function (for listening only, not full translation)
• YouTube videos on Spanish pronunciation
• School-approved digital resources

Listening regularly builds familiarity and confidence.

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Celebrate the Small Wins

Learning a language takes time. Celebrate progress such as:

• Remembering a tricky verb
• Completing a vocabulary test
• Speaking a sentence accurately
• Showing curiosity about Spanish culture

Positive reinforcement keeps motivation high.

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Communicate with the Spanish Department

If your child is unsure, anxious or falling behind, contact the Languages Department. Teachers can provide:

• Extra resources
• Revision materials
• Support strategies
• Clarification on classwork or homework

Forge Valley’s languages team is experienced, enthusiastic and happy to help.

KS3 Curriculum 

All pupils at Forge Valley study Spanish at Key Stage 3. Pupils study the language through a range of topic areas including family, hobbies, school and modern technology. Pupils’ vocabulary and grammatical understanding is developed through a cyclical curriculum, which sees key structures and languages regularly revisiting and further developed. We also aim to give our pupils an understanding of the Hispanic world by introducing them to the traditions, festivals, food and lifestyle in Spain and Latin America. We do this through cultural starter activities and use of authentic texts and materials. 

We offer extra-curricular visits abroad, to broaden horizons and to allow our pupils to practise their language skills in real life contexts as well as enabling them to experience Spanish culture. In recent years we have visited Valencia and Barcelona. 

Mastery Learning 

All pupils learn the key vocabulary for the topic they are studying on a weekly basis. Pupils are emailed a link every week by their class teacher and complete learning activities on the Booklet website to practise this vocabulary. The purpose of this is to allow pupils the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge at home and better prepare them for learning in the classroom. 

All pupils have a baseline quiz at the start and end of each unit of work based on this vocabulary. We wish to emphasise that this is a low-stakes quiz and not an assessment. This is used to demonstrate to pupils the progress they have made and may be used as a diagnostic tool to inform teachers of any knowledge gaps, which may need to be addressed. 

Mastery

Spanish is a very popular subject at Key Stage 4 with students building on the skills they developed at Key Stage 3. We follow the AQA course which covers three main themes: 

• Theme 1: Identity and culture 

• Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest 

• Theme 3: Current and future study and employment. 

The three main topic areas are studied in greater depth than at Key Stage 3, with the key focus being to develop skills in Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. As well as having access to a range of materials and resources, time is built into the course to work in small groups with our Foreign Language Assistants, both during lesson time and in after school additional support sessions. 

The course is assessed through final examinations at the end of Year. Students have 4 separate exams in Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing, with each paper worth 25% of the final grade. 

We offer an Exchange Programme for our Year 10 students to Plasencia in Eastern Spain which is an excellent opportunity for students to develop their spoken language as well as getting a real insight into Spanish culture.  We have developed a very strong link with our partner school IES Gabriel y Galán. The programme involves a week-long visit to Spain, followed by a return visit from our Spanish partners, with Forge Valley parents also being involved in the English leg of the partnership.  

Mastery Learning 

All pupils learn the key vocabulary for the topic they are studying on a weekly basis. Pupils are emailed a link every week by their class teacher and complete learning activities on the Quizlet website to practise this vocabulary. The purpose of this is to allow pupils the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge at home and better prepare them for learning in the classroom. Pupils have a weekly in-class vocabulary test. 

Mastery