German is a thriving, active subject with very successful examination results. Students are not only taught the building blocks of the language to inspire creativity, but also develop an understanding of the culture and traditions of German speaking countries.
Key Stage 3
German and French is studied by all students from Years 7 to 9. At the end of Year 9 the students choose their option subjects for GCSE. One Modern Language is compulsory but two are encouraged. German is a very popular option choice. During Key Stage 3 students are introduced to all the topics and all the key grammar points needed for GCSE.
GCSE
We follow the Pearson Edexcel GCSE German course. The main units are Identity and Culture; Local area and holidays; School; Future plans; International and global dimension. The majority of students achieve grades 9-7 and are very well prepared for continuing their language learning at A Level.
A Level
We continue to follow the Pearson Edexcel at A Level. This is a modern course which develops not only their linguistic skills but also their general understanding of the world. The main topics (which are all focussed on German speaking countries) are Society in German speaking countries; Modern culture and traditions; Immigration and multi-cultural society; The reunification of Germany. The majority achieve an A* or A at A level and we also have many linguists who go on to study languages at university, many at Oxford or Cambridge.
Extra-Curricular Activities
The Department is very busy and runs many visits abroad.
- At the end of Year 8 students travel to the Rhineland for 5 days, students in Years 9 and 10 can take part in the annual exchange with Chelmsford’s twin town, Backnang in Baden-Württemberg and we also run a work experience exchange with Backnang for Year 12 students.
- During the year we run many extra-curricular activities, such as Junior Film Club, Have Your Say Competition, GCSE Revision Clinic and Oxbridge Preparation tutorials.
- We often have volunteer students from Germany who work with us for a period of time, offering conversation to the GCSE and A Level students. Where possible they also visit the lower school classes.
