SUPPORTING OTHER SECONDARY SCHOOLS

One of the important functions that we serve as a Specialist Language College is to provide support for language teachers from the other 41 secondary schools across the city.

 

“The Experience”

In 2003 we worked with Aim Higher and the North East Leeds City Learning Centre to develop “The Experience”, an immersion activity in French, Spanish and German. This has become an enormously popular resource for the whole city, and over 1000 students have now visited “The Experience”.

 

The Experience aims:

• To encourage Year 9 students to continue studying MFL at Key Stage 4.
• To deliver an intensive language experience which gives students the chance to use speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
• To build confidence and a sense of fun in language learning.

 

This three-hour activity starts with an introductory session in which students, working in groups of three, get to know their partner, who is a native or fluent language speaker. They then “go to town” (in fact, a simulated town!) where they have to find out certain information by reading advertisements, looking at the newspaper headlines, listening to announcements and asking questions to passers-by. They also have to buy items from the shops, and answer street surveys.

 

After an hour and a half of “language chaos” they are then allowed to relax with an appropriately themed drink and snack (depending on the language) before going to the computer suite to produce a presentation of their experience.

 

The Experience is funded by Aim Higher and the North East Leeds City Learning Centre. Prince Henry’s continues to provide advisory support.

 

Training

Each year, in partnership with Education Leeds, we run a programme of twilight professional development opportunities for MFL teachers, on subjects such as using interactive whiteboards in MFL, meeting the needs of Gifted and Talented pupils, and Assessment for Learning in MFL. The aim is for serving classroom teachers, some from Prince Henry’s and some from other schools, to share their good practice with others.

 

In addition to the twilight programme we also run an annual day for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs), and an annual Forum for Heads of MFL. These are organised with support from the other Specialist Language Colleges in the area: Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School, Royds School and Brigshaw High School.

 

Support

We have also established a support role for the other secondary schools in the city, and are regularly asked to help by sharing resources, hosting teachers to observe lessons or discussing specific issues, such as assessment in MFL or preparing for Ofsted. We have also helped a number of schools in particularly difficult circumstances when they have had severe staffing problems.