Modern Foreign Languages

Sheffield High School boasts a thriving languages department offering French, German, Latin, Russian and Spanish to GCSE and A-level as well as Classical Civilisation to A-Level. The department aims to instil a love of language learning and to offer both a breadth and depth of language study, giving girls experience of a range of languages at Key Stage 3 before providing a more rigorous study of one or more languages to GCSE and beyond.

All girls who enter Year 7 initially study two languages chosen from French, German and Spanish and then start learning Latin in Year 8. Girls are asked to state a preference for the languages they wish to study as they join the Senior School in Year 7 and are guaranteed at least one of their choices. Girls who joined Year 7 before September 2008 all study French and German for a minimum of three years and are also able to choose Latin, Russian or Spanish in Year 8. At Key Stage 4, students take at least one language to GCSE, although they are encouraged to continue with two and some girls even take three languages.

Girls are taught using a range of lively and up-to-date resources including the use of ICT, DVD and video and interactive whiteboards. Results at GCSE are excellent, with the majority of students gaining A* and A grades.

Smaller numbers of girls continue their studies to AS and A-level where they have the opportunity to pursue their own interests in cultural topics which they prepare for Speaking Tests and for a written examination. Again, students are very successful, with the majority obtaining high grades.

The School is fortunate in having the services of foreign language assistants for French, German and Spanish, so all girls studying these languages have regular contact with a native speaker.

Our 17-position Sanako multi-media suite, which was upgraded and enlarged in the summer of 2007, provides vital aural practice for all students at Key Stage 4 and in the Sixth Form and is also available for self-supported study for Sixth Form girls.

The Department also offers a Languages Club for Key Stage 3 pupils as well as ‘clinics’ in individual languages to assist pupils who are preparing for public examinations. There are frequent foreign visits, with a Year 7 trip to Spain and a Year 8 trip to either France or Germany every year and home stay visits to France, Germany and Spain. Sixth Formers can also take advantage of a biennial trip to Paris, a Year 12 / Year 13 exchange to Palma in Majorca as well as visits to foreign plays, films and language days.

Fourth and Fifth in the Country in the National Spelling Bee!

Spelling Bee girls from Year 7 achieved top five rankings in the country! Klaudia came fourth for the Spanish Spelling Bee and Hooriya came fifth in the national final for the French Spelling Bee. These national finals, which were held in Cambridge, started from a base of around 33,000 pupils. The competition was very, very tough and the pressure was intense, but both girls held their nerve.

The competition involved learning 200 words in the foreign language, then spelling out loud as many as possible in the foreign language in one minute, including accents and punctuation. Both girls had the stress of a “sudden death” spelling session. This is where Hooriya got knocked out with an extraordinarily unlucky mispronunciation of the word “ennuyeux”.

Both girls were presented with a certificate and Klaudia has a beautiful medal for coming fourth.