Specialist Language College
Welcome to the Language College
Ashlyns became a Specialist Language College in 2003 and in autumn 2008 was re-designated for a further three years. We are one of the few schools in the area which has achieved specialist status in languages as a primary focus receiving funding directly from the government to promote languages and the global dimension both within our school and in the local community.
Here at Ashlyns we ensure that all students study at least one modern language at Key Stage 4 whereas in many schools the study of a foreign language is no longer compulsory. We believe that studying a foreign language not only enhances a student’s employment prospect but also helps the individual to understand and appreciate cultures and people from different areas of the world. In addition to the normal curriculum students at Ashlyns benefit from a wide range of international initiatives which make their education distinctive and develop their interpersonal and intercultural skills which are essential for success in an increasingly global economy.
The curriculum
When we started this epic journey in July 2003 we had set ourselves ambitious targets related to the school curriculum and the position of foreign languages within Ashlyns and the wider community.. so how have we fared?
Of the nine key targets agreed with the Department for Education and Science we have managed to achieve the vast majority.
Modern foreign languages within the school curriculum have been extended to include Spanish and Italian at Key Stages 4 and 5 with healthy set sizes in both new languages while French and German have maintained their numbers too! Contrary to national trends languages are strong and percentage of students studying more than one language at Key Stage 4 has ranged between 30-45% of the cohort depending on the year. Over 25% of students in Key Stage 5 have also opted to continue with a modern language though obviously these numbers can vary depending on the cohort of students.
Fast track results in French at the end of Year 10 have generally been impressive and results in modern languages are improving as evidenced in the Ofsted 2008 report. Results in French at Key Stage 4 were above target for the first two years, dipped in 2006 but improved in 2007 and 2008. Spanish surpassed its first target in 2005, dipped slightly in 2006 but improved in 2007 and 2008. Our first results in Italian GCSE this summer exceeded the target impressively and achieved 100% pass rate in 2008. German has yet to see the same trend in performance though we are hopeful that 2009 will see a real improvement on last year’s results. We know that Key Stage 5 results have been erratic over the past 4 years in French and German but results for the last two summers have been impressive in French and good in German.Our first ever Spanish results were very impressive, all three candidates scoring A or B !! We even had our first ever linguist accepted at Cambridge to study French and Spanish so a huge congratulations to Simon Rew who started university life in Peterhouse College in 2007/8
The curriculum has also been personalised for students in Key Stage 4 at both ends of the ability range. The fast track students can enrich their existing knowledge of French during Year 11, recent cohorts gaining additional accreditation in French using the new Asset Languages scheme whereby they can gain extra UCAS points for every successful level achieved. Italian and Spanish courses are also offered to students in Key Stage 4 who find languages difficult so accreditation other than traditional GCSE has been provided.
Heritage Language Skills
Many students with heritage language skills have also been encouraged to gain accreditation or tuition in languages not taught within the curriculum: Persian, Chinese, Arabic, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish, Danish, Urdu and Panjabi.
After school Japanese lessons held over 18 months paid dividends for students from Ashlyns together with 3 students from Dacorum schools all of whom passed their ABC Japanese course.
Chinese after school lessons have also been provided in the past for a small group of Y9 and Y10 students some of whom went on the gain accreditation.
Cross curricular
Other departments across the school have also been busy embracing our international dimension – amongst various initiatives, one Maths group received some plenaries to lessons in French, making use of a colleague’s advanced French skills and targeting fast-track GCSE French students in Year 10. Art students complete a module of work in Year 9 exploring the Impressionist movement and using key words in French . English has explored links with Romania and Spain while Drama lead the way in taking part in the international drama festival of Poggibonsi in Italy.
The skills of listening and speaking across the curriculum are also being monitored and promoted as part of the Language College impact, allowing students to make links with these important language skills in other subject areas. Activity Days in the past have also used multicultural themes and more such days are currently being planned.
Exchanges and visits
France - Every year about 30 Y10 and Y12 students take part ina residential trip to Normandy, following a programme of activities and experiences aimed at developing oral confidence and exposure to French life.
Germany – For over twenty years Ashlyns has enjoyed a language exchange link with a school near Mainz in Germany – always a great success and a great motivator for improving language skills.
Current Year 10 students in Italian are also given the opportunity to visit Italy as part of their GCSE course linking with schools in Tuscany while we are also hoping to link with a school in Spain.
Community News
Our work with community continues to be strong:
First Schools
All Year 3 and Year 4 pupils in our First Schools now enjoy French as part of their curriculum thanks to funding from our Language College budget….Middle Schools tell us that they are beginning to see an impact in Year 5 pupils who arrive more confident and wanting to learn more ! We have also been able to offer support in terms of teaching and promoting languages at this early age through training sessions and funding opportunities.
Bridgewater and Thomas Coram Middle Schools
During the first four years as a Language College we have provided both our feeder schools with German delivered by Ashlyns staff to all Year 8 pupils. This has also helped the transition process and allowed pupils to broaden their knowledge of a second language which has allowed Year 9 pupils here at Ashlyns to perform above average in their Key Stage 3 assessments in languages. The language offered has now changed following advice and review from our Middle School colleagues so Spanish is now delivered as part of the shared curriculum. Funding has also been provided for ICT developments in both schools and international workshops held both in term and half-term.
Gifted and talented
For many years we have offered workshops for gifted linguists across Hertfordshire as well as our own students. Year 12 French / Spanish Days and Year 9 German Days- both events attracting 30 plus students and run by staff from Ashlyns. Feedback from students has always been very positive and other schools are very appreciative of the support we can offer their students.
We are also hoping to run a summer Language camp for gifted linguists in Year 7 and Year 8 in July 2009 targeting those students who have a flair for French and Spanish.
Spanish in Dacorum
Funding from the Language College also allowed us to offer a one year accelerated Spanish GCSE courses hosted at Cavendish and Longdean Schools in Hemel Hempstead during 2007-8. About 30 students in Years 9 & 10, who have been unable to study Spanish in their own schools, welcomed the chance of attending these after school sessions. Results were very impressive with over 70% achieving A*-C in one year!
Adult Classes
Last September we launched yet another programme of evening and daytime language classes for adults in our community. This has once more proven highly successful with a wide range of levels and languages being offered …. Last year we had over 150 adults attending our courses and most classes have continued into the Summer term
We are delighted that so many people have taken advantage of our excellent rates and tuition, not least various members of staff who attend classes in Spanish, German, Italian, French, Japanese and British Sign Language.
We are also working with Grass Roots in Tring, a local business with international contacts, offering Spanish conversation classes to staff .
If you or your company has a language need, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Ashlyns as we would be delighted to help.
