Overview
Year 10
During Year 10, students study the GCSE themes of Celebrity Culture, Travel and Tourism, Media and Technology, and The Environment and Where People Live. Learning focuses on Groundwork and Foundation content, enabling students to build and secure the core vocabulary, grammatical structures and communication skills required for GCSE Spanish. Students regularly revisit key language through retrieval practice and develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills through communicative activities, translation, grammar practice and GCSE-style examination tasks. Formal and informal assessment opportunities prepare students for progression into Year 11 and the full GCSE course.
Assessment Across Year 10
Formative Assessment
Summative Assessment
Students complete formal assessments at key points throughout the year. Assessments sample the four GCSE skill areas:
Year 11
During Year 11, students complete the remaining content from the GCSE specification whilst consolidating and extending learning from Year 10. Due to students' previous study of aspects of the GCSE course during Key Stage 3 and Year 10, teaching focuses initially on the most examinable content from Units 6-9, with a greater emphasis on Higher Tier vocabulary, grammatical structures and examination skills.
Content from Popular Culture and Communication and the World Around Us is completed during Terms 1 and 2. Students then follow a structured revision programme during Terms 3-5, revisiting knowledge and skills from all three GCSE themes through retrieval practice, translation, speaking activities and GCSE-style examination questions. Throughout the year, students develop increasing confidence and independence across listening, speaking, reading and writing in preparation for GCSE examinations.
October Assessment (Post Half-Term 1)
Students complete a GCSE-style assessment designed to evaluate progress following the initial teaching of Year 11 content. Assessment outcomes are used to identify strengths, misconceptions and priorities for intervention.
December Mock Examinations (End of Term 2)
Students complete formal GCSE-style examinations in:
These assessments draw upon content from all three GCSE themes and provide an indication of progress towards GCSE outcomes.
Speaking Mock Examination (Term 3)
Students complete a formal speaking mock examination using GCSE procedures, including:
Students receive feedback on pronunciation, fluency, spontaneity, grammatical accuracy and communication.
Ongoing Assessment
Throughout the year students are assessed through:
| Unit | Content |
| Year 10 Celebrity Culture
| Students learn how to understand, express ideas and give descriptions about celebrities, role models, entertainment and aspects of popular culture. They develop the ability to discuss famous people and describe events in the past while expressing and justifying opinions about celebrity culture. Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students are assessed informally through vocabulary retrieval, translation activities, listening exercises, reading comprehension tasks, speaking practice and extended writing. Formal assessment opportunities involve GCSE-style tasks across all four language skills. |
| Year 10 Travel and Tourism, Including Places of Interest
| Students learn how to understand, express ideas and communicate information about holidays, travel experiences, tourist attractions and places of interest. They develop the ability to describe holiday activities, discuss travel preferences and make recommendations using a variety of grammatical structures. Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students are assessed throughout the unit through retrieval quizzes, vocabulary tests, listening activities, reading tasks, translation exercises, speaking activities and extended writing. Formal assessments use GCSE-style listening, speaking, reading and writing questions. |
| Year 10 Media and Technology
| Students learn how to understand, express ideas and communicate information about social media, mobile technology and the impact of technology on daily life. They develop the ability to discuss how technology is used, evaluate its advantages and disadvantages and communicate across a range of time frames. Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students are assessed informally through retrieval activities, vocabulary tests, listening tasks, reading comprehension, translation work, speaking activities and extended writing. Formal assessment opportunities draw on all four GCSE language skills |
| Year 10 The Environment and Where People Live
| Students learn how to understand, express ideas and describe their home, local area, region and environmental issues. They develop the ability to discuss environmental concerns, describe where they live and explain actions that can help protect the environment. Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students are assessed informally through vocabulary retrieval, listening tasks, reading activities, translation exercises, speaking practice and extended writing. Formal assessment opportunities involve GCSE-style tasks across listening, speaking, reading and writing. |
| Year 11 Theme 1: People and Lifestyle (Units 1-3) | Students revisit and consolidate learning related to identity, relationships, healthy living, education and future aspirations. During the revision programme, students secure core vocabulary and grammatical structures whilst developing greater accuracy and fluency across all four language skills. Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Content is revisited regularly through retrieval activities, translation practice, vocabulary testing and GCSE-style examination questions. Knowledge from this theme contributes to all mock examinations and final GCSE assessments. |
| Year 11 Theme 2: Popular Culture (Units 4-6) | Students develop and extend their understanding of free-time activities, customs, festivals, celebrations and celebrity culture. During Terms 1 and 2, teaching focuses particularly on the completion of Unit 6 content whilst revisiting Units 4 and 5 through retrieval and revision activities. Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students complete regular low-stakes assessments throughout the teaching and revision phases. Content from this theme is assessed through mock examinations and contributes to final GCSE assessment across all four skills. |
| Year 11 Theme 3: Communication and the World Around Us (Units 7-9) | Students study travel and tourism, media and technology, and environmental issues and where people live. This theme forms the primary focus of taught content during Terms 1 and 2 before being revisited through structured revision and examination preparation.
Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students are assessed through regular retrieval practice, vocabulary tests, translation activities and GCSE-style questions. Content from this theme features prominently in the October assessment and December mock examinations before being revisited during the revision programme. |
