Languages curriculum by year
The summaries below set out the main areas of learning, the knowledge and skills pupils will develop, and the intended curriculum end points. The precise contexts vary between French, German and Spanish, but pupils follow a carefully sequenced journey through phonics, vocabulary, grammar, culture and communication.
Year 7
Building the Foundations of Language Learning
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand key sound and spelling patterns.
- Recognise cognates and use them to support understanding.
- Introduce themselves and provide personal information.
- Express simple likes, dislikes and opinions.
- Use nouns, articles, adjectives and common verbs.
- Understand the importance of adjectival agreement.
- Use connectives to extend sentences.
- describe people, celebrations, interests, technology and food.
- Develop confidence in listening, speaking, reading and writing.
- Begin to translate short sentences and passages.
Festivals and Celebrations
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Describe important festivals and celebrations.
- Compare cultural traditions.
- Express opinions about different celebrations.
- Refer to how other people celebrate.
- Use adjectives to add descriptive detail.
- Develop cultural knowledge of the countries where the language is spoken.
Sports, Hobbies and Free Time
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Discuss sports, hobbies and leisure activities.
- Express and justify opinions.
- Make comparisons between activities.
- Refer to the interests and opinions of other people.
- Describe past activities using appropriate language.
- Extend spoken and written responses.
Social Media and Technology
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Describe how they use technology.
- Explain how frequently they use different devices and applications.
- Refer to how friends and family use technology.
- Compare different forms of technology.
- Describe how technology was used in the past.
- Express opinions about digital life.
Food
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Identify and describe food and drink.
- Express preferences and discuss different meals.
- Compare local food with dishes from other cultures.
- Participate in simple café and restaurant conversations.
- Describe what other people eat and drink.
- Apply language to realistic situations.
Celebrities and Film
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Describe well-known people.
- Describe physical appearance and personality.
- Understand key information from a film.
- Describe characters and events.
- Express and justify opinions about a film.
- Develop cultural understanding through creative work.
How Year 7 builds on previous learning
Year 7 builds on any language-learning experiences pupils have had during primary education while establishing a common foundation for all pupils.
How Year 7 prepares pupils for future learning
The year establishes the phonics, vocabulary, grammar and communication strategies needed to use a language across a wider range of contexts.
Year 8
Developing Communication and Cultural Understanding
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Communicate with increasing confidence and detail.
- Use present, past and future time frames.
- Develop more secure grammatical accuracy.
- Express balanced opinions and justify ideas.
- Compare people, places and experiences.
- Refer to other people using a wider range of pronouns.
- Understand longer spoken and written passages.
- Produce increasingly extended spoken and written responses.
Film and Cinema
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Express opinions about different film genres.
- Compare films and viewing experiences.
- Describe a visit to the cinema.
- Narrate events in the past.
- Describe characters and images.
- Discuss what they would do in an imagined situation.
School Life
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Discuss school subjects, teachers and facilities.
- Express balanced opinions about school.
- Describe school rules.
- Compare school systems and previous school experiences.
- Describe an ideal school and uniform.
- Use modal and conditional language.
Healthy Living
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Discuss physical and mental health.
- Describe healthy and unhealthy habits.
- Explain what they did in the past.
- Describe future intentions.
- Compare different lifestyles.
- Use expressions and intensifiers to communicate with greater precision.
The Local Area
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Describe local facilities and features.
- Express opinions about where they live.
- Compare places.
- Describe how an area has changed.
- Narrate a visit to a town or local area.
- Use increasingly complex sentences.
Holidays and Practical Communication
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Book accommodation.
- Ask for and give directions.
- Understand practical travel information.
- Describe holiday experiences.
- Use command forms appropriately.
- Apply language to realistic travel situations.
How Year 8 builds on previous learning
Year 8 revisits the core vocabulary, grammar and communication skills introduced in Year 7 and applies them with greater complexity.
How Year 8 prepares pupils for future learning
The year prepares pupils to discuss wider social and cultural issues and communicate across a broader range of time frames in Year 9.
German from Year 8
Pupils beginning German establish secure foundations in phonics, compound nouns, vocabulary and word order. They learn to express opinions, describe family and relationships, discuss festivals, talk about sports and technology, and use language in food and restaurant contexts.
As pupils progress, they develop their understanding of present and past tenses, cases, articles, modal verbs and sentence structure. They also learn about communities and traditions in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. [2025-2026...erman.pptx | PowerPoint]
Year 9
Applying Language with Increasing Independence
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Communicate across present, past and future time frames.
- Express and justify increasingly detailed opinions.
- Present arguments for and against an issue.
- Compare people, experiences and cultural practices.
- Narrate events accurately.
- Understand increasingly challenging spoken and written language.
- Translate with greater accuracy.
- Apply grammar and vocabulary more independently.
Holidays and Travel
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Discuss past, present and future holidays.
- Describe accommodation and destinations.
- Explain what makes an ideal holiday.
- Review travel experiences.
- Compare different types of holiday.
- Use language for practical travel situations.
Fashion and Identity
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Describe clothing and personal style.
- Express balanced opinions about fashion.
- Compare fashion in the past and present.
- Discuss problems associated with clothing and fashion.
- Use descriptions and different time frames accurately.
Global Events and Citizenship
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Discuss sporting, musical and cultural events.
- Present arguments for and against major events.
- Describe festivals in different countries.
- Explain how people can act as responsible citizens.
- Use modal verbs to express responsibility and possibility.
- Compare cultural practices and perspectives.
Media, Technology and Free Time
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Discuss television, film, online activity and leisure.
- Evaluate advantages and disadvantages.
- Describe past viewing and online experiences.
- Express balanced opinions.
- Refer to the views and experiences of other people.
- Respond to authentic cultural material.
School and Future Aspirations
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Discuss school life and rules.
- Describe an ideal school.
- Explain future plans and aspirations.
- Discuss personal characteristics and skills.
- Use modal and conditional structures.
- Communicate with greater independence.
How Year 9 builds on previous learning
Year 9 consolidates the vocabulary, grammar, phonics and communication strategies developed in earlier years and applies them to increasingly complex issues.
How Year 9 prepares pupils for future learning
The year prepares pupils for GCSE by strengthening listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation while developing greater grammatical accuracy and independence.
Years 10 and 11
GCSE French, German and Spanish
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand and communicate information across the GCSE themes.
- Use a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.
- Communicate across present, past and future time frames.
- Express, explain and justify opinions.
- Describe people, places, experiences and events.
- Compare different ideas, cultures and situations.
- Understand increasingly complex spoken and written language.
- Read aloud with accurate pronunciation.
- Participate in role plays and conversations.
- Respond to visual and written prompts.
- Translate between English and the language being studied.
- Produce extended written responses for different purposes.
- Apply knowledge accurately under examination conditions.
Personal Life, Relationships and Identity
Pupils develop language connected to family, friendships, relationships, role models, celebrations and personal identity.
School, Education and Future Plans
Pupils discuss school subjects, rules, experiences, future study, employment, personal qualities and career aspirations.
Lifestyle and Wellbeing
Pupils explore physical and mental health, food, exercise, illness and the choices people make about their wellbeing.
Local, National and Global Issues
Pupils discuss their local area, travel, the environment, social issues, personal responsibility and the challenges facing communities and the wider world.
Culture, Media and Communication
Pupils develop their understanding of film, television, music, festivals, celebrity culture and contemporary life within French-speaking, German-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities.
How GCSE builds on previous learning
GCSE builds on the phonics, vocabulary, grammar and communication skills developed at Key Stage 3. Familiar knowledge is revisited in greater depth and applied to more demanding contexts.
How GCSE prepares pupils for future learning
The course prepares pupils for A-Level study and provides valuable communication, cultural understanding, reasoning and problem-solving skills for further education, employment and adult life.
Years 12 and 13
A-Level Languages
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Communicate confidently and spontaneously in the language studied.
- Understand increasingly complex spoken and written material.
- Use a broad range of vocabulary and sophisticated grammatical structures.
- Analyse cultural, social and political issues.
- Study aspects of the history, society and culture of countries where the language is spoken.
- Respond critically to cultural works.
- Research a topic independently.
- Present and defend conclusions in spoken language.
- Construct detailed and analytical written arguments.
- Translate accurately between English and the language studied.
How A-Level builds on previous learning
A-Level extends the vocabulary, grammar, cultural knowledge and communication developed at GCSE. Pupils move from discussing familiar topics to analysing complex cultural and social issues.
How A-Level prepares pupils for future learning
The course prepares pupils for higher education, study abroad, employment and careers requiring communication, cultural understanding and international awareness.
