German
The German Department stimulates interests in all things German, enabling pupils to see beyond traditional stereotypes of Germany and German-speaking countries and encouraging them to follow this up by visiting these countries. We run trips for Years 8/9 and 10 while several of our Sixth Form pupils have been on the 'Acorn work experience scheme' where they are placed in holiday jobs in Germany. We also run an U6 cultural trip to Berlin. We enjoy strong results at GCSE, AS and A level.
German is a popular choice at The Leys and we are fortunate to have talented, caring and hard-working teachers in the department - their industry is reflected in the uptake of German at all levels.
Years 7-11
Courses broadly reflect the National Curriculum, using a wide variety of teaching methods to promote each of the four skill areas. Grammar teaching is integral - indeed, it is our experience that many pupils enjoy the challenge that learning and putting into practice German grammar offers. Pupils also learn through less formal activities, such as the fashion show they put on when studying the clothes topic and German cooking when studying food and drink.
For GCSE with the OCR Exam Board, pupils are required to show knowledge of the following five contexts in the four skill areas; everyday activities; personal and social life; the world around us; the world of work; and the international world.
A level
From September 2008 we will follow the AQA course to A level, using the AQA/Nelson Thornes course book. There are two modules in each year and pupils are tested on spoken, listening, reading and writing skills. Varied topics are covered, such as relationships, social issues, current affairs and media, the environment and the international context. As well as using the course book, teachers use a variety of resources including authentic articles from German magazines, the internet, newspapers and film.
Staff
Mr A J McGarry BA Hons MA - Head of Department
Mr S Dorman BA Hons Oxon MPhil
Mrs S Vallance-Goode BA Hons
EXCHANGE WITH THE KARLSGYMNASIUM STUTTGART
In Year 10 we run a very successful exchange with the Karlsgymnasium in Stuttgart. Every year a group of 10-15 pupils travels to Stuttgart for a week at the beginning of the Easter holidays, where they attend lessons with exchange partners, and undertake a programme of cultural activities. The Stuttgart group then returns to the Leys in the last week of the Summer Term. All participants have found this a tremendously worthwhile trip, during which they improve their linguistic knowledge and increase their self-confidence.