Modern Foreign Languages are going from strength to strength at St Bart’s. Earlier this year BartholoNews celebrated four students who have been studying Mandarin after school and have now achieved amazing top grades.
Last month eleven Year 10 students learned that they had won prizes in a German essay-writing competition run by Reading University German Department and were invited to attend an awards ceremony at the University. To enter the competition the students had to write an alternative ending to a traditional German fairytale studied in class. One student commented, “it was nice to do something a bit different from normal lessons and to have a chance to be creative.”
Also, the Head Girl, recently heard that she has won second Prize for her essay on Der Sandmann in this year’s Oxford German Classic Prize essay competition. This competition is aimed at students going from Year 12 to 13, encouraging them to complete their entries independently over the summer term and represents a great achievement. Feedback on her work was exceptional, “you have just the right approach. This kind of dedication and passion is exactly what we and other universities are looking for in candidates.” She will be invited to an awards ceremony to celebrate her achievement next summer.
These achievements come on top of praise for our language teaching from the Rt Hon Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Standards in a letter to the school last March. These accomplishments are a great testament to the hard work put in by both students and the staff who support them in their studies. Modern Foreign Languages are a valuable skill, allowing students to broaden their horizons.
