German

A desire to open the world to our students, to foster the skills of tolerance and inquiry as well as to embed an eagerness to be the best that they can be both linguistically and socially, underpins the intent of the Modern Foreign Language curriculum here at St. Barts.

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”
Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher

Speaking more than one language helps build a sense of global citizenship as well as opening up future employment opportunities. Research has shown that by studying a foreign language, students will enhance their grammar skills and improve their analytic and interpretive capacities in English too!

In Year 7, students at St Bart’s spend a period of eight weeks learning each of the languages we offer – French, German, and Spanish. Following this “taster” period, students select one language to study for the remainder of Year 7, and they will continue learning this chosen language into Years 8 and 9. The majority of students at St Bart’s continue studying a language up to GCSE-level. There is also the opportunity for students to study a second language at GCSE, by selecting this option in Year 9.

The MFL department offers a range of co-curricular activities, from clubs, to competitions such as our Cultural Poster Competition and the annual MFL Karaoke competition! We also run trips to France, Spain, and Germany. You can also read more about our international links here.

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/stbartsmfl/

Year 7-9

Our KS3 German Curriculum is designed to be an introduction to German so that students can gain an understanding of the basics of reading, writing and speaking German. Students will start by learning phonics, numbers and alphabets and then go on to learn a range of descriptions. By the end of Year 9, students will have a firm grounding in three main time frames and which they can apply to a range of different topic areas.

Students will understand what it is to become a linguist; not only in their linguistic ability but also in developing a passion for travel and for understanding the way languages relate to everyday life in different cultures. We will develop their Cultural Capital, by broadening their knowledge of what it means to live in a different country, to understand more about German speaking countries, their culture, lifestyle and important places and people.

Year 7 Curriculum

In Year 7, students have the opportunity to experience learning German for an initial 8-week taster period. During this time, students learn basic communicative skills in German, and there is a focus on interaction in the classroom. Students will gain initial knowledge of:

German phonics
Conversational greetings and introductions, including age
Describing family and pets, including colours and physical appearance
Expressing food preferences, and ordering food and drink

Students will also gain initial cultural knowledge via the study of a festival, celebration, or an event which takes place in a German-speaking country.

Students who choose to continue studying German will begin studying the language in more depth, including grammatical concepts such as gender, adjective agreement, possessive adjectives, and present tense verb conjugations.

Year 8 Curriculum

In Year 8, students build on the skills they developed in Year 7 and enhance their knowledge by learning about tenses, how to express their views on topics and look at food.

Topics

Comparing places, past and present
Travel and holiday activities
Weather
Film, TV and Literature and expressing Opinions
Clothing and style
Clothing and making arrangements
Reviewing Tense

Year 9 Curriculum

In Year 9, students further embed the 3 main tenses and will also learn about the imperfect and conditional tenses. In the final half term, Year 9 students start their GCSE course. They also learn valuable skills such as how to tackle the photocard and how to revise for the speaking and writing exams.

Topics

Role models and life experience
Body parts
Music, bands and musicians
Discussing ambitions
Childhood
Comparisons
How we can make a difference and what is important

GCSE (Year 10-11)

Examination Board: AQA

Course Description

The world is a global village, with increasing opportunity and the need to interact with people from other countries and cultures. Whether it is for leisure or work purposes, the ability to speak other languages opens doors and broadens your understanding of how people from different cultures live.

There is a focus on deepening understanding of more complex grammar structures and broadening their range of vocabulary within the topic areas.

The GCSE German course is divided into 3 main themes:

Theme 1: People and lifestyle (Identity and relationships with others, Healthy living and lifestyle, Education and work)
Theme 2: Popular culture (Free-time activities, Customs, Festivals and celebrations, Celebrity culture)
Theme 3: Communication and the world around us (Travel and tourism including places of interest, Media and technology, The environment and where people live)

Assessment

The GCSE is assessed at either Foundation (grades 1-5) or Higher tier (grades 4-9). There are 4 separate units taken at the end of the course and each is worth 25% of the final grade.

Unit 1 Listening Comprehension
Unit 2 Speaking assessment (conducted by the class teacher)
Unit 3 Reading Comprehension (includes a short translation into English)
Unit 4 Writing Assessment (includes a short translation into the foreign language)

Revision Materials

Year 11 German Revision Video
Google Classroom pages. On these pages you can find: past papers, revision tips, knowledge organisers, help with mastering the tenses and resources to help with the speaking and writing exams. Ask your teachers for the codes
National Oak Academy – Created in lockdown to give students a teacher taught lesson from home.
AQA- past papers
BBC Bitesize
Seneca Learning German

Sixth Form (Year 12-13)

Examination Board: AQA

Please note that in 2025/26 (Year 12 intake) we are not able to offer the A Level German course.

Course Description

A Level German builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills gained in GCSE. Students will study German-speaking language, culture and society and, through this study, foster a range of transferable skills including communication, critical thinking, research skills and creativity.

Students will learn how German-speaking society has been shaped socially and culturally and how it continues to change in its role as a powerful global presence, as it looks forward to the future. Students will explore aspects of the artistic life of German-speaking countries and consider reunification and its consequences, alongside the German political landscape, both in relation to Germany itself and its place in Europe.

Students will have the opportunity to study German literature and film, developing their German-speaking language skills through the use of spoken and written sources in German. Students will build their ability to appreciate, analyse and respond critically in writing in German to the work they have studied.

During lessons, alongside written work, students will take part in debate, discussion and presentations building their confidence in this valuable skill. To complement the classroom lessons and to help develop fluency, students in the Sixth Form have weekly lessons with our German assistant on a two-to-one or one-to-one basis.

Assessment

This is a linear course. This means that students opting for this subject will be committing to a two-year linear course, with all units examined at the end of year 13.

Entry Requirements

A grade 6 or higher in GCSE German is required.

Where might it lead?

A Level Modern Foreign Languages can help open doors to careers in/as:

Academic Researcher
Archeologist
Art Historian
Cabin Crew
Diplomatic Service Officer
English as a Foreign Language Teacher
Intelligence Analyst
International Aid/Development Worker
Interpreter
Journalist
Logistics and Distribution Manager
Political Risk Analyst
Publishing Rights Manager
Teacher
Translator/Tutor
Travel Consultant
Tour Manager
Writer

St Bartholomew’s School, Andover Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 6JP

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