Teacher of German with French

At Westcliff High School for Boys, all pupils study two languages in Years 7, 8 and 9. The languages offered are German, French and Spanish. At GCSE, all pupils study at least one language, with between thirty and forty-five pupils choosing to study two languages at GCSE each year.

The German Department aims to provide outstanding teaching in what is the most-widely spoken native language in Europe, whilst instilling an appreciation of the rich cultural heritage and diversity within the German speaking countries. German is a well-established subject at this School and has been taught at Westcliff High School for Boys (WHSB) for over 50 years. We have achieved consistently good results at both GCSE and Advanced Level and German remains a very popular choice for our pupils.

The MFL Department offers a variety of additional clubs which pupils can attend, aimed at supporting those in need, or extending the knowledge of the most able. We have a particularly effective mentoring scheme, in which Year 10 and 11 pupils mentor those in the Lower School. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 also participate in various competitions, such as the Spelling Bee, Translation Bee and Have Your Say competition. Pupils in Years 7 to 11 and students in the Sixth Form take part in the Anthea Bell Prize and in the Stephen Spender Prize, and we have had success in both competitions in the past five years. Further to this, we organise a range of activities for School Enrichment Days and the European Day of Languages. We also take Sixth Form students to the British Film Institute (BFI) events as part of their film studies.

There are opportunities for Sixth Form students to prepare for prestigious undergraduate courses at the top universities through the MFL Oxbridge sessions run by experienced members of the MFL Department, and to participate in advanced conversation sessions at lunchtimes. Two of our recent A Level linguists began their undergraduate studies at the University of Cambridge in October 2023 and are currently abroad as part of their studies. A further two students have been offered places to study Modern and Medieval Languages at the University of Cambridge this year, whilst a third student will study English and French at the University of Oxford in October 2026.

ACCOMMODATION AND FACILITIES

The German Department is well-equipped. In both the Lower and Middle Schools, we use a mixture of textbooks, online resources and teacher prepared resources. Pupils are also offered the opportunity to buy a grammar workbook which accompanies the GCSE textbook. The Modern Foreign Language Department is based in a suite of six spacious classrooms (one of which is a recently refurbished computer room). There are whiteboards, projectors and speakers in all classrooms. All staff are trained in the use of the computer room software, to enable them to use it effectively to support Teaching & Learning.

In addition to teaching staff in the MFL Department, each year we have Foreign Language Assistants for each of German, French and Spanish. Pupils in the Middle School and Sixth Form linguists all have regular conversation classes with the FLAs as part of their studies.

At Westcliff High School for Boys, all pupils study two languages in Years 7, 8 and 9. The languages offered are German, French and Spanish. At GCSE, all pupils study at least one language, with between thirty and forty-five pupils choosing to study two languages at GCSE each year.

The German Department aims to provide outstanding teaching in what is the most-widely spoken native language in Europe, whilst instilling an appreciation of the rich cultural heritage and diversity within the German speaking countries. German is a well-established subject at this School and has been taught at Westcliff High School for Boys (WHSB) for over 50 years. We have achieved consistently good results at both GCSE and Advanced Level and German remains a very popular choice for our pupils.

The MFL Department offers a variety of additional clubs which pupils can attend, aimed at supporting those in need, or extending the knowledge of the most able. We have a particularly effective mentoring scheme, in which Year 10 and 11 pupils mentor those in the Lower School. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 also participate in various competitions, such as the Spelling Bee, Translation Bee and Have Your Say competition. Pupils in Years 7 to 11 and students in the Sixth Form take part in the Anthea Bell Prize and in the Stephen Spender Prize, and we have had success in both competitions in the past five years. Further to this, we organise a range of activities for School Enrichment Days and the European Day of Languages. We also take Sixth Form students to the British Film Institute (BFI) events as part of their film studies.

There are opportunities for Sixth Form students to prepare for prestigious undergraduate courses at the top universities through the MFL Oxbridge sessions run by experienced members of the MFL Department, and to participate in advanced conversation sessions at lunchtimes. Two of our recent A Level linguists began their undergraduate studies at the University of Cambridge in October 2023 and are currently abroad as part of their studies. A further two students have been offered places to study Modern and Medieval Languages at the University of Cambridge this year, whilst a third student will study English and French at the University of Oxford in October 2026.

ACCOMMODATION AND FACILITIES

The German Department is well-equipped. In both the Lower and Middle Schools, we use a mixture of textbooks, online resources and teacher prepared resources. Pupils are also offered the opportunity to buy a grammar workbook which accompanies the GCSE textbook. The Modern Foreign Language Department is based in a suite of six spacious classrooms (one of which is a recently refurbished computer room). There are whiteboards, projectors and speakers in all classrooms. All staff are trained in the use of the computer room software, to enable them to use it effectively to support Teaching & Learning.

In addition to teaching staff in the MFL Department, each year we have Foreign Language Assistants for each of German, French and Spanish. Pupils in the Middle School and Sixth Form linguists all have regular conversation classes with the FLAs as part of their studies.