First Language Qualifications

At Wellington, we encourage first-language qualification entry and support our pupils through the provision of a centre in which these qualifications may take place. There are a number of factors to be considered when putting your child forward for a first-language qualification which are detailed below and that fall beyond the remit of the School. The onus on the pupil and their parents/carers to engage and prepare for any assessment and examinations although the School will support with administrative guidance, entry and centre-provision.

The School delivers GCSEs and A Levels in French and alternates also between German and Spanish at GCSE. According to pupil interest and staffing, the A Level curriculum provides delivery of some or all of these subjects.

Modern Languages Qualifications Available:

Firstly, below are detailed the range of GCSE and A Level languages qualifications available to pupils nationally. It is important that parents/carers and pupils have determined which qualification they would like to apply for upon the initial ‘Indicating Interest’ enquiry:

GCSE

Pearson EdExcel offer the broadest range of qualifications: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/subjects/languages.html

They offer GCSEs in Arabic, Biblical Hebrew, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Italian, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu.

AQA offer GCSEs in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Bengali, Urdu, Modern Hebrew, Chinese (Spoken Mandarin) and Panjabi: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages

WJEC offer GCSEs in French, German, Spanish and Welsh Language and Welsh Literature: https://www.wjec.co.uk/qualifications/

A Level

Again, Pearson EdExcel offer the broadest range of qualifications: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/subjects/languages.html

They offer AS/A Levels in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Italian, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu.

AQA offer AS/A Levels in French, German, Spanish, Polish, Biblical Hebrew, Modern Hebrew, Bengali and Panjabi: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages

WJEC offer AS/A Levels in French, German, Spanish and Welsh Language: https://www.wjec.co.uk/qualifications/

*Please note that modern foreign languages qualification specifications are being redeveloped on a national level with changes in specification being introduced for first-teaching in September 2024 – please ensure that you look at the relevant specification for current study in 2023-2024 rather than the new specifications.

Timeframes and Entries:

As a School, we enter first-language qualification pupils in Year 10 only for GCSE; meanwhile, GCSE or A Level applications for our A Level students would have to be in Year 12.

The rationale for this is as follows:

• Pupils are of an age where they have enough cultural and wider understanding of the qualification’s content
• Pupils are better-placed to navigate the rubric of the examinations
• There is an avoidance of conflict with pupils’ timetabled exam entries for their other subjects

All pupils must be entered for their relevant GCSE and A Level qualifications by early February 2024 at the latest ahead of the summer examinations.

Parents/carers must indicate intent to enter their son/daughter for a qualification via the link below by Friday 20^th October 2023 to Mrs D. Shields, Examinations Officer

Interest Form Link: https://forms.office.com/e/uwJ10aTtjC

Upon submitting interest, parents/carers will be directly contacted with information about the process, implications and requirements to facilitate the request, on the part of the pupil, parents/carers and the School. A response will be given within one week.

Entry information and deadlines will be shared with parents/carers and students accordingly by Mrs D. Shields, Examinations Officer.

Parents/carers should direct any further communications to Mrs D. Shields, examinations Officer via the School’s admin e-mail: admin@wellington.trafford.sch.uk

Expectations of Parents/Carers and Pupils:

• Parents are expected to indicate interest in applying for their child to complete a GCSE or A Level Modern Foreign Languages qualification by Friday 20^th October 2023 so that they have sufficient time to prepare for the qualification and that the School can facilitate it.
• It is the responsibility of the pupil studying for the qualification to access the relevant specification and past paper revision support for themselves. Support from School cannot be given for subjects taught outside the School’s curriculum and only if available for subjects taught at the School (French, German and Spanish)
• Payment is required by parents/carers for the following to facilitate the examinations (these costs will be detailed by the Examinations Officer as confirmed):
  • Exam entry
  • Examiner fee for an examiner who is qualified in the relevant language
  • Invigilation fees where applicable
• A Level Modern Languages qualifications do also require further overseeing and assessment by an examiner as they feature typically a research study requirement. Details of this will be shared by the Examinations Officer but will require time and input from the pupil studying the qualification.

Please submit any other queries to Mrs D. Shields, examinations Officer via the School’s admin e-mail admin@wellington.trafford.sch.uk

For more information regarding the Schools’ EAL policy please click on the following link: EAL Policy 2024-2025