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Using the Language Leader Award at Harris School
'I have enjoyed having the opportunity to be able to teach French and working with primary students because they are always eager to learn. I have found that it has helped me boost my confidence and improve my French knowledge.' Rebecca Bradley, Language Leader 06/07
Context
Harris School is a non-selective Church of England school. It is situated in Rugby, in Warwickshire. The school has 800 students aged between 11 and 16 years old. It is a Sports College and Modern Foreign Languages (French and Spanish) is the second target subject. Although languages have been option subjects at KS4 since 2004, they remain popular among the students, with a good number of KS3 students opting to study a language at GCSE (35% in the current Y10).
Key objectives
To introduce the Language Leader Award as a means of motivating students and improving their foreign language skills.
'I have enjoyed my experience as a Language Leader so much that I am now considering teaching as a career option.' Luke Hudghton, Language Leader 05/06
How the programme is organised
The Harris School was one of the secondary schools in the UK who agreed to pilot the Language Leaders course. At the time, some of their KS4 students were enrolled in the Sports Leaders Award and the benefits of that course were obvious. The course started three years ago with six Language Leaders. This year, there are 13 Language Leaders in Y11 and twenty-one in Y10.
Results/effect
The Language Leaders gain a lot from enrolling on the Language Leadership course. Volunteers are from across the ability range and as well as improving their language skills, students demonstrate an increase in confidence, self-esteem and communication skills by following the course. Some past leaders have considered teaching as a career following their experience as a Language Leader. Past Language Leaders have all achieved at or above their GCSE target grade in MFL.
Language teachers have also gained some valuable experience from this programme. The course helps them to develop stronger bonds with their KS4 students and enables them to reflect on their own teaching and training. Thanks to the Language Leadership course, members of the MFL department have forged strong links with some local primary schools, links which will be developed further when the teaching of MFL becomes compulsory at KS2. The Language Leaders also demonstrate techniques which the primary school teachers can use to introduce basic vocabulary to their KS2 students. The Leaders can act as role models for their younger peers and inspire future generations of secondary school pupils to learn a foreign language. Staff have found that Y10 MFL students are keen to follow in the footsteps of the previous years' Language Leaders.
The Language Leaders Award also promotes the school as an International Institution and supports its international ethos. Recently, Harris School was granted the Full International Award by the DCFS and the British Council. The Language Leaders course run by the school formed part of the bid for the full ISA.
Future developments
This year, it is planned to use the Language Leaders as a welcome committee for foreign visitors to the school. The course will continue to be offered to students entering KS4 and it is hoped to maintain a high number of recruits. The school also aims to forge links with more primary schools. Other subject areas are also following where MFL has led in introducing similar schemes.
'I find running the course an extremely rewarding experience. It has allowed me to transform the relationships with my students from a teacher to a coach. It has also enabled me to reflect upon my own experience as a trainee teacher. Our Language Leaders never cease to surprise me with their confidence and initiative. The quality of teaching I have observed can easily match the teaching of some student teachers I have mentored in the past. Seeing them being so proud of their achievement is worth all the extra time and effort. I would definitely recommend it.' Stéphanie Anderson, Head of MFL/leadership tutor
Author: Mrs Stéphanie Anderson – Head of MFL
