Brookfield Community School
Chatsworth Road
Chesterfield
Derbyshire

Website: http://www.brookfieldschool.co.uk/cilt_award.htm

People in charge of project: A Lindsay (French), E Marlow (Spanish),
D Webb (German)

Brookfield Community School is a co-educational comprehensive school with sixth form catering for 1250 pupils in the South Western area of Chesterfield.

The project involves work experience programmes in the target language country for students of French, German and Spanish. Year 12 French students spend two weeks in Oyonnax with placements and accommodation arranged by a French partner school. Year 12 German students are placed with families in Darmstadt (Chesterfield's twin town) and placements are organised by the partner school there, based on the students' requests. Year 12 and 13 Spanish students are placed in Tarragona in various work settings with the opportunity to visit Barcelona.

Objectives of the project

• To enhance linguistic skills
• To broaden experience beyond the classroom and further awareness of Europe, European family and work culture
• To develop self-knowledge and self-reliance by giving students the opportunity to cope and take the initiative in situations where they must use the target language
• To involve French students in longer placements in Chesterfield
• To produce a work module on the world of work

• This is an extension of Year 12 work experience 2-week work experience in Chesterfield for language students and a logical extension of our exchange programmes at Key Stages 3 and 4
• Work experience in Spain is a relatively new concept and not as easily available as in France or Germany

• The project motivates students to progress with languages at A level and beyond
• Long-term links are established between partners and employers from abroad
• Work experience is integrated into the GCSE course where pupils interview the Year 12 students about their placements
• The timing of the placements (in the first term of the A level course) consolidate the students' interest, enthusiasm and ability
• Linguistic ability is greatly improved
• There has been a strengthening of the relationship between staff and students
• The project has helped to attract students to the school's sixth form

• The project will be repeated annually and the numbers of participating students and companies increased.
• Further tasks are to be developed to extend language skills whilst in France
• Extension of post-18 placements in Chesterfield for lycée students for several weeks
• To use the work experience as the basis of a coursework essay
• It is hoped that a Spanish partner school can be found to establish firmly the programme in Tarragona