Institution: Blyth Community College

Context
Blyth Community College is a larger than average high school. The College is subject to reorganisation proposals and is due to take students aged 11–19 from 2010. It serves the town of Blyth and the surrounding areas. The proportion of students eligible for free school meals is above average. The vast majority of students are White British and there are very few who have English as an additional language. Above average numbers of students have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school has an Artsmark gold award.

Involvement in the BA Flag Award for schools was originally to enhance the experience of Gifted and Talented linguists in Year 10 and to offer an opportunity to achieve an additional qualification in a vocational context at an important time during the KS4 GCSE courses. Early success has provided a foundation for growth and the scheme has now been rolled out to all students who have opted for languages at KS4. The scheme also offers a vocational qualification for Intermediate Level students at post-16 level, enhancing the profile of Modern Languages at a challenging time for the subject.

How the programme is organised
All students of MFL who wish to develop communication skills in a realistic vocational context are given the opportunity to study for entry to the test. Students in Year 10 and post-16 are the target cohorts

• Staff need to commit to a short training course offered by British Airways culminating in the British Airways Flag Award test. Once this qualification/accreditation has been achieved, the teachers can carry out the tests with their own students. Support from the BA team, led by Kath Curry is excellent

I am proud of the interest, enthusiasm and commitment shown by hundreds of Blyth School language students in recent years and feel sure that the experience will enhance social, cultural, and vocational development as well as academic performance. Gary Frankland, Curriculum Leader for Modern Languages

Impact

• Students gain a valuable insight into the responsibilities of British Airways staff in a variety of roles and settings. Confidence and enthusiasm, the cornerstones of all successful language learning, are enhanced dramatically
• Every single student who successfully completes the course goes on to excel in oral competence at GCSE level as the oral exam seems to 'hold no fear' once this test has been taken
• All teachers in the MFL department can offer the Flag Award and this has been a very effective marketing tool at a time when languages have been forced to compete for students in an ever-growing curriculum
• The support from BA has been regarded as a badge of honour by students, staff, parents and governors. The scheme played a huge role in helping the school to achieve 'Arts Mark Gold' status in 2005.

Future developments
The scheme will remain an important part of the opportunities provided by the MFL department. Future development could include diversification into other languages and the possibility of some exposure to the vocabulary at Key Stage 3.

Author: Gary Frankland, Curriculum Leader for Modern Languages