Institution: Ridgewood School

Context
Ridgewood School has been a Specialist Engineering School since 2003 and as a result of its outstanding GCSE results and HPSS status was invited by OFSTED to apply for a second specialism in Applied Learning in 2008. The school, a mixed Community School (now moving to Foundation Trust status) in Scawsby, South Yorkshire has 1300 pupils aged 11-16. The school is developing Post 16 provision, supporting its STEM and Applied Learning agendas, from September 2011. 

Key Objectives
To pilot Additional and Specialist units in French Level 2 NVQ for Higher Diploma Engineering students, with content tailored to the Engineering course and a two week work experience in France.

How the programme is organised
This pilot group of 11 students in key stage 4 are currently studying for their Higher Diploma in Engineering and are taking French NVQ level 2 as Additional units. The school has a strong tradition of NVQ languages which are offered in key stage 3 and 4 in French and Spanish. The Languages department has invested in A1 and V1 training and has its own A1 assessors as well as Centre Status with the Head of Department Caroline Mitchell trained as a V1 assessor. The students will take part in a two week work experience in France in the summer as part of the course where they will work in one of the vocational training centres of the Compagnons du Devoir a prestigious vocational training organisation in France with over 100 years of experience.

Results/effect
“It fits really well with the Diploma – lots of engineering companies are abroad, so it means we can work there too.”  
- Fraser Connolly reflecting a common theme from the group that languages are an asset to employment.

“The NVQ approach has enabled us to demonstrate Language capability as accessible, relevant, desirable and achievable to an increasing number of students in an increasing number of learning contexts. It has taken its place in the vanguard of our development agenda, succeeding both in its own right, and in that wider context. The developments within Engineering and the Diploma constitute the most recent in a series of ‘next chapters’ set fair to be sustainable, and to continue to innovate, and motivate” 
- Chris Hoyle, Headteacher, Ridgewood School

The NVQ has improved language results overall due to more students finding the portfolio building more accessible for them.

Pupil Entries for NVQ:

2007
Level 1 qualifications – French 24, German 44 (Year 9)
Level 2 qualifications – German 12 (Year 10)

2008
Level 1 qualifications – French 47, German 50, Spanish 48 (Year 9)
Level 2 qualifications - French 11, German 7

2009
Level 1 qualifications – French 52, German 47, Spanish 53 (Year 9)
Level 2 qualifications – French 5, German 36, Spanish 7

2010
Level 1 entries – French 47, Spanish 47 (Year 9)
Level 2 entries – French 89, German 1, Spanish 109
Level 3 entries – Spanish 12

Future developments
Level 3 Spanish is underway with a small group of students and we are hoping to extend this to our sixth form when it opens in 2011.

Author: Caroline Mitchell, Ridgewood School