'After this NVQ course, I am going to study languages in college, then university and then I am going to become a teacher. KS4 Language student at King Richard School.

Context 
King Richard is an 11-16 comprehensive school with Specialist Arts College status, overlooking the naval heritage City of Portsmouth. There are approximately 900 students at the school. The contextual value-added results of the school place it in the top 5% performing schools in the country.

The school ethos is a belief that there is no limit to achievement and that you don't have to be extraordinary to do extraordinary things. King Richard School has consistently been at the forefront of education innovation, whether it's work at 14-19, the vocational curriculum, the school’s approach to essential skills or the new personalised curriculum. The recent successful Ofsted inspection (November 2006) recognised the school's capacity to effectively seek fresh solutions to age-old problems within a supportive and inclusive environment.

Key Objectives
The introduction of NVQ Italian and Spanish in KS4 at Levels 1-3 to:

• raise achievement of students in languages in KS4 by providing an appropriate language course
• motivate Year 9 students to continue language study in KS4 by beginning the Level 1 course in Year 9
• provide for the needs of gifted and talented students by offering a Level 3 NVQ language course.

Actions taken
NVQ is now the only language qualification offered at the school. Students now start Level 1 in Year 9. Languages are an option at KS4 and students opting for Spanish or Italian can then progress to Level 2 by the end of Year 11. Level 3 is offered to gifted and talented students. The course has been written by the Head of Languages and aims to address the interests of the students and to take account of the specialist Arts status of the school. Annual trips and exchanges and work experience placements in Italy and Spain are also offered as part of the course. These are described by the Head of Languages in this video clip.

We have many chances of doing work experience. I was a Language Assistant in a Rome School. KS4 NVQ student.

See extracts an NVQ Level 2 portfolio (pdf 1MB) and Level 3 portfolio (pdf 1.25MB) for Italian.

Results/effect
Almost all students who embark upon an NVQ course achieve a full portfolio containing all four skills at levels 1, 2 and 3. Two members of staff have gained A1 Assessor Awards and one of these has now achieved the Internal Verifier and has gained experience of mentoring assessors in training. NVQ training has fostered closer links with other local schools and staff. The Head of Languages, who is also an AST, has worked closely with staff at other schools in Portsmouth to help them to set up NVQ courses. 

Future developments
In future, it is hoped to develop the NVQ Level 3 course further and to introduce accreditation in other languages such as Japanese.

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