@annalkw.bsky.social
It really starts conversations. I mean, all of the Iberian bits are great, but they’re kind of expected, and a nod beyond Iberia really reflects the world language that we represent and reflect
October 14, 2025 at 6:37 PM
It really starts conversations. I mean, all of the Iberian bits are great, but they’re kind of expected, and a nod beyond Iberia really reflects the world language that we represent and reflect
Now you’ve done it once, it’ll be an annual fixture
October 14, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Now you’ve done it once, it’ll be an annual fixture
We do cheat a bit, and put it up in time to wow visitors at our early October Open Evenings. The students love looking at them and learning about its meaning.
October 14, 2025 at 6:28 PM
We do cheat a bit, and put it up in time to wow visitors at our early October Open Evenings. The students love looking at them and learning about its meaning.
Here is ours: goes up every year; stocks replenished when my colleague goes home. This year it’s my lovely Dad in the frame.
October 14, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Here is ours: goes up every year; stocks replenished when my colleague goes home. This year it’s my lovely Dad in the frame.
Don’t get too excited. Many RSS statements can’t be shown at the moment anyway
September 8, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Don’t get too excited. Many RSS statements can’t be shown at the moment anyway
It’ll be for services to potty training boot camps. They’ll be wanting your input to support primary schools.
September 6, 2025 at 10:30 AM
It’ll be for services to potty training boot camps. They’ll be wanting your input to support primary schools.
Pretty much every Saturday in the summer season is like it. Used to take the kids to watch them from the roof of Ikea for a cheap day out
September 6, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Pretty much every Saturday in the summer season is like it. Used to take the kids to watch them from the roof of Ikea for a cheap day out
There is no tired like Sadmin tired. 😢 Even when you think their affairs were in order, it’s still relentless. So sorry for your loss
August 29, 2025 at 7:16 AM
There is no tired like Sadmin tired. 😢 Even when you think their affairs were in order, it’s still relentless. So sorry for your loss
Our top 20% of “started it in yr 7/8” students did not all get top grades, which is just wrong
August 16, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Our top 20% of “started it in yr 7/8” students did not all get top grades, which is just wrong
I’d like to see the top grade bands widened to reflect the intake - there’s no issue with a higher proportion of A* or A grades in eg Further Maths or Classical Greek, because it reflects the self-selecting intake, and MFL should be the same.
August 16, 2025 at 8:37 AM
I’d like to see the top grade bands widened to reflect the intake - there’s no issue with a higher proportion of A* or A grades in eg Further Maths or Classical Greek, because it reflects the self-selecting intake, and MFL should be the same.
I think that would be impossible to implement in a world in which student outcomes are so tied to teacher/school accountability measures, and the stakes so high for a student’s A-level results.
August 16, 2025 at 8:34 AM
I think that would be impossible to implement in a world in which student outcomes are so tied to teacher/school accountability measures, and the stakes so high for a student’s A-level results.
The snag being, of course, is that the devil would be in the detail of how “native speaker” would be defined. Portuguese and Italian native speakers have as much of an advantage, we find, while a UK-born kid with a Spanish dad, can find it as hard as their peers.
August 16, 2025 at 7:57 AM
The snag being, of course, is that the devil would be in the detail of how “native speaker” would be defined. Portuguese and Italian native speakers have as much of an advantage, we find, while a UK-born kid with a Spanish dad, can find it as hard as their peers.
I’m so looking forward to my 13:55 lesson in south-facing classroom with no air-con and a broken fan. I’m sure that everyone will leave having learnt lots of lovely Spanish. 😩
June 30, 2025 at 6:09 AM
I’m so looking forward to my 13:55 lesson in south-facing classroom with no air-con and a broken fan. I’m sure that everyone will leave having learnt lots of lovely Spanish. 😩
Sorting out the harsh grading is much needed, but the whole picture must also be looked at. Allowing the same proportion of high achievers to get A*/A as in their other subjects won’t help the lower achievers
June 29, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Sorting out the harsh grading is much needed, but the whole picture must also be looked at. Allowing the same proportion of high achievers to get A*/A as in their other subjects won’t help the lower achievers
Entry grades are tricky: we require a 6, and with an extra weekly session. But even then it’s an uphill struggle, and not advised if they’re at A/B in other subjects and aiming high, uni-wise. There’s also the ethical question of allowing a kid to start a course that they have no chance of passing
June 29, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Entry grades are tricky: we require a 6, and with an extra weekly session. But even then it’s an uphill struggle, and not advised if they’re at A/B in other subjects and aiming high, uni-wise. There’s also the ethical question of allowing a kid to start a course that they have no chance of passing
… and then our C/D students could be welcomed, too.
June 29, 2025 at 9:21 AM
… and then our C/D students could be welcomed, too.
It’s more to highlight that the principle is long established that it is possible for there to be more than one type of post-16 qualification in any one subject area. Who knows what the alternative to A-level MFL would be; that’s for debate, but I’d love to be able to offer more than one route.
June 29, 2025 at 9:20 AM
It’s more to highlight that the principle is long established that it is possible for there to be more than one type of post-16 qualification in any one subject area. Who knows what the alternative to A-level MFL would be; that’s for debate, but I’d love to be able to offer more than one route.
We don’t have a problem with creating academic and vocational routes (A-level vs BTEC/CTEC) for computer Science vs IT, Business, Music vs Music Performance, PE vs Sport, etc. Why there can’t be the same funded equivalent for Languages is beyond me.
June 29, 2025 at 8:34 AM
We don’t have a problem with creating academic and vocational routes (A-level vs BTEC/CTEC) for computer Science vs IT, Business, Music vs Music Performance, PE vs Sport, etc. Why there can’t be the same funded equivalent for Languages is beyond me.
I didn’t (it was French plus one of Latin, De, Esp when I was at school in the 80s). But my daughter did do Latin GCSE, from yr 8, while her yr 7 language was Spanish (which would never have been the case until relatively recently)
June 21, 2025 at 7:58 AM
I didn’t (it was French plus one of Latin, De, Esp when I was at school in the 80s). But my daughter did do Latin GCSE, from yr 8, while her yr 7 language was Spanish (which would never have been the case until relatively recently)
We went last year - my daughter was very happy to see that finding Caecilius’ house was a doddle, as somebody had helpfully added it to Google maps, to help Cambridge Latin Course pilgrims like her.
June 21, 2025 at 7:47 AM
We went last year - my daughter was very happy to see that finding Caecilius’ house was a doddle, as somebody had helpfully added it to Google maps, to help Cambridge Latin Course pilgrims like her.
I remember doing A-level proses about chabolas in Madrid, in the late 80s.
June 21, 2025 at 7:29 AM
I remember doing A-level proses about chabolas in Madrid, in the late 80s.
I did AEB Sp A-level (1990), so lots of essays about aubergine farming in Valencia, and analysis of Basque and Catalan role in the Civil War, and no Lazarillo. See also London Syllabus B, for French.
June 21, 2025 at 7:26 AM
I did AEB Sp A-level (1990), so lots of essays about aubergine farming in Valencia, and analysis of Basque and Catalan role in the Civil War, and no Lazarillo. See also London Syllabus B, for French.
Before that the hierarchy had been: brainy girls - Latin; budding engineers/middle sets - German; the rest - Spanish. (With French compulsory for all from day 1, bien sûr)
June 21, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Before that the hierarchy had been: brainy girls - Latin; budding engineers/middle sets - German; the rest - Spanish. (With French compulsory for all from day 1, bien sûr)