Spanish
Students begin their GCSE in languages in year 9 at Hendon. At KS3 they have acquired the foundations in Spanish to set them up for GCSE both in terms of assessed skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and vocabulary/grammar. GCSE Spanish allows students to expand their linguistic knowledge whilst further broadening their intercultural understanding. Outside of lessons, in previous years we have had Spanish theatre performances, screening of Spanish films and trips abroad.
At KS4 we follow the AQA syllabus for GCSE Spanish. the course is assessed at the end of year 11. There are four exams – one in each of the core skills – and each account for 25% of the GCSE. The course has 8 modules, covering 3 different themes (Them 1: People and lifestyle / Theme 2: Popular culture / Theme 3: Communication and the world around us), and these are learnt across the three years whilst allowing plenty of time for revision at the end of year 11. Students are assessed at the end of each module. They sit either the foundation assessment (where they can achieve grades 1-5) or the higher assessment (where they can achieve grades 4-9) depending on where they are in the course and their individual ability.
| Autumn | Spring | Summer | |
|
Year 9 (start of GCSE course) |
Module 1 (Theme 3): |
Module 2 (Theme 1) Education |
Module 3 (Theme 1 & 3): Identity and relationships with others Media and technology |
| Year 10 |
Module 4 (Theme 2): Free-time activities Celebrity culture |
Module 5 (theme 3): Where I live |
Module 6 (Theme 1 & 2): Healthy living and lifestyle Customs, festivals and celebrations |
| Year 11 |
Module 7 (Theme 1): World of work |
Module 8 (Theme 3): Environment |
Revision and Exam skills |
For further information, please visit the AQA Spanish website
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages/gcse/spanish-8698/specification-at-a-glance
(current spec for Year 10 & 11)
https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/spanish/specifications/AQA-8692-SP-2024.PDF (new spec, first exams for Summer 2026)
Useful Links
GCSE Bitesize Spanish - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/examspecs/z4yyjhv
Conjuguemos (verb practice) - https://conjuguemos.com/activities/spanish/verb/1
Seneca (vocab practice à sign up for free) - https://senecalearning.com/en-GB/blog/gcse-spanish-revision/
Contact
Ian Sanz Hurst - Head of Spanish / MFL sanzhursti@hendonschool.co.uk
