TTLH Team
The Trent and Tame Language Hub is a collaboration between the Language Departments at The Arthur Terry School in Sutton Coldfield and Painsley Catholic College in Staffordshire.
The Trent and Tame Language Hub team is made up of four experienced Language Teachers who have all held leadership positions in multiple schools in our region. Speaking French, Spanish and German, the team are excited to broaden the reach of the Language Hub.
Tracy Williams
Hub Lead Arthur Terry
Tracy Williams
Hub Lead Arthur Terry
Languages: French, Spanish (and a little bit of Latin!)
Current Role: Trent and Tame Language Hub Lead, ATLP Trust Lead for Languages, Arthur Terry SCITT Languages Lead.
Experience:
Since completing her PGCE in 2005, Tracy has taught French, Spanish and Latin in two secondary schools. She has been a French subject lead and a Core Leader for Languages. She is currently the MFL Subject, Pedagogy and Assessment Lead for the Arthur Terry SCITT and the ATLP’s trust lead for Languages. As Trust lead, Tracy supports the ATLP’s 6 secondary Language heads of department to implement their innovative and comprehensive curriculum plans in in KS3, KS4 and KS5. Over the last five years, she has also been responsible for the design and resourcing of a KS2 ATLP French Curriculum which has included extensive CPD for non-specialist teachers. Much of her work as Trust Lead focuses on developing understanding of and implementing elements of the 2016 MFL pedagogy review. The impact of this work can be seen in healthy take-up of languages at GCSE level and beyond alongside the steadily improving outcomes at GCSE across secondary schools in the trust.
As Hub Lead for the Trent and Tame Language Hub, Tracy is excited to bring language teachers and leaders across the region together to create a strong and sustainable network of passionate linguists who share best practice and find innovative solutions to the challenges we encounter on a daily basis!
Specific Areas of Interest:
- Explicit teaching of phonics,
- Cognitive Science,
- Developing Intrinsic Motivation for language learning
- Finding ways to get young people actually SPEAKING different languages.
What was your initial motivation to learn another language?
When I was in primary school, my parents used to have ‘secret’ conversations at home in French every time they wanted to say something but didn’t want my siblings and I to understand. I was determined to be part of these conversations and decided to try really hard in French lessons. I was delighted when aged about 14, I was able to join in the conversations! By that point, I was hooked!
Clare Oberman
Hub Lead Painsley Catholic College
Clare Oberman
Hub Lead Painsley Catholic College
Languages: French, Spanish, German and Latin
Current Role: Trent and Tame Language Hub Lead, The Golden Thread Teaching School Hub director, North Mids Maths Hub Senior Leadership Link, Behaviour Hub Strategic Lead and the Manager of The Bell Foundation Centre of Expertise for the West Midlands
Experience:
Clare has taught French, German and Spanish for nearly 30 years. She has worked in a range of schools in both rural and urban settings and in areas of high disadvantage. She has led large MFL departments and has previously been responsible for establishing a Language College in a school setting under SSAT. As a lead of four Hubs, Clare is passionate about professional development of all staff to improve outcomes and life chances for children and to support the recruitment and retention of practitioners in all school settings.
As Hub Lead for the Trent and Tame Language Hub, Clare is committed to increasing the uptake of modern foreign languages and developing high quality local and regional language networks to support practitioners within the Hub reach. As a collective of schools within the Hub, Clare is eager to collaborate with others using evidence-informed practice to support language learning and strong outcomes for students.
Specific Areas of Interest:
- Metacognition and self-regulated learning
- Oracy and language acquisition
- Explicit teaching of phonics,
- Disciplinary literacy
What was your initial motivation to learn another language?
My family has always advocated the importance of learning about and from others. My very first language teacher when I was 8 was wonderful. She was patient, kind and pushed me to be my very best. I was very lucky to have inspirational language teachers throughout my own schooling and many opportunities to travel abroad. I always wanted to learn more and experience new cultures.
Abby Gannon
Specialist Teacher – Arthur Terry
Abby Gannon
Specialist Teacher – Arthur Terry
Languages: French, Spanish
Current Role: NCLE Specialist Teacher in the Trent and Tame Language Hub, Second in Department at The Arthur Terry School
Experience:
Abby Gannon the Specialist MFL teacher in the Trent and Tame Language Hub. She is also the Second in Department at the Arthur Terry School. She has been working as a Languages Teacher for 18 years teaching French and Spanish to KS2 through to KS5. Abby has worked as a Learning Coach and a Professional Coach supporting ITT students from The University of Birmingham, BCU and the Arthur Terry SCITT. As a GCSE examiner for AQA, she has delivered training at MAT level which supported the progress and attainment of Year 11 students. Abby is passionate about languages and aims to help students and colleagues to see the magic of language learning and to come to love teaching and learning languages. She is excited to be working in the Language Hub and is eager to motivate fellow language teachers and learners and to see language teaching evolve.
Specific Areas of Interest:
- Intrinsic Motivation
- The importance of primary languages and strong KS2 provision
What was your initial motivation to learn another language?
In 1993, I stepped into a Year 7 French classroom with Madame “K” and that day changed my life forever. That was it, that was the spark that ignited the fire in my belly to teach languages. Madame “K” had the most infectious energy and excitement for languages and enveloped her learners into her world of language learning. Over the past 18 years, I have tried to inspire the same love of language learning to all my learners.
Shelley Walklate
Specialist Teacher – Painsley Catholic College
Shelley Walklate
Specialist Teacher – Painsley Catholic College
Languages: French, Spanish, Italian
Current Role: NCLE Specialist Teacher in the Trent and Tame Language Hub, Head of MFL at Painsley Catholic College, Cheadle
Experience:
After completing a BA (hons) French & Italian at The University of Birmingham, and some time spent working as an ESOL teacher in the north of Italy, Shelley began her teaching career in the UK. Having now taught in a number of different secondary schools, in a variety of settings, Shelley is presently Head of Department at Painsley Catholic College leading a team that is passionate about inspiring students with a lifelong love of MFL. Shelley is excited to be working as a specialist teacher for the Trent and Tame Language Hub, keen to share her own passion and motivation with other teachers who strive to make MFL accessible, useful and enjoyable for every student.
Specific Areas of Interest:
- Cognitive science
- Self-belief in language learners
- Phonics
What was your initial motivation to learn another language?
It all started with a teacher….! My GCSE Italian teacher made the language easy and made me believe that I could speak Italian! I’ve always loved English, and reading, and was fascinated by the links I began to see between English, French and Italian. I genuinely felt like a new world was opening up to me as I became increasingly more proficient in other languages, and I’ve been passionate about sharing that excitement ever since!
The Language Hub team will also be supported by practising teachers working at Arthur Terry and at Painsley Catholic College.
Language Provision at the Hub Lead Schools
At Arthur Terry, students initially study either French or Spanish. Over 85% of the cohort continue learning their original language into Ks4. Numbers studying languages in KS5 are well above the national average. There are also opportunities for some students to learn the alternate language from year 8 with dual language pathways available for students in KS4 and KS5. Find out more…
At Painsley Catholic College, French, Spanish and German are on offer. Each academic year, Year 7 students study either French, German or Spanish and they continue to study this language through Key Stage 3 into KS4 and KS5. Opportunities to study an additional language at GCSE level ab-initio are available from Year 9 whilst students at KS3. Students also have the opportunity to experience a second language through clubs and extra-curricular activities. Language uptake in KS4 is above 85%. Find out more…
Arthur Terry KS3 Provision
In KS3, students study French or Spanish and have 5 hours a fortnight of lessons. In years 7 and 8 students follow the ATLP bespoke languages curriculum. Venturing on a fictional exchange to either France or Spain, students are immersed in a carefully planned language learning journey which focuses on the vocabulary and structures required to:
- Prepare for an exchange to Boulogne / Granada – including introductions, descriptions of yourself and your family and talking about free-time
- Arrive in France/ Spain and engage with your host family including transactional language useful in everyday life
- Visit Paris / Granada and explore its attractions
- Relocate to a new city – Toulouse / Barcelona
- Go to school in France / Spain
- Enjoy French / Spanish celebrations and cultural experiences
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced allowing students to improve their proficiency in the target language over a series of lessons. Lessons are designed to progress from modelling to receptive practice, followed by structured production. Over time, the sentence builder scaffold is gradually reduced allowing students to build towards independence and expansion of their language capabilities.
In Year 9, students explore the themes lifestyle, holidays, and cultural life. The planned curriculum supports learners to develop confidence with exposure to the past, the present and the future tense as well as a breadth of vocabulary which enables students to express their views on a variety of themes.
Arthur Terry KS4 Provision:
Students pick their options at the end of Year 9. Students who choose to continue with French or Spanish have five hours of lessons a fortnight, currently following the Pearson specification. The team at The Arthur Terry School plan to use the AQA specification from September 2024 to teach the reformed GCSE.
Arthur Terry KS5 Provision:
Students are encouraged to continue their language learning journey in French and Spanish into KS5. Classes are well subscribed and well above the national average. There are currently 43 students studying French or Spanish in year 12 and year 13. Students follow the AQA specification exploring Au Revoir les Enfants alongside No et moi in French and El laberinto del fauno and La casa de Bernarda Alba in Spanish. Alongside 10 hours of teaching time, students also enjoy opportunities to travel to the countries where they can practise the target language and immerse themselves in TL culture.
Painsley Catholic College KS3 Provision:
Students in Year 7 and 8 at Painsley Catholic College study a Modern Foreign Language for 2 hours per week. Students study either French or Spanish throughout Key Stage 3 and into Key Stage 4, building on the strong MFL provision delivered in our MAC feeder primary schools.
In line with the principles of the 2016 MFL pedagogy review, the carefully planned scheme of learning at Key Stage 3 gives students a systematic knowledge of the vocabulary, grammar and phonics of the language they are learning, as a tool for communication. The Key Stage 3 scheme is underpinned by regular opportunities for students to read engaging and culturally relevant texts as a medium for deepening knowledge of the 3 aforementioned key strands of the curriculum. The scheme of learning also embraces opportunities for students to explore the history, culture and literature of the country or countries where the modern foreign language is widely spoken, in order to broaden the horizons and inspire the minds of our children.
Students retrieve previously learnt concepts every lesson, and build on initial implicit pattern-spotting learning of grammar points with explicit grammar instruction. Flipped learning is used to introduce students to new vocabulary on an online platform, in advance of recall, application and manipulation of the new vocabulary by students in subsequent lessons.
KS4 Provision:
Students begin their KS4 course in Year 9, and continue to learn the language they have studied throughout KS3. They are also given the opportunity to become a dual linguist and opt to learn a second MFL ab initio. Students continue to study MFL for 4 hours per fortnight and the AQA course is delivered.
KS5 Provision:
Students can choose to continue their language studies into KS5 with Spanish and German currently available. Group numbers are often modest which allows for very tailored teaching and near-complete delivery in the foreign language. Painsley Catholic College has a KS5 MFL collegiate system with a local independent school – Denstone College – where students complete their A-level AQA course.
Highlights of our provision
“We have worked hard to ensure that our curriculum reflects careful consideration of Cognitive Load Theory. Our students are given the opportunity to learn in a clearly structured way, that builds on prior learning, revisits previously-learnt material regularly, and consistently tests students formatively to ensure that learning is embedded at every stage. Our students are exposed to, and use, the target language in every lesson as routine. They embrace the challenge!” Shelley Walklate. Head of MFL at Painsley Catholic College
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The Arthur Terry School
Kittoe Road
Four Oaks
Sutton Coldfield
B74 4RZ
ttlh@atlp.org.uk
Trent and Tame Language Hub
Painsley Catholic College
Station Road
Cheadle
Staffordshire
ST10 1LH
co@painsley.staffs.sch.uk
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