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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Spanish GCSE top grades

13 replies

ImStillMe · 31/01/2023 06:58

DDi s predicted 7-9 in Spanish, but only 1 student out of 30 achieved a 9 in the GCSE last year at her school.

What can I do to help her get an 8 or 9? Thinking holidays or films etc... to immerse her.

OP posts:

clary · 31/01/2023 07:34

MFL specialist here - not got time to answer in full but will later. But start with verbs and vocabulary - she needs to know those really well. Much more useful (and harder work!) than watching a Spanish film.

Original poster

ImStillMe · 31/01/2023 09:07

Thanks @clary I look forward to more info when you can. DD is currently in Y9.

OP posts:

Pythonesque · 31/01/2023 14:57

From what I gathered when my children were doing their GCSEs, exam technique plays a big role in getting 9s. Things like knowing (they both did German but it probably isn't very different) how many different verbs they should include in an longer answer to get all the possible marks.

That sort of preparation is really for year 11. But if she is doing well in yr 9 then yes anything that broadens her language exposure will surely help.

clary · 31/01/2023 21:18

Hi OP, Ok I presumed she was in year 11! I was going to offer you lots of exam tips, but I think year 9 is a bit early for that.

Is she doing it as a 3-year KS4? If so they should have lots of time to revise in year 11. That's when exam technique and past papers will come in to play.

Is there a specific reason you want her to gain a 9? It's a tough grade to get in MFL IMO - 7 or 8 is excellent. What board is it btw? Usually AQA but may not be. She will miss the new spec which starts teaching in Sept next year.

So what I would advise is still what I said - vocab and verbs.
Vocab - does she have a vocab list or booklet that she is working from? Does she have regular vocab tests? You can help her with these - support with however she learns best, whether that's testing her verbally, having post-its around the house, recording vocab so she can play it on her phone...

If you need a list there is one on the AQA website here vocab list

Verbs - these are key. She should have done all the tenses by now - so how secure are they? In Spanish there is present, present continuous, perfect, preterite, future, immediate future and more. she will need to know these for regular verbs (hablar etc) and also for irregular ones like ir and ser. So can she say I am going or He went or We will be or She speaks? Again, any way you can support with learning and testing - make a song, recite them in the car - will be great.

Tbh a Spanish holiday and Spanish films would not do much in y11. In yr 9 a holiday might be good to boost her confidence in speaking (as long as it is somewhere where she will be able to speak Spanish), but she won;t really learn what she needs from that or from watching Spanish films. Can't do any harm tho!

I would also speak to her teacher about what they expect from her and what they think she can achieve. Buena suerte and HTH

clary · 31/01/2023 21:19

The new spec I mentioned is not a massive change but it is a change, so it's not a bad thing not to be among the first cohort to tale it btw.

Testina · 31/01/2023 22:21

@clary do you mind me jumping on to ask if the new spec also applies to AQA French - and if you have an easy link to detail about it please?

clary · 31/01/2023 22:29

Yeps it's for German French and Spanish. Not a massive difference tbh - some dictation basically.
Spec is here spec
Latest update here update

First exams 2026

Testina · 31/01/2023 23:10

Thank you!

Original poster

ImStillMe · 31/01/2023 23:10

Thanks @clary , yes AQA but not a 3 year KS4.

The school has many more students achieving a 9 in Physics, which I thought harder.

I achieved an A in GCSE French in the late eighties. I suppose it may have been a 7 not a 9. I was just surprised that just one student achieved a 9 in Spanish and I suspect they were a native speaker too.

DD's school sign states it is is a language college too.

OP posts:

Greyfelt · 31/01/2023 23:21

To encourage a genuine interest in and knowledge of the language and culture, and good pronunciation and accent, I'd send her to Spain on a language exchange for at least 2 weeks. Preferably a couple of times. I'd also (if I could afford it) pay for some online lessons with a native speaker.

fruitpastille · 31/01/2023 23:28

Presumably more students took physics than Spanish? That would makes a difference. I just had a looks at my dds school and there were only 2 grade 9s but lots of 8s and 7s.

Testina · 31/01/2023 23:29

@ImStillMe “The school has many more students achieving a 9 in Physics, which I thought harder.”

Why would Physics be harder? Sounds like you’re bringing your own bias there. GCSEs are generally as hard as each other. Not for an individual, of course some students find some things easier or more engaging. There were some articles about French & German being harder than Spanish a few years ago - leading to a review. Reviews and movable grade boundaries should work together to keep all GCSEs of a similar difficulty.

Testina · 31/01/2023 23:37

I don’t think you can compare Physics and Spanish easily anyway.

Physics: in the state sector, almost all (all?) schools will offer Double Science. Therefore, if you look at Physics results you’re looking at a self selecting group of students who are both motivated to take Physics and more academically able that the school allowed it.

Spanish: at a school that wants a good good Ebacc %, a wide range of abilities will Vs directed to take Spanish.

So you’d get a higher % of 9s at Physics, I’m sure.

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