WHAT IS THE FCSE AND WHY DO WE DO IT AT TRANBY

All pupils studying a Modern Foreign Language follow the FCSE (Foundation Certificate of Secondary Education) in Year 9. This is an award written and accredited by AQA, and is conducted and assessed internally within our school but moderated by AQA. There are a number of reasons why we offer this: it gives pupils a qualification at the end of Year 9 which officially recognises the three years of work covered during Key Stage 3, it sets pupils achievable targets to work towards during the year, it subsequently provides an element of motivation and focus, and it provides an opportunity to reflect on whether further progression to GCSE in Key Stage 4 is a realistic option. Pupils are tested in all four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) across three different topic areas, and this assessment replaces an internal examination at the end of the school year. Successful outcomes are awarded at Distinction, Merit or Pass level. We have never had a Fail!

Mr G Stephenson