Spanish at Prenton

At Prenton High School, languages play a key role in developing confident, articulate, and culturally aware young people. From Year 7, all students study Spanish — the second most spoken native language in the world, with around 485 million native speakers.

Throughout Key Stage 3, students receive three Spanish lessons across the two-week timetable, building strong foundations in communication, grammar, and vocabulary. Students may then choose to continue Spanish at GCSE, following the Pearson Edexcel specification.

Studying Spanish develops communication skills, cultural understanding, and resilience, preparing students for further education, employment, and life in an increasingly global society. We strongly encourage all students to continue their language learning at GCSE to maximise these opportunities.

Table of Topics

Year 7	Year 8	Year 9
All About Me (Greetings, Age, Pets) Friends and Family My School Free Time Activities Cultural Study (Spanish Film Study and Project)	Holidays My Town and Places Food and Meals Life As A Teenager (Phones, Music, TV) Cultural Study (Festivals Presentation Project)	Jobs and Future Careers The Wider World (Rights, Fair Trade, Environment) Healthy Lifestyle and Sport City Life and Culture Cultural Study (Latin American Film Study)

GCSE Spanish

Exam board: Pearson Edexcel (1SP1)

Why study Spanish?

Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and an increasingly valuable skill for education, careers and travel. GCSE Spanish helps students become confident communicators while developing cultural awareness, resilience and strong learning habits.

How is GCSE Spanish assessed?

GCSE Spanish is assessed through four equally weighted exams, all taken at the end of Year 11. Students are entered for either Foundation Tier (grades 1-5) or Higher Tier (grades 4-9).

✔ No coursework
✔ Foundation and Higher tiers available
✔ All four skills are equally important

Skill	Exam length	Weighting
Listening	Foundation: 45 min • Higher: 60 min	25%
Reading	Foundation: 45 min • Higher: 60 min	25%
Writing	Foundation: 60 min • Higher: 75 min	25%
Speaking	Foundation: 7–9 min • Higher: 10–12 min (+ 15 min preparation time)	25%

What do students study?

Students study Spanish through six key themes, which appear across all exams.

• My personal world – family, friends, identity
• Lifestyle and wellbeing – health, sport, mental wellbeing
• My neighbourhood – home, town, transport
• Media and technology – social media and digital life
• Studying and my future – school, careers, ambitions
• Travel and tourism – holidays and travel experiences

These themes reflect real-life situations and develop understanding of Spanish-speaking cultures.

What skills will students gain?

Through GCSE Spanish, students will:

• Communicate confidently in another language
• Improve memory, problem-solving and resilience
• Develop cultural awareness and global understanding
• Gain skills valued by employers, colleges and universities

GCSE Spanish is suitable for a wide range of students and helps keep future study and career options open.

Find out more about Spanish GCSE