School Improvement Service

Areas of work

Modern Foreign Languages

The Modern Foreign Languages adviser, Jenny Carpenter, provides support for all aspects of modern foreign languages curriculum and teaching, working in line with the local authority's programmes and principles of raising attainment of all pupils.

Over time the Modern Foreign Languages team has contributed to numerous aspects of national development work in modern foreign languages, working for the Secondary National Strategy, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research.

Jenny Carpenter is regularly invited to give presentations on modern foreign languages to local authorities. She is a National Trainer for the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages and contributes to national bodies such as the National Association of Language Advisers. Jenny has been a frequent presenter at the national Primary Languages Show.

The adviser will help with any aspects of modern foreign languages provision which schools may wish to improve, including departmental self-evaluation. She will also help to keep secondary modern foreign languages subject departments and primary schools up to date on national developments through regular meetings, in-service training events and visits to schools.

Barking and Dagenham local authority was one of 19 'Pathfinder' authorities, funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families over 2003-2005 to introduce languages into Key Stage 2. This programme continues to help local primary schools to build capacity to meet the government's intended entitlement deadline of January 2010.

All 9 secondary schools participate in a Strategic Learning Network to help strengthen teaching and learning at Key Stage 3. In addition, 2 local authority schools have been invited to take part in a national pilot of the revised Key Stage 3 Framework for Languages during 2008-2009.

Both of these programmes have been identified by Ofsted as having real potential to raise standards of attainment and levels of motivation in Modern Foreign Languages.

Contact

Jenny Carpenter

Adviser

Modern Foreign Languages

Westbury Centre

Ripple Road

Barking

IG11 7PT

Tel: 020 8270 6703

Fax: 020 8270 4811

Email: jenny.carpenter@lbbd.gov.uk|