Communications faculty
The communications faculty includes English, Spanish and French (Modern Foreign Languages) and Media Studies. We offer Latin in year 8, with a plan to put on a GCSE in Classics in year 11 in future years, and provision for students to sit exams in their home languages.
Our aim is to empower students by giving them the ability to express themselves in their own and other languages – and to understand the development and use of languages from ancient Latin to the latest in new media. We particularly want our students to be enriched by what they read – and at least once a week we ask every student in the school to Drop Everything And Read. DEAR time, as we call it, emphasises to students the importance we put on reading.
Through a broad and balanced curriculum, we hope to fire students’ imaginations and give them the communications skills they need for working life. We offer a range of pathways for English at key stage 4 – choosing between separate English Language and Literature GCSEs or a combined, single award. This year our English GCSE results put us in the top 6% of schools for student progress.
Throughout the year we put on a range of trips and events to inspire students – we recently took a group to see Of Mice and Men at the Catford Theatre, and regularly invite Shakespearean theatre groups in. We also run a school journey to Barcelona every other year and have plans to alternate it with a French equivalent.
Spanish news
We are happy to announce two new appointments to the Spanish department: Mr Martin-Hinojal as Head of Spanish and Mrs Garcia, who teaches Spanish and French. Both are experienced teachers with excellent records in London academies, and both are excited to be at St Matthew Academy. Students are progressing well with the new team, after the difficulties of last term.
Spotlight on Mr Hinojal
Mr Hinojal comes to us after eight years at Pimlico Academy. He was born in Valladolid in Spain (home of the Spanish Inquisition and the ‘best’ Spanish, he says), but spent the rest of his youth in different countries, as his mum worked for the Spanish Embassy. As a result he speaks five languages, although he only considers himself bilingual in Spanish and French. He lives in Lewisham with his wife and children and enjoys reading – his favourite book is Homer’s Odyssey.