Girls study Mandarin in the Preparatory Department as well as in Key Stage 3. This is an exciting addition to the curriculum which is permeating through the school. In Year 7, students explore a variety of topics including: You and Me, My Family, Food and Drink, School life, Time and Weather, and Occupations

By the end of the first year of study, girls will be able to hold basic conversations, asking and answering simple questions in the present tense.

City girls with their Chinese exchange students

Year 8

Building on the topics covered in Year 7 students will cover topics, such as:

• Hobbies,
• Transport and Travel,
• Direction,
• Illness and injury,
• School life and routine, and
• Sport, fashion and entertainment.

Pupils will begin to give opinions and express themselves with more ease.

Year 9

Girls in Year 9 begin to develop a more in-depth knowledge of GCSE topics. They study areas such as:

• Media,
• Social, Environmental and Health issues,
• Clothes and Fashion,
• Education, Training and Employment,
• Shopping, and
• Money.  

The students become far more independent and confident learners and develop a great awareness of the grammatical structures of Mandarin Chinese. Pupils will begin to learn to express themselves using the past tense.

A group of students may have the opportunity to participate in a visit to China during the October half term.

After school Beginners and Progression Mandarin clubs run in both the Autumn and Spring term. They will be open to those girls who are not studying Mandarin as part of the curriculum.