Oliver Stone

BA (Hons) University of Bristol; PGCE, University of Edinburgh

Head of Modern Languages (teacher of Spanish)

Why study languages? Languages are potentially the most useful subjects you can study at school with a view to your longer term development. The most common statement a British adult makes about languages is that they regret not having studied more at school; learning a language to a high level opens doors to other cultures and job opportunities, not to mention the adventures of gap year travel in France, Spain, Germany or Latin America. Take myself as an example: outside school I direct my own travel business, Argentina Autentica, established in 2005 and based in Buenos Aires.

What's a typical languages lesson like? A touch of mime, making absurd actions while you follow instructions in the foreign language; a touch of acting, creating a hilarious scene while using the new language you have just learned; and a good joke in the process, telling your friends how they could have done things differently and most importantly, why.

What makes for a great lesson? A strong emphasis on oral and aural skills. In the classroom pupils will use their ears and mouths just as much as possible, because live communication is the real key.

What's the best thing about teaching at Leckford Place? The teachers are by far and wide the best quality individuals I have ever worked with at any school. They are genuine, great at their jobs and have an appetite for fun.