French Intent
French is the modern foreign language (MFL) taught to all children in KS2 at St. Stephen’s C.E. Primary School. We believe that the earlier a child is exposed to a new language, the faster the language in question is acquired. We strongly believe that introducing a foreign language to children during primary school, when they tend to be less self-conscious about speaking aloud, is a hugely positive idea and the impact on other areas of learning is invaluable. We believe the curiosity bred in children, through exposure to a new language, feeds through to their learning about new places, peoples, cultures and traditions. In line with the national curriculum for Modern Foreign Languages, we aim to ensure that all children:
- Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources.
- Are able to speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and that they are continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation.
- Can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences.
At St. Stephen’s C. E. Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that competence in another language enables children to interpret and exchange meaning within and across cultures. From Year 3 upwards, we will provide an appropriate balance of spoken and written language and help to lay the foundations for further foreign language learning as our pupils’ progress to Secondary Schools.
French Implementation
French is taught to all children across KS2 every week. We follow the Planit French scheme to develop the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing within the subject. PlanIt French offers a carefully planned sequence of lessons, ensuring progressive coverage of the skills required by the national curriculum. Our chosen themes – Time Travelling, Let’s Visit a French Town and This Is France – provide an introduction to the culture of French-speaking countries and communities. It aims to foster children’s curiosity and help deepen their understanding of the world. A linear curriculum has been chosen to allow opportunity for children to gradually build on their skills. PlanIt French enables children to express their ideas and thoughts in French and provides opportunities to interact and communicate with others both in speech and in writing. At the heart of PlanIt French is the desire to expose children to authentic French, so the scheme offers regular opportunities to listen to native speakers. In Lower KS2, children acquire basic skills and understanding of French with a strong emphasis placed on developing their Speaking and Listening skills. These will be embedded and further developed in Upper KS2, alongside Reading and Writing, gradually progressing onto more complex language concepts and greater learner autonomy. Through our PlanIt French scheme, we intend to inspire pupils to develop a love of languages and to expand their horizons to other countries, cultures and people. We aim to help children grow into curious, confident and reflective language learners and to provide them with a foundation that will equip them for further language studies.
Lessons are sequenced so that prior learning is considered and opportunities for revision of language and grammar are built in. Our lessons and resources help children to build on prior knowledge alongside the introduction of new skills. A series of lessons are suggested, providing structure and context as well as offering an insight into the culture of French-speaking countries and communities. The introduction and revision of key vocabulary and grammatical structures is built into each lesson. This vocabulary is then included in display materials and additional resources so that children have opportunities to repeat and revise their learning. PlanIt French has been designed by our language specialist teaching team, including French native speakers, so that teachers feel confident and supported. All of our lesson packs contain adult guidance, accurate language subject knowledge and accompanying audio materials.
French Impact
As a result, all our pupils enjoy French lessons and show great enthusiasm in learning the language and about French culture. They recognise and remember key French vocabulary and can write a limited amount in French. Learning another language gives children a new perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures, their own languages, and the culture and languages of others.
Using the full range of resources, including display materials, will increase the profile of languages across school. The learning environment will be consistent with key French vocabulary displayed, spoken and used by all learners. We want to ensure that French is loved by teachers and pupils across school, therefore encouraging them to embark on further language studies. Impact can also be measured through key questioning skills built into lessons, child-led assessment such as success criteria grids, jigsaw targets and summative assessments aimed at targeting next steps in learning.
