French
Intent:
At Cornerstone Schools we believe that the learning of a language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils. The intention of our MFL programme is to develop communication skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing, with an aim of making substantial progress in one language. In addition, children’s knowledge of how language works will be developed to lay the foundations for further language learning in future. We believe that learning another language gives children a new and broader perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures and those of others, thus building their cultural capital.
Our French curriculum aims for all pupils to develop key language learning skills, as set out by the national curriculum, as well as a love of languages and learning about other cultures. These are as follows:
- understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
- speak with increasing confidence, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation
- can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
- discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied
Implementation:
The children learn French from Reception up to Year 6. We use the NYCC Scheme of Learning for Primary French to support our teaching in KS2 and we link French learning to other curriculum subjects whenever possible in order to make it more relevant and more likely for the children to embed their learning.
In EYFS and Key Stage 1 our focus is on familiarising the children with the sounds of French and some basic vocabulary. We do this primarily through songs, rhymes and games. By the time the children reach the end of KS1 they should be able to count to 20, understand and use basic greetings and name some colours, animals, body parts and foods.
In KS2 the children will continue to learn to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing whilst learning about the culture of France and other French-speaking places. KS2 children are taught a weekly discreet lesson by a qualified teacher or TA. Due to the class structure at our schools we follow a 4-year rolling curriculum in order to ensure that the children learn a wide variety of skills and vocabulary.
Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversational work, singing activities and games. As their confidence and skills grow, children record their work through pictures, captions and sentences.
- displays are used to remind children of key vocabulary
- practical activities, songs and games are used to help improve memory and recall.
- visual prompts are used to support children in translating new vocabulary.
- word mats/ knowledge organisers are available for children to have out on desks to support their learning and recap previous learning.
Click below to see our four year French programme
French four year rolling programme
Impact:
We strive to ensure that our pupils’ attainment is in line or exceeds their potential when we consider the varied starting points of our children. All children in KS2 are assessed at the end of every term to determine their progress in French. The five areas of focus are:
- listening
- speaking
- reading
- writing
- grammar