French

Intent

Learning a foreign language is part of the primary National Curriculum and is a requirement for all children within key stage 2 (KS2).

The reason we teach French is:

  • The learning of a language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils.
  • It helps them to develop communication skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing, with an aim of making substantial progress in one language.
  • Children’s knowledge of how language works will be developed to lay the foundations for further language learning in future.
  • Learning another language will give children a new and broader perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures and those of others, which feeds into our focus on global learning.
  • It fosters an interest in learning other languages.
  • It introduces young children to another language in a way that is enjoyable and fun and encourages children’s curiosity about language.  
  • It develops their speaking and listening skills.  
  • It lay the foundations for future study.  
  • Extends language teaching beyond mother tongue learning.

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Implementation

Below is an example outline of the units we will cover throughout KS2:

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Core Vocabulary * & Phonetics

Presenting Myself

Do You Have A Pet?

Verbs & Grammar

I’m Learning French

Family

What Is The Date?

At School

Animals

The Tudors or Habitats (Intermediate Version)

The Weather

The Weekend

Musical Instruments

At The Café

Clothes

World War II or Habitats (Progressive Version)

Little Red Riding Hood or Ancient Britain

The Classroom

The Romans

Healthy Lifestyles

I Can…

Goldilocks

The Olympics or Habitats (Progressive Version)

The Planets

 

* Core Vocabulary lessons cover; Classroom Commands; Colours; Days of the Week; Maths Calculations; Months of the Year; Numbers 1 – 100; Maths Calculations.

French lessons include:

  • PowerPoints and interactive whiteboard materials.
  • Interactive games (which pupils can access from home to consolidate their learning).
  • Songs & raps.
  • Differentiated desk-based consolidation activities.
  • Worksheets (at three different levels of challenge) are provided throughout each teaching unit and can be used in class or can be sent home to be completed as a homework exercise.

Each lesson will focus on a combination of the 5 key language learning skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar). 

Each class has a timetabled lesson of at least thirty minutes per week or 1 hour fortnightly. French can also be revisited in short sessions throughout the week to consolidate knowledge and ensure new language is retained.

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning, French is planned in conjunction with our Broadleaf Trust, Leader of Languages, Mr I Astbury. Teachers plan their lessons using the Language Angels scheme of work and can supplement this with their own ideas and experience and those of their colleagues. It is taught in a whole-class setting by the class teacher or HLTA.

The lessons are designed to motivate, captivate and interest children from the first moment. They have clear, achievable objectives and incorporate different learning styles. SEN children have access to the curriculum through variation of task, grouping or support from an adult.

Impact

Our aim is to develop the confidence and competence of each child in the foreign language they are learning. Our goal is for them to be passionate, curious and confident about their own foreign language learning abilities when they finish the primary school phase of their education.

We aim to ensure that pupils of all abilities develop solid foundations in these key language learning skills – properly preparing them for the next stage of their language learning journey. These skills will develop children’s ability to understand what they hear and read and enable them to express themselves in speech and writing. We will extend their knowledge of how language works and explore the similarities and differences between the foreign language they are learning and English. We will also help strengthen their sense of identity through learning about culture in other countries and comparing it with their own.

Below you will find a few websites and resources than can be used to help your children in their French learning:

https://translate.google.com/

Google Translate is a straightforward tool, not only is it able to translate French to English and vice versa, it speaks the translated language too.

KS2 French – BBC Bitesize

BBC Bitesize has some useful French skills and games to try.