Modern Foreign Language - French
Intent
Across Key Stage 2, French is taught by Mrs Higgins. Children will follow the requirements of the National Curriculum and will take part in themed weeks and events throughout the year to teach them more about the culture and history of one of our closest European neighbours. The French curriculum is shaped around children building their knowledge about France and acquiring the vocabulary and understanding, enabling them to develop their confidence to use and appreciate the language. The curriculum uses topics that are accessible to all children to teach the vocabulary. Sentence stems are taught to the children which they can use to engage in simple exchanges. These help to build a spiral approach to the French curriculum, which builds on children's growing vocabulary and confidence to speak.
All children are able to access French lessons. Adaptations are made to support children with additional needs to enable them to take a full and active part in the lessons. Children are exposed to the language through text, film, images, modelled and spoken examples. As they learn new terms and vocabulary, they become familiar with correct spelling and grammatical features that support their growing proficiency and understanding of the language.
Implementation
French is taught by a specialist teacher across Key Stage 2. This ensures fidelity to the curriculum and a tight focus on progression year on year with children building on what they have been taught before. The teacher uses familiar games, activities and strategies with which the children know and are confident in to drive the learning. Songs, rhymes, actions and gestures help the children to learn new vocabulary and use confidently in context. Teaching is adapted to cater for the children who find aspects of French challenging or those with additional needs. Children rehearse and refine their skills through a range of learning opportunities which include speaking, listening, reading and writing opportunities. Drama is also used to support learning.
All children have access to the French curriculum. The curriculum is enriched through focus events such as French Week, whereby children immerse themselves in activities and scenarios to help them understand and appreciate French culture, customs, history and geography. Such events are a valuable opportunity for children to apply their learning and experience the music of the language in different situations.
The teacher uses a range of resources to support the French curriculum, including Catherine Cheater materials. Lessons are active and engaging, making use of the cooperative learning structures that are a characteristic of Holy Family's curriculum.
Where children are not secure in their learning, opportunities to recap prior learning and reteach topics are used to equip children with the skills and confidence to progress in their learning.
The planning overviews for each year group are available below:
Impact
Children make good progress in French. They enjoy their learning and can articulate what they know and how their learning develops overtime. Children are assessed by the teacher and through short assessment tasks at the end of units of work. These show children are achieving well. Pupil assessment is recorded on Target Tracker.
The teaching of French underpins the whole school focus on developing language and communication. Children are equipped with the foundations for future success in Modern Foreign Languages as they progress into Key Stage 3.