What are we aiming for? 

Learning a foreign language is a necessary part of being a member of a multi-cultural society and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable children to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping children to study and work in other countries. 

How will we do it? 

Our MFL curriculum is designed to progressively develop children’s skills in languages, through weekly taught lessons in KS2. 

In KS1, children take part in regular fun activities, games and songs to help them to develop awareness of basic French words and phrases. 

Teachers deliver French lessons supported by the LCP scheme.  

Children progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary organised around topics. 

Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversational work, singing activities and games. 

As confidence and skill grows, children record their work through a range of tailored activities to ensure that all children can access the MFL curriculum that is outlined in the National Curriculum. 

Units are progressive within themselves as subsequent lessons within a unit build on the language and knowledge taught in previous lessons.  As pupils progress through the lessons in a unit they will build their knowledge and develop the complexity of the language they use. 

How does French at Felbridge Primary School promote diversity? 

French lessons provide an in-depth look at a different country and culture. Children learn to appreciate, respect and value the differences between our two countries and cultures. We look at how different languages adopt/adapt words from other countries/languages and how many words are similar across different languages. French lessons promote the fact that there are many differences and similarities between the countries of the world and that these to be respected and celebrated.   

How does French at Felbridge Primary School help children develop an understanding of SMSC? 

• Through the teaching of French, children are immersed in a language which is widely spoken across the world allowing them to learn about various parts of a new culture including food, music, clothing and schooling. 

• Through the teaching of French, we reinforce our school values of mutual respect and tolerance of worldwide differences.  

• All children are respectful of their peers when speaking French during a lesson and understand the importance of learning from our mistakes.  

• There are many opportunities to develop social skills through French conversation.  

• All children appreciate that we are a multicultural nation and that this is something to be celebrated. 

How does French at Felbridge Primary School ensure that pupil premium, SEND and other disadvantaged children can fully access the curriculum? 

All Children, of all abilities and needs, can access and enjoy French, at their own level. Tasks are designed to be accessible for all children, appropriately supporting and challenging individual children. Many tasks in French lessons involve speaking, listening, repeating, singing, basic French conversation and games. The lessons are fun and involve lots of repetition to aid acquisition of French vocab. All children, of all abilities and needs, are supported to access the learning during French lessons. 

What will our approach result in? 

Children at Felbridge Primary School enjoy learning French! They are engaged and enthusiastic during French lessons. Children speak with increasing confidence and by the end of year 6 are able to join in with discussions and ask questions about a range of topics. Children are provided with the foundation for leaning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other counties. 

Children will be able to write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt.  

Children will discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied. 

Note: It is the intention that each year group covers a different French unit each term and children therefore cover twelve units across KS2. There is a slight mismatch in the units at present, as the LCP scheme was adopted in the spring term 2020/21.