French
FPS French Curriculum Statement
Each unit of work consists of:
• Topic area, detailed content of each topic or ‘Steps to Success’ criteria (for KS2).
• The main NC Language skill areas to be developed within each topic according to the following list: (these skills have been numbered as below in the Scheme of work)
The KS2 Programme of Study says that pupils should be taught to:
1. listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
2. explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
3. engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
4. speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
5. develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
6. present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
7. read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
8. appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
9. broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
10. write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly
11. describe people, places, things and actions orally* and in writing Languages – key stage 2 3
12. understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English.
Progression is planned for, using the skill and knowledge intention descriptors for each year group, whilst keeping in mind that there will be an overlap, as classes are taught within mixed year groups.
Intent
Learners will
• Develop an enjoyment of and resilience in language learning through a challenging and engaging scheme of work
• Acquire language learning strategies for memory and retrieval as well as for listening, reading and understanding
• Be able to manipulate language to speak or write sentences creatively using prior knowledge of grammar and key features
• Have a sound grasp of the key sounds of the French language and their corresponding graphemes and be able to apply this knowledge when speaking, listening and reading aloud
• Recognise some of the language patterns of French and how these differ or are similar to English
• Appreciate and be able to copy the sound of the language at text level through songs, stories and rhymes
• Have a deeper understanding of cultural differences and similarities
• Demonstrate substantial progress in learning French and work towards or meet the targets of the KS2 Programme of Study for Languages
Implementation
• The lessons are delivered weekly, by a specialist MFL teacher, during the class teachers’ PPA time.
• Due to timetabling, Year 3 and 4 have a one hour weekly lesson and Year 1 and 2 and Year 5 and 6 have one hour a week, alternating each half term.
• There is also a weekly after school club for children wishing to participate in additional French activities or for those who wish to learn another language: Spanish or German.
• The scheme runs on a two-year cycle, (described here as Cycle A and Cycle B) as classes are taught in mixed year groups.
• The lessons are designed to be progressive and build on prior learning, moving from word to more complex sentence level during the four years of KS2
• Lessons include ideas for support for the less able and to extend the more able
• The lesson activities are challenging, varied and interactive and develop listening, reading, speaking and writing skills
• A variety of resources are used by the specialist teacher to ensure variety and coverage of the curriculum.
• The choice of vocabulary and topics ensures exposure to all the key phonic sounds and ability to build sentences using grammatical knowledge, as well as cultural exposure and general interest
• In Years 5 and 6, the content allows for revisiting and consolidating prior knowledge
• Formative assessment in each lesson informs the planning and teaching of subsequent lessons
• As the lesson length is much shorter for KS1 and French is not compulsory at this age, the lessons focus predominantly on speaking and listening activities and the development of basic skills in the language, such as greetings, numbers, basic phonics, saying the alphabet and understanding classroom language, as well as acquisition of simple every day nouns, in order to set the foundations for language learning at KS2. Fairytales, stories and songs often form the basis for topic areas at this stage.
• Cultural and traditional themes are explored-some of these are studied each year, for example-‘Christmas in France’, ‘mardi-gras’, Easter and ‘Toussaint’ but the activities and expectations differ for each year group. Other cultural themes are studied less frequently-for example The Olympics and The World Cup-children will cover these events once during KS2. In upper KS2, children will also have the opportunity to do a research project about an area in France or a French-speaking country, to further advance their cultural knowledge and interest. Each September, we complete different activities to celebrate the ‘European Day of Languages’ in each class.
Impact
The impact is an increased enjoyment and understanding of different cultures and language, skills that are transferable in the next stage of their education and a greater awareness of a previously unfamiliar culture; therefore linking to the Equality Act and British Fundamental Values.
The children:
• show the progression in their skills, knowledge and understanding in the work in their books.
• can discuss their learning and remember what they have learnt.
• learn about the country France and what it is like to live in this country.
Assessment for learning and assessing children according to the learning objectives taught are used to plan their next set of lessons.
These judgements will inform the curriculum and whether children are ready for the next stage of their education.
Our Curriculum Documents - Mapping and Progression
Whole School Mapping Overview
Whole School French Mapping Overview