French is the chosen modern foreign language at our school. It is taught through the use of interactive resources, games and songs.

KS2 have weekly French teaching. Pupils develop their vocabulary and pronunciation skills, and gain an insight into the geography of France, French culture and way of life. The development of speaking and listening skills is key across the entire age range, and to this end, songs, games and role-play feature highly. As pupils progress through Key Stage 2, the skills of reading and writing become increasingly important. Not only do they serve to help pupils memorise new languages, but they also enable links to be made with grammar in the English curriculum. It is exciting to watch pupils discover that they can make use of their grammatical knowledge in another language.

Intent

At Flamstead Village School we believe that high-quality French lessons inspire children to want to know more about learning modern foreign languages and to think about other countries and cultures from their own.

Pupils are taught to:

• listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
• explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
• engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
• speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
• present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
• read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
• appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
• broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
• write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly
• describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing
• understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied; 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.

Implementation

At Flamstead Village School, we base our teaching of French on the guidance material in the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages, which is part of the National Curriculum. We follow a 2-year rolling programme using the Rigalo Scheme of Work, an interactive teaching resource, to assist in teaching. We have adapted this to the context of our school and the abilities of our pupils.

• We plan the French activities so that they build upon the previous learning of the children. While there are opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in each unit, there is planned progression built into the scheme of work, so that the children are increasingly challenged as they move up through the school.
• We ensure children are exposed to spoken French and ensure that it is modelled correctly.
• French words relevant to the unit being taught are displayed in class and referred to.
• A range of resources are available to help with the teaching of French in school. These include French dictionaries, simple texts written in French, flashcards, maps, games and songs.
• Teachers make assessments as they observe the children working during lessons. We assess the children’s progress informally during the lessons, evaluating progress against the four National Curriculum Attainment Targets of: AT1: Listening and responding; AT2: Speaking; AT3: Reading and responding; AT4: Writing. These assessments are then used to inform their planning and make changes where appropriate. Assessments in French are carried out after each unit of study. These assessments are used to help plan and track the progress of the pupils. There are no national key stage tests in French.
• At our school, we teach French to all pupils, whatever their ability or individual needs. In our French teaching we provide learning opportunities that enable all pupils to make progress. We do this by setting suitable learning challenges and responding to each pupil's different needs.

Impact

• Pupils will enjoy French lessons and look forward to learning more.
• Lessons are engaging and encourage pupils to learn modern foreign languages.
• Pupils' knowledge of vocabulary and their ability to understand and communicate in French has developed, and they are prepared for learning new foreign languages at secondary school.
• Teachers are aware of progression from one year group to the next – for both knowledge and skills in French.
• Scaffolding is provided for less abled pupils, providing them with opportunities to better access the curriculum and reduce the gaps.
• Progress is visible across Key Stage 2.
• Teachers are confident in delivering French.
• Resources are available for the teaching of French.