Intent

St Ann’s Heath aims to introduce the learning of the French language and the understanding of its culture in enjoyable and stimulating ways. Using a wide range of topics and themes, we offer a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious French curriculum that will inspire and excite our pupils. Encouraging high expectations and excellent standards in their foreign language learning will help the pupils to achieve their full potential, with the ultimate aim being that pupils will feel willing, inspired and able to continue studying French and other languages beyond Key Stage 2.

Our intent is that all content will be continuously updated and reviewed annually.  This will create a dynamic programme of study, clearly outlined in both long-term and short-term planning, ensuring that the French knowledge of our pupils progresses within each academic year and is extended year upon year throughout the primary phase.  In so doing, it will always be relevant and in line with meeting or exceeding national DfE requirements.

All necessary grammar will be covered in an age-appropriate way across the primary phase, embedded and revisited regularly, with links to English grammar to broaden understanding. We intend to use sentence builders more throughout the year groups to enable the children to understand more clearly the processes of putting the grammatical structures together, and the differences and similarities between French and English sentence order.

The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing will be taught by building on students’ knowledge from units already studied, with clear progression for the development of vocabulary acquisition, sentence structure and communication.  This will enable our pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning and helping the children improve overall attainment in other subject areas.

Implementation

We teach French across Key Stage 2. The school uses a selection of schemes of work to support the teaching and learning of French. This provides clear progression for the development of speaking and listening and vocabulary acquisition. There are resources to support the teaching and learning opportunities for pupils.

A variety of the following techniques are used to encourage children to have an active engagement with French:

• Games – in order to develop vocabulary through repetition, reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
• Role-play – these should relate to the situations the children may find themselves in the future.
• Action songs and rhymes – to develop phonetic skills, memory skills and to further vocabulary.
• Links with other subjects and curriculum.
• Worksheets targeted to ensure the children have the necessary information possible, so their writing has impact and builds on their knowledge. 
• Videos and other multi media to bring the language and culture more thoroughly into the classroom and to build an awareness of other countries and peoples.

French is taught in a 1.5 hour lesson once a fortnight. The subject is led by the same specialist in a mixed lesson with music to allow for a more fluid and dynamic lesson structure.  This joint lesson allows the curriculum to be more creative, including broad cultural and creative units to ensure a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around, and enabling French songs and poems to be taught with more impact and effectiveness.