French

Subject Leader: Mrs T Duckworth

MFL at St. Mary's

Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) is a requirement of the National Curriculum for Key Stage 2 children, and so is included in our curriculum for Years 3 to 6. The chosen language for our school is French and through teaching pupils this subject we aim to 'foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world' and to 'provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries' (National Curriculum). Pupils are taught through fun and engaging lessons 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, 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.

(National Curriculum in England, Languages programmes of study: key stage 2)

Policy and Curriculum

At St. Mary's we use the Kapow scheme as a basis for our lessons and this is supported by  other resources. Each lesson has a focus on the spoken language, with pupils listening and speaking throughout the sessions. A variety of approaches are used by our teachers to make lessons engaging and interactive throughout.

European Day of Languages and French Club

Every year the whole school celebrates European Day of Languages in September, from EYFS through to Year 6. This involves dressing in the colours of flags from European countries, learning about different countries (landmarks, capital city, flags, food, money, culture and traditions etc) learning nursery rhymes and popular songs in French and performing these to the rest of the school, taking part in arts and crafts activities and food tasting.

There is a also a French Club that takes place at lunch times, where pupils engage in a range of activities linked to develop their interest and understanding in the French language, including puzzles, wordsearches, role play, learning songs and watching videos.

Inclusion in MFL

At our school we teach a modern foreign language to all KS2 children, whatever their ability. A modern foreign language forms part of the school curriculum policy to provide a broad and balanced education to all children. Through our modern foreign language teaching we provide learning opportunities which enable all pupils to make progress. We do this by setting suitable learning challenges and responding to each child’s different needs.

We enable pupils to have access to the full range of activities involved in learning a modern foreign language. Where children are to participate in activities outside the classroom (for example, playing a playground game in a modern foreign language), we carry out a risk assessment prior to the activity, to ensure that the activity is safe and appropriate for all pupils.

Support is continually provided throughout lessons for all pupils. All students have knowledge organisers for the topics that they are studying in their French books and on the working wall in their classrooms. Lesson slides are printed so children can access these when needed and screen shots of the Interactive Whiteboards can be taken by pupils if required to support their learning. Lessons are based on repetition and staff are familiar with the previous learning that children have experienced, through the curriculum progression document that we have recently developed. Support is provided by teachers and teaching assistants, as they move around the classroom whilst the tasks are being completed by pupils. Support with pronunciation is provided constantly through the Kapow lessons, which all contain at least one phonics 'mouth mechanics' element to each session.