Intent

In French, we aim for all of our children to see themselves as French linguists. We endeavour to inspire a sense of curiosity in our children and develop their enthusiasm for MFL, recognising that the skills and knowledge they learn through French can be used to have a positive impact on God’s world around them.

To be able to be a French linguist, children will need to build up the skills, knowledge and understanding of another country’s language and culture.  They will need to understand and use the language of France and apply these vocabulary, grammar and oracy skills and knowledge across the curriculum, making connections both within French and across other subjects too.

To be a French linguist children need to be given the opportunity to learn about French culture and understand that learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils 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 pupils to study and work in other countries.

Implementation

The aims of the National Curriculum (2014) for MFL French are for KS2 pupils to:

• understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
• speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation
• write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
• discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.

The National Curriculum is the part of the St Gregory’s curriculum that maps out the knowledge and skills that we want our children to learn and experience in each subject. 

How we plan for progression in MFL - French at St Gregory’s:
We teach French at St Gregory’s because typically 75-85% of our Y6 children move onto schools where French is one of the MFLs that they learn in Year 7.

The St Gregory’s French Curriculum is designed around the Rigolo Scheme of Work for Key Stage 2. It has been structured and sequenced in order to engage pupils in purposeful learning by building on prior knowledge and helping connect knowledge, understanding and skills year-on-year both within French and across other subjects too. (eg. Geography of France)

In French, lessons do not link to the year group topic and the subject is taught discreetly. However, language and vocabulary may be explored which does link to the topic. eg. Parts of the body, days of the week, numbers.

French is taught weekly by a specialist French teacher across Key Stage 2. The Rigolo scheme is followed to give a framework and progression of skills and vocabulary. However, this is supplemented by other resources.

Through EYFS and KS1 children build their awareness of other cultures, countries and languages. Pupils learn about and celebrate the diversity within our own school community and the wider world. This grounding in knowledge of the wider world then prepares them for learning a different language in KS2.

French Curriculum Coverage

Coverage is based on the National Curriculum 2014 PoS with objectives allocated across KS2 and year groups, to ensure a progression of knowledge, skills and understanding.  For example:

French Progression of skills
The Skills Progression documents interrogate the skills, knowledge and techniques required in each phase Year, considering age appropriate development and ensures progression is enabled through careful and informed planning. 
E.g.

French Progression of Vocabulary
Vocabulary, at an age appropriate level, is paramount to the children’s understanding and ability to articulate their intent and enable questioning. It is, therefore, a key consideration in French planning as directed by the scheme of work and as the teachers see appropriate to introduce to the lesson.  Key subject vocabulary is introduced at the appropriate time, building on prior knowledge.
E.g.

See MFL Vision for more information