CHRIST CHURCH CE (VA) JUNIOR SCHOOL
French
School Vision
‘We seek to transform the lives of our children within a Christian environment, nurturing the wellbeing of each child, promoting the highest academic achievement and instilling a lifelong love of learning.’
I alone know the plans I have for you; plans for the future you hope for. Jeremiah 29:11
God’s plans for us are limitless. He knows us best and plans for us to reach our unique and individual potential, shaped in the palm of His hand. This potential may reveal itself when we least expect it, just like God’s love being revealed to us. We believe that we are shaping children, not just in the present, but also for the future – enabling them to be global citizens in God’s rapidly changing world, celebrating life in all its fullness.
Intent
The intention of the MFL Curriculum at Christ Church Junior School is to foster children’s curiosity and help deepen their understanding of other cultures and of the world by providing children with an introduction to the culture of French-speaking countries and communities. We intend to inspire pupils to develop a love of languages and to help them grow into curious, confident and reflective language learners providing them with a foundation that will equip them for further language studies. Through our French curriculum, we aim to provide opportunities for children to express their ideas and thoughts in French, and to interact and communicate with others both in speech and in writing by gradually building on their skills. We have chosen a curriculum where children are exposed to authentic French, and where they have regular opportunities to listen to native speakers. In Lower KS2, we are aiming for children to acquire basic skills and understanding of French with a strong emphasis placed on developing their Speaking and Listening skills. These will be embedded and further developed in Upper KS2, alongside Reading and Writing, gradually progressing onto more complex language concepts and greater learner autonomy.
Impact
Children have weekly lessons in French throughout Key Stage 2. To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in modern foreign languages, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school; lessons are sequenced so that prior learning is considered and opportunities for revision of language and grammar are built in allowing children to build on prior knowledge alongside the introduction of new skills. Lessons offer an insight into the culture of French-speaking countries and communities.
In line with the National Curriculum for MFL, pupils at Christ Church Junior School 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 clear
- 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
Impact
We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
Observing children speaking and listening in another language.
- Marking of written work.
- Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
- Annual reporting of standards across the curriculum to parents.
- Learning walks.
- Subject tracking.
Through the high quality first teaching of French we will see the impact of the subject in the following ways:
Children will become aware that a language has a structure, and that the structure differs from one language to another.
- Children will develop their language and communication through development of the four key skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing.
- Children will enrich their language learning by developing an understanding of the French culture.
- Children will transfer to KS3 effectively and successfully and will be well prepared to continue and develop their language skills.
The MFL subject leader will monitor the impact MFL teaching is having on the children’s learning, through work scrutinies, to ensure the progress of knowledge and skills is being taught. Impact will also be measured through key questioning skills built into lessons, child-led assessment such as success criteria grids, jigsaw targets and summative assessments aimed at targeting next steps in learning. We want to ensure that French is loved by teachers and pupils across school, therefore encouraging them to embark on further language studies.