Subject Intent

At Fir Tree Primary School, we believe that learning a modern foreign language provides children with a valuable linguistic, social and cultural experience. Learning French enables children to communicate in another language whilst developing their understanding of how language works and recognising similarities and differences between French and English.

Our aim is to develop children who are increasingly confident in listening, speaking, reading and writing in French. We want children to enjoy communicating in another language, develop accurate pronunciation and intonation, and build a growing bank of vocabulary and grammatical structures which they can use independently.

Learning a language also broadens children's understanding of the world. Through French, children encounter different cultures, traditions and ways of life, developing an appreciation of diversity and an understanding that we live in a multilingual and multicultural world.

We want children to develop the confidence to have a go, make mistakes and persevere. French provides opportunities for children to develop their oracy, creativity and independence, whilst also strengthening their understanding of language and communication more broadly.

By the end of Year 6, children should have developed a strong foundation in French which prepares them for further language learning at secondary school and gives them the confidence and curiosity to continue exploring languages and cultures.

Subject Implementation

French is taught weekly from Year 1 to Year 6, ensuring that children have regular opportunities to revisit, practise and build upon their knowledge. We use Language Angels to support the planning, delivery and progression of our French curriculum. Lessons develop the four key language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing alongside vocabulary, pronunciation, phonics, grammar and sentence construction.

Children are encouraged to use French actively rather than simply memorising vocabulary. Lessons include opportunities for conversation, questioning, responding, games, songs, rhymes, role-play and other interactive activities. These approaches help children develop confidence and allow them to hear and use French regularly.

Particular emphasis is placed on oracy. Children are encouraged to listen carefully, pronounce words accurately and use familiar vocabulary and sentence structures to communicate meaning. They develop the confidence to ask and answer questions, express opinions and respond to others.

As children progress through the school, they increasingly move from using individual words and familiar phrases towards constructing and adapting sentences independently. Reading and writing are introduced and developed alongside spoken language so that children understand the relationship between sounds, spelling and meaning.

French also provides opportunities for children to develop their creativity and independence. Children use language in different contexts, make choices about how they communicate and develop strategies for working out unfamiliar vocabulary or overcoming difficulties.

The use of iPads supports children's language learning and provides opportunities for interactive practice, listening activities, recording and developing spoken language. Digital resources are used purposefully to complement teaching and give children additional opportunities to practise and consolidate their learning.

Cultural understanding is an integral part of language learning. Children learn about aspects of French-speaking cultures and communities and are encouraged to recognise and celebrate similarities and differences between their own experiences and those of others. Where appropriate, French learning can also strengthen links with other curriculum areas, including music, geography, art, literacy and PSHE, providing meaningful contexts in which children can apply their language knowledge.

Subject Overview

The French curriculum progressively develops children's knowledge and confidence across four key areas:

• Listening – understanding familiar vocabulary, phrases and spoken sentences and responding appropriately.
• Speaking – developing pronunciation, intonation, vocabulary and confidence in communicating with others.
• Reading – recognising familiar words and phrases and developing strategies for understanding increasingly complex written French.
• Writing – progressing from copying and using familiar vocabulary towards constructing and adapting sentences independently.

Across Years 1 to 6, children progressively develop:

• vocabulary relating to familiar topics and everyday situations;
• accurate pronunciation and understanding of French phonics;
• the ability to listen and respond to questions and instructions;
• confidence in simple conversations and spoken interactions;
• the ability to express ideas, preferences and opinions;
• sentence construction using increasingly varied vocabulary and grammatical structures;
• understanding of masculine and feminine forms and other key grammatical features;
• recognition of patterns and similarities between French and English;
• reading strategies, including using familiar vocabulary and context to understand new language;
• the ability to write familiar words and phrases from memory and adapt them to create new sentences;
• knowledge and understanding of French-speaking cultures and communities.

The curriculum is carefully sequenced so that knowledge is revisited and extended. Children increasingly move from supported use of language towards greater independence and spontaneous communication.

Assessment and Measuring Progress

Assessment in French is ongoing and informs teaching and planning. Teachers use questioning, observation, listening activities, speaking tasks, written work and interactive activities to identify children's understanding and areas for further development.

Children are assessed across the four key language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Teachers also consider children's developing knowledge of vocabulary, pronunciation, phonics, grammar and sentence construction.

Progress is demonstrated through children's increasing ability to understand and use French independently. For example, children move from recognising and repeating individual words to understanding phrases and sentences, responding to questions, expressing their own ideas and adapting familiar language to communicate new meanings.

Speaking and listening provide particularly important opportunities to assess children's ability to use language in context. Teachers listen for accurate pronunciation, appropriate vocabulary and increasingly confident use of sentence structures.

Children's written work provides evidence of their developing ability to recall vocabulary, construct sentences and apply grammatical patterns. Reading activities allow teachers to assess children's ability to recognise familiar language and use strategies to understand unfamiliar words and phrases.

Assessment is used responsively to identify gaps and misconceptions and to provide opportunities for children to revisit and consolidate important knowledge. Regular retrieval and repetition help secure vocabulary and structures in children's long-term memory.

By the end of Year 6, children should be able to use familiar French with increasing confidence, understand and respond to spoken and written language, construct simple sentences and communicate basic ideas independently. They should also have developed an enthusiasm for languages and an appreciation of the cultures and communities in which they are spoken.