The FRENCH Curriculum
Rationale
At FMPS our school motto is “Forever Making Pupils Shine” and this statement pervades all areas of school life and the curriculum. In French at FMPS, we aim to provide an exciting, enjoyable and practical French curriculum. One that equips each child with the communication skills essential for life in a modern global society, as well as nurturing positive attitudes to future language acquisition.
What we intend our children to know
We aim to stimulate curiosity about language, and encourage creative experimentation with the language. We also facilitate the children’s appreciation of cultural similarities and differences.
French at FMPS covers all four skill areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing every single lesson, and focuses on speaking and writing skills for personal, practical communication. All lessons begin with practising the date in French, then a brief, but useful and engaging recap of the previous session to ensure cumulative progress for all.
KS1 pupils follow a range of age appropriate topics which act as a vehicle for basic vocabulary and structures. Each KS2 year group covers one umbrella topic per term, with subtopics every fortnight for variety. At each Keystage regular number practice and progression is built into the Scheme of work, as well as frequent opportunities to revisit personal details.
Pupils are encouraged to discover structures, and sound patterns and to engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, and express opinions.
They are able to develop accurate pronunciation and describe both orally and in writing. The ultimate goal is the ability to write some phrases from memory and adapt familiar structures to form new ideas.
How we will ensure pupils learn the knowledge that we have identified
Our Scheme of Work incorporates specific techniques which encourage children to actively participate in class, have fun and we incorporate physical movement to reinforce memory whenever possible.
FMPS has collated a treasure trove of topic related French songs, and our pupils also benefit from exciting, subscription only resources including Linguascope (online interactive games in multiple languages, also accessible from home), as well as the very popular Early Start French video series featuring the everyday lives of primary age children in France.
We aim to boost pupils’ confidence by rewarding all and any positive contribution to lesson activities, no matter how small or tentative, and praise all risk taking and creativity in using the language productively.
Pupils have the opportunity to work in pairs, groups, individually, and to present their ideas informally and formally. Each KS2 unit of work ends with pupils producing an independent piece of work and pupils are given self-assessment sheets for every main topic.
We intend to develop the pupils’ understanding and appreciation of the traditions, and culture in France, and age appropriate activities are written into the Schemes of Work at different times of the year for this purpose.
Impact
Our pupils will become enthusiastic learners who listen attentively, and readily participate in speaking tasks, games, and songs. They will retain vocabulary and basic grammatical structures in their long term memory and will be able to recall, re-use or manipulate this knowledge in different contexts.
Pupils will have the ability to read simple texts, describe their own personal lives, as well as write imaginatively.
At the end of their learning journey in Year 6, our pupils will be fully equipped and eager to consolidate and expand their French skills or to confidently embark on a new language altogether in Year 7.
You can view our MFL Policy below:
You can view our MFL Lesson Photos and Videos below:
