Intent:
The pleasure of being able to interact with someone from another country in their own language is central to the teaching of French at Hunnyhill. As a school in the heart of an island community, it is vital that we do not allow geographical barriers to further separate us from other countries, cultures and languages, and we aim to prevent the ‘us’ and ‘them’ mindset that may be prevalent in such a community through the opening up of children’s minds to what else is out there. Through the teaching of French, we hope to add to the children’s ‘Culture capital’ and inspire pupils to develop a love of languages and to expand their horizons beyond the Solent.
In our choice of topics, we aim to provide an introduction to the culture of French-speaking countries and communities and help deepen the children’s understanding of the world. Ideally, the linear curriculum and progressive coverage of the skills required by the National Curriculum should support the children in gradually building on their skills, while exposing them to native French speakers in realistic situations.
In teaching another language, we aim to strengthen links with our own language and its grammar and, where appropriate, underline the shared roots of our languages, linking to the grammar and spelling that we share with many Romance languages. We aim to help children grow into curious, confident and reflective language learners and to provide them with a foundation that will equip them for further language studies.
It is intended that when children leave Hunnyhill Primary School, they will have a natural curiosity and confidence to explore other countries, cultures and languages. As global citizens, they will understand that in a multi-lingual society it is a valuable skill to be able to communicate effectively with others in another language. They will be engaged and prepared to continue language learning at Secondary School.
Although Covid and its various lockdowns have impacted on the learning of French, we continue as a school to place importance on the learning of languages and to ensure that all children have access to the opportunities that we are creating through the teaching/learning of French.
Special Educational Needs Disability (SEND) / Pupil Premium / Higher Attainers
All children will have Quality First Teaching. Any children with identified SEND or in receipt of Pupil Premium funding may have work additional to and/or different from their peers in order to access the curriculum, dependent upon their needs. As well as this, our school offers a demanding and varied curriculum, providing children with a range of opportunities in order for them to reach their full potential and consistently achieve highly from their starting points.
Implementation:
Children have weekly lessons in French throughout Key Stage 2, led by the Class Teacher or an LSA with strong subject knowledge. In Lower KS2, children 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.
The Scheme of Work is based on the resources and units of work from Twinkl’s PlanIt French, in addition to other resources. Lessons are sequenced so that prior learning is built on and opportunities for revision of language and grammar are built in, while supporting the introduction of new skills and vocabulary. The sequence of lessons provides structure and context as well as offering an insight into the culture of French-speaking countries and communities. The introduction and revision of key vocabulary and grammatical structures is built into each lesson. This vocabulary is then included in display materials and additional resources so that children have opportunities to repeat and revise their learning.
At Hunnyhill, our approach to French is designed to demonstrate consistency in KS2 classrooms, with shared resources and display materials to increase the profile of languages throughout the school. The learning environment will be consistent with key French vocabulary displayed, spoken and used by all learners, and opportunities for wider learning encouraged where possible. Home-school links to strengthen parental engagement will be shared via appropriate media.
Impact:
Assessment for learning is a key part of measuring the impact of the curriculum in the classroom, 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.
Having recently adopted a new Scheme of Work, the MFL subject leader will monitor its implementation and check coverage across KS2. Progress across classes is closely monitored by the subject leader and senior leadership team. Monitoring will include regular book looks, lesson observations, gathering evidence of good practice, pupil voice interviews and regular learning walks.
The findings of this monitoring will be used to inform next steps for pupils and staff and feed into the School’s Monitoring and Evaluation cycle.
