REMINDER: School closes at 3.15pm Thursday 28th March for the Easter Holidays and re-opens on Monday 15th April for staff and pupils.
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French

Intent
 
At Kielder Primary School, we believe that the learning of a language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils. It enables them to develop communication skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing and lays the foundations for future language learning. We believe that learning another language opens windows to the world, giving children a new and broader perspective on the world, encouraging them to deepen their understanding of their own and other cultures.
 

Implementation

Most children begin their language-learning journey in KS2. However, the small class sizes we are fortunate enough to have at KPS means that some pupils are able to start learning French in KS1. We make this decision based on their current progress in literacy.

Class 2 children are joined by some Class 1 pupils and taught in weekly sessions by Mr Ferris, our French specialist. Our long, medium and short-term planning is adapted to meet the needs of our children in a mixed-age class.

French is taught in a relaxed, interactive manner with a focus on fostering a love for languages and an enthusiasm for demonstrating knowledge. Plenaries involve another member of staff being invited into the classroom to hear what pupils have learned that lesson and how it feeds into the bigger picture of learning.

Children are given regular opportunities to demonstrate their learning, e.g. in ‘voxpop’ videos, shared with parents and carers.

Impact

Our French curriculum ensures that all pupils develop key language learning skills, as set out by the National Curriculum. Pupils will: 

  • 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

  • write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly

  • describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing.

In addition, they will develop an interest in and an awareness and appreciation of cultural differences.