Curriculum Intent 

At St. Mary’s R.C. Primary School it is our intent to provide children with the opportunity to develop a foreign language. We want to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all and that will maximise the outcomes for every child so that they not only know more but remember more and understand more. We believe that children need to enjoy lessons, be engaged and challenged in order for them to understand, retain knowledge and progress. Our aim is that all children in KS2 will assess quality teaching of French and leave St Mary’s confident and motivated to continue to further develop their skills into the next stage of their education and beyond. 

At St. Mary’s RC Primary School, in conjunction with the aims of the National Curriculum, our Language teaching offers opportunities for children 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 

• 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 

• 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 

• 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 

The National Curriculum aims provide a structure and skill development for the Language curriculum being taught throughout the school. 

Curriculum Aims 

Whole School Aims	In MFL…
To have Christ at the centre of everything we do.  To provide opportunities for children to develop as independent, confident, resilient, successful & motivated learners with high aspirations who know how to make a positive and transformational contribution to their local community and wider global society.	Through learning another language, children learn to walk in another person’s shoes. They expose themselves to the way other people think, and therefore learn a lot more about themselves. They gain a new understanding of the power of language and become a better communicator, more aware of the thoughts and needs of others. Children contribute positively to their community and society as they gain greater empathy for others.
To be firmly rooted in the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.  Inspired by Pope Francis, St. Mary’s Curriculum encourages our pupils to grow in self-awareness and become advocates of social justice.	Children are taught to understand a different culture.  By learning about traditions in other countries they develop an awareness of cultural differences in other countries to our own. Developing the children’s cultural capital making them respectful and tolerant of others.
To challenge all pupils, regardless of disadvantages or special needs, to be the greatest example of themselves.  Through experiences both inside and outside of the classroom, pupils are provided with a purpose and relevance for learning, which allows them to develop their own personal strengths and interests.	The ability to speak another language can make it easier to learn other related languages more easily than someone without any knowledge of the language. By interacting with one culture, the children will open doors to further cultures. pupils are provided with a purpose and relevance for learning, which allows them to develop their own personal strengths and interests. Through learning another language, pupils will broaden their horizons greatly and this could lead, in the future, to study and work in other countries.
St Mary’s Curriculum develops the key skills necessary for all our pupil and promotes high expectations of standards and enjoyment in Reading, Writing and Maths across all subject areas.	Children read fluently and understand the main points and some of the details in short written texts. They write short texts on familiar topics imaginatively and use the knowledge of grammar to enhance or change the meaning of phrases. They speak with increasing confidence: understand the main points in spoken language and take part in conversations.
To develop pupils with a broad and lasting knowledge of subject specific vocabulary.	Children develop their vocabulary throughout the key stage building on grammatical features throughout. They use knowledge organisers to support this learning.
To empower pupils to respect each other and themselves, show respect and understanding for people of all faiths, race and gender, and for all living things, promoting stewardship and to ensure all pupils are well prepared for life in a rapidly changing world.	Children are made aware that by learning a language, they will become global citizens making a contribution to international cooperation and understanding.

Curriculum Implementation 

French is taught using the KAPOW scheme of work. This has been introduced in Autumn 2024, replacing a scheme called SALUT.  The French scheme of work is designed with three knowledge strands that run throughout our units with knowledge building cumulatively.  

These are:  

● Phonics  

● Vocabulary  

● Grammar  

This knowledge can then be applied within our skills strands, which also run throughout each unit in the scheme:  

● Language comprehension (Listening and reading)  

● Language production (Speaking and writing)  

The National curriculum coverage shows which of the units cover each of the National curriculum attainment targets as well as each of the strands. The Progression of skills and knowledge shows the skills and knowledge that are taught within each year group and how these skills develop to ensure that attainment targets are securely met by the end of Key Stage 2. Through the French scheme, pupils are given opportunities to communicate for practical purposes around familiar subjects and routines. The scheme provides balanced opportunities for communication in both spoken and written French, although in Year 3 the focus is on developing oral skills, before incorporating written French in Year 4 and beyond. The scheme is a spiral curriculum, with key skills and vocabulary revisited repeatedly with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Cross-curricular links are included throughout our French units, allowing children to make connections and apply their language skills to other areas of their learning. lessons to all KS2 pupils, therefore each lesson is designed to motivate children and are mainly practical in focus. Each lesson has clear, achievable objectives and incorporate different learning styles. SEN children have access to the curriculum through variation of tasks, grouping or adult support. 

Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including role-play, language games and language detective work. The scheme of work focuses on developing what we term ‘language detective skills’ and developing an understanding of French grammar, and key vocabulary rather than on committing to memory vast amounts of French vocabulary. Pronunciation is emphasised early on using Mouth mechanics videos to support pupils with phoneme pronunciation in French. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed and enjoyed by all.   

At St. Mary’s RC Primary School children have weekly lessons in Language throughout Key Stage 2.  Each class has a timetabled lesson of at least forty-five minutes per week. French can also be revisited in short sessions throughout the week to consolidate knowledge and ensure new language is retained. 

We endeavour to ensure that the Language curriculum we provide will give children an appropriate balance of spoken and written language and should lay the foundations for further foreign language teaching at key stage 3 and beyond. 

Curriculum Impact 

The subject is enjoyed by all pupils and they are improving in their pronunciation and with support are both writing and retelling sentences and joining in conversations.  The introduction of a new scheme in 2024 will be monitored to assess for its impact. The use of knowledge organisers has helped children retain knowledge and improve their vocabulary when writing sentences. Incorporating phonic sessions into each lesson has helped children improve their pronunciation. Yearly events such as the French Breakfast have helped children learn about French culture and have opportunities to have conversations.