French
We value the wide range of languages spoken by our children and celebrate this in informal ways, such as doing the register in home languages and teaching their peers how to say hello.
In 2024, made the decision to teach French as our modern foreign language. We are fortunate to have the French School as our neighbours and we have children that attend the French School for part of their week. We believe that learning a foreign language is a vital skill for children growing up in a global society. Our CUSP - French curriculum provides a structured, evidence-informed approach to language learning, ensuring that pupils develop fluency, cultural understanding, and confidence in communication.
Curriculum Aims
Through our French curriculum, pupils:
- Develop fluency in spoken and written French by engaging with vocabulary, phonics, and grammar.
- Master oracy and pronunciation through structured speaking and listening activities.
- Apply reading and writing skills with increasing accuracy and confidence.
- Appreciate French culture and global perspectives, exploring traditions, geography, and history.
- Revisit and consolidate key knowledge regularly to support long-term retention and mastery.
Our ambition is that every child leaves Key Stage 2 with a strong foundation in French, ready to progress in language learning at secondary school and beyond.
Curriculum Structure
- French is taught from Years 3 to 6.
- Pupils complete six blocks of learning per year, each lasting five weeks, followed by a week of consolidation and enrichment.
- Lessons are delivered for 30 minutes per week, either as one longer session or two shorter sessions.
Each block is carefully sequenced to ensure repetition, reinforcement, and progression.
Core Curriculum Components
1. Vocabulary and Phonics
- Systematic vocabulary instruction
- Explicit phonics teaching for accurate pronunciation
- Dual-coded Knowledge Notes to support retention
2. Oracy: Speaking and Listening
- Role-play and oral rehearsal
- Structured speaking routines
- Listening comprehension tasks
3. Reading in French
- Short texts and factual content
- Recognition of key phrases and grammatical patterns
- Cultural exploration through reading
4. Writing in French
- Sentence-building and grammar instruction
- Speaking before writing to reinforce understanding
- Retrieval practice to embed knowledge
