Modern Foreign Languages

Intent 

At Summerlea School, the intention of our Languages curriculum is to provide all of our children with an interest and thirst for learning other languages and cultures and encourage a curiosity of countries around the world. We aim to introduce the learning of the French language through enjoyable and stimulating ways. It is our intention to ensure that by the end of our children’s primary education, they have acquired an understanding of both spoken and written French and the confidence to speak French with others. We aim to developed their awareness of similarities and differences between cultures and to know how important other languages can be in their future.

Implementation

Our curriculum has been designed to develop not only our children’s language skills, but also their love of learning a language. We follow ‘Twinkl’ scheme of work to ensure coverage and progression across the school. This allows the children to acquire new language then use and apply it in a range of different scenarios and topics, ensuring development is progressive as they build on previous knowledge from units already studied. We supplement this with additional resources, games and online activities from a variety of sources. Through the use of songs and games teachers have said that this helps to make their lessons more fun and exciting for the pupils and the vocabulary more memorable too.

All children in Key Stage 2 are taught French in a weekly discreet lesson. This is delivered by the class teacher or an HLTA during PPA. Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversational work, singing activities and games. As their confidence and skill grow, children record their work through pictures, captions and sentences. 

EYFS and Key Stage 1 children are introduced to modern foreign languages through exploring other languages informally when studying another country. We are also focusing on French outside the classroom. The children enjoy answering the register in different languages that they know and will often reply using the French phrase of the week. 

At Summerlea School we launched ‘Phrase of the Week’ in 2018. The whole school are introduced to a new French phase each week and are encouraged to use this phrase in school, answering the register, lining up, speaking to different members of staff etc. The phrase is displayed in all classrooms and throughout the school. This supports raising the profile of French in our school but also to develop the children confidence when speaking and hearing the French language. The phrases are carefully selected to progressively develop the children language and includes useful phrases, along with questions and answers. The new phrase is introduced at the beginning of the week during Monday mornings assembly (live or virtual). Teachers have shared that children enjoy answering the register using the phrase of the week or a greeting they have previously learnt. 

The children are exposed to the French language on a daily basis at Summerlea; children are encouraged to share bilingual texts with their peers and can access these in the MFL section in our school library. The Summerlea 3 Key Rules are also translated into French and are displayed throughout the school and referred to regularly. Each classroom also has a set of labels, exposing the children to the French word for many everyday classroom resources. Children and staff are encouraged to refer to the French name for said resources daily.

Annually as a whole school we celebrate International Day, focusing on different continents and countries. Children are immersed in the culture of that area along with its primary religion, food, dance, sports, historical figures/ landmarks, geography etc. We are very fortunate to have numerous children from different nationalities at Summerlea and regularly encourage children to share their language with their peers and class.

The subject leader is also supported by a governor linked to the subject which results with regular meetings and updated reports to share the impact of French at Summerlea School.

Pupil voice is also used to further develop the Languages curriculum. This is achieved through school council taking an active role in discussing French and their experience in class and feeding back to the subject leader.

Impact

Our Languages curriculum will ensure the majority of pupils develop key language learning skills set out by the national curriculum, as well as a love of languages and learning about other cultures.

French is monitored by a subject leader throughout all year groups using a variety of strategies such as book scrutinises, lesson observations, staff discussions and pupil interviews. Feedback is given to teachers and is used to develop upon and improve practice further. We assess the children against the skills set out by the National Curriculum.

The profile of MFL is high across our school. During a recent monitoring of pupil voice children speak highly of their experience of MFL and their enjoyment of the subject. They feel confident that they have improved with their French “I can say and understand so much more now.” (Year 3 pupils) and recognise the importance in learning another language “I am thinking of moving to France when I am older to study fashion and need to be able to speak to others.” “I go on holiday to France and my Dad really struggled to speak, he uses his arms a lot so now I can help him.” (Year 4 pupils).

To view our French curriculum, click here.