Modern Foreign Languages: French

Intent

Chacewater school uses the Languages Angels scheme of work and resources to ensure we offer a relevant, broad and vibrant French Curriculum that will inspire and enthuse our KS2 pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. At Chacewater School, we have adopted their Primary foreign language intent, implementation and

impact statement, adapted to meet the needs of the school. All pupils will be expected to achieve their full

potential by encouraging high expectations and excellent standards in their foreign language learning - the

ultimate aim being that pupils will feel willing and able to continue studying languages beyond key stage 2. The intent is that all content will be continuously updated and reviewed annually, creating a dynamic

programme of study that will be clearly outlined in both long-term and short-term planning. This will

ensure that the foreign language knowledge of our pupils progresses within each academic year and is

extended year upon year throughout the primary phase and, in so doing, will always be relevant and in line

with meeting requirements of the national curriculum.

The intent is that all pupils will develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages, finding them enjoyable and stimulating.  Learning French will also offer pupils the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around them with a better awareness of self, others and cultural differences.  The intention is that they will be working towards becoming life-long language learners.

The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing will be taught and all

necessary grammar will be covered in an age-appropriate way across the primary phase. This will enable

pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future

language learning and also helping the children improve overall attainment in other subject areas.

We want all pupils to develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about French, finding it enjoyable

and stimulating. Learning a second language at school will also offer pupils the opportunity to explore

relationships between language and identity, develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and the

world around them with a better awareness of self, others and cultural differences. The intention is that

they will be working towards becoming life-long language learners.

Implementation

At Chacewater School, KS2 will have access to a high-quality foreign language curriculum using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This will progressively develop pupil skills in foreign languages through regularly taught and well-planned weekly lessons in which French. At Chacewater we are fortunate enough to have support from a someone who is fluent in French and will teach French across some classes in KS2. Teaching of French will also be delivered by the class teachers.

At Chacewater School we have tailored the learning to ensure that we progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary and language skills that best fits our school. We have done this through age appropriate themes and topics.

Units, where possible and appropriate, will be linked to class topics and cross curricular themes. Children will build on previous knowledge gradually as their foreign language lessons continue to recycle, revise and consolidate previously learnt language whilst building on all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Knowledge and awareness of required and appropriate grammar concepts that will be taught through all units and at all levels of challenge. Teachers will have access to progression maps and a grammar grip to ensure all children are progressing. 

Grammar is integrated and taught discreetly throughout all appropriate units. Teachers can also use the specific Grammar Explained units to ensure pupils are exposed to all of the appropriate grammar so they are able to create their own accurate and personalised responses to complex authentic foreign language questions by the end of the primary phase.

The Progression Map shows precisely how pupil foreign language learning across the key skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar progresses within each Language Angels ‘Teaching Type’ and also how the level of learning and progression of each pupil is increased as pupils move across each subsequently more challenging Language Angels ‘Teaching Type’. It is a visual demonstration of the progression that takes place WITHIN a ‘Teaching Type’ and also ACROSS each ‘Teaching Type’.  

• Each unit and lesson will have clearly defined objectives and aims.
• Each lesson will incorporate interactive whiteboard materials to include ample speaking and listening tasks within a lesson.
• Lessons will incorporate challenge sections and desk-based activities that will be offered will three levels of stretch and differentiation. These may be sent home as homework if not completed in class.
• Reading and writing activities will be offered in all units. Some extended reading and writing activities are provided so that native speakers can also be catered for.
• Every unit will include a grammar concept which will increase in complexity as pupils move from Early Language units, through Intermediate units and into Progressive units.
• Extending writing activities are provided to ensure that pupils are recalling previously learnt language and, by reusing it, will be able to recall it and use it with greater ease and accuracy. These tasks will help to link units together and show that pupils are retaining and recalling the language taught with increased fluency and ease.

Units are progressive within themselves as subsequent lessons within a unit build on the language and knowledge taught in previous lessons. As pupils progress though the lessons in a unit they will build their knowledge and develop the complexity of the language they use.

Pupil learning and progression will be assessed at regular intervals in line with school policy. Teachers will aim to assess each language skill (speaking, listening, reading and writing) twice throughout each scholastic year to be able to provide reference points against which learning and progression in each skill can be demonstrated.

In addition to following the lessons provided in the Language Angels scheme of work and resources, teachers are encouraged to also do some of the following:

• Foreign language celebration assemblies.
• Cookery sessions of traditional foods from the country of the language being studied.
• Fashion shows demonstrating typical / traditional clothing from the country of the language being studied.
• Weather forecasts based on maps from the country of the language being studied.
• School celebrations of national feast days from the country of the language being studied when appropriate to facilitate a whole school approach to foreign language learning along with improved cultural awareness.

Impact

As well as each subsequent lesson within a unit being progressive, the teaching type organisation of Language Angels units also directs, drives and guarantees progressive learning and challenge. Units increase in level of challenge, stretch and linguistic and grammatical complexity as pupils move from Early Learning units through Intermediate units and into the most challenging Progressive units. Units in each subsequent level of the teaching type categories require more knowledge and application of skills than the previous teaching type. Activities contain progressively more text (both in English and the foreign language being studied) and lessons will have more content as the children become more confident and ambitious with the foreign language they are learning.

Early Learning units will start at basic noun and article level and will teach pupils how to formulate short phrases. By the time pupils reach Progressive units they will be exposed to much longer text and will be encouraged to formulate their own, more personalised responses based on a much wider bank of vocabulary, linguistic structures and grammatical knowledge. They will be able to create longer pieces of spoken and written language and are encouraged to use a variety of conjunctions, adverbs, adjectives, opinions and justifications.

Pupils will continuously build on their previous knowledge as they progress in their foreign language learning journey through the primary phase. Previous language will be recycled, revised, recalled and consolidated whenever possible and appropriate.

Teachers will have a clear overview of what they are working towards and if they are meeting these criteria. They will use the long-term planning documents provided in the form of Language Angels unit planners to ensure the correct units are being taught to the correct classes at each stage of the scholastic year. Short-term planning is also provided in the form of unit overviews (covering the learning targets for each 6-week unit) and individual lesson plans laying out the learning aims and intentions of each individual lesson within a unit. These planning documents ensure that teachers know what to teach and how to teach it in each lesson, across whole units and across each scholastic term.

Pupils will be aware of their own learning goals and progression as each unit offers a pupil friendly overview so that all pupils can review their own learning at the start and at the end of each unit. They will know and will be able to articulate if they have or have not met their learning objectives and can keep their unit learning intention sheets and unit core vocabulary sheets as a record of what they have learnt from unit to unit and from year to year.

The opportunity to assess pupil learning and progression in the key language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) and against the 12 DfE Languages Programme of Study for Key Stage 2 attainment targets is provided at the end of each 6-week teaching unit. This information will be recorded and will be monitored by the Foreign Language Subject Leader who can use this data to ensure teaching is targeted and appropriate for each pupil, class and year group as well as to feedback on progress to SLT and stakeholders. Teachers will be able to record, analyse and access this data easily using the Tracking and Progression Tool that will monitor school, class and individual progress in the foreign language. Pupils will also be offered self-assessment grids to ensure they are also aware of their own progress which they can keep as a record of their progress.

Children are expected to make good or better than good progress in their foreign language learning and their individual progress is tracked and reported to pupils and parents / carers in line with school recommendations.

If pupils are not progressing in line with expectations, this will be identified in the End of Unit Skills Assessments provided in the Language Angels Tracking & Progression Tool. This will enable teachers to put in place an early intervention programme to address any areas that require attention in any of the language learning skills.