French at St Patrick's School

Intent

At St Patrick’s we offer a relevant, broad and ambitious foreign languages curriculum that will inspire and excite our pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. 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.

Content will be continuously updated and reviewed, 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. 

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. The intention is that all pupils will develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages whilst laying down solid foundations.

Learning a second language will 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.  Catholic Social Teaching highlights the importance of dignity and the presence of God in every human person, regardless of religion, culture, nationality, orientation or economic standing. The teaching and learning of French at St Patrick’s allows the children to think in a broader context about the dignity of life, taking in another culture and national identity, as well as the opportunity to find solidarity in our similarities. The goal is that children are working towards becoming life-long language learners who embrace peace, the common good, and difference and dignity of all.

‘There are many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. But if I do not know the language being spoken, those who use it will be foreigners to me and I will be a foreigner to them. Since you are eager to have the gifts of the Spirit, you must try above everything else to make greater use of those which help to build-up the church.’ Corinthians 14: 10-12

Implementation

Upon entry to Key Stage 2, children begin learning French. Classes will have access to a high-quality MFL curriculum using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This will progressively develop pupil skills in French through well-taught and well-planned weekly lessons in Key Stage 2, lasting 30-45 minutes, which will be taught by class teachers.

Children will progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary, language skills and grammatical knowledge organised around age-appropriate topics and themes - building blocks of language into more complex, fluent and authentic language.

Teachers will know where every child is at any point in their foreign language learning journey.

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.
The curriculum map outlines what each class will be taught and when it will be taught.

• 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 adaptable activities to meet the needs of all our children.  We acknowledge children’s different learning styles and promote learning through active participation in cross-curricular units of work, actions, rhymes, stories, songs, grammar activities, video clips, phonics and dictionary work to embed, combine and extend language skills.  Regular use of end of topic tests allows teachers and pupils to monitor and their progress.

Our MFL curriculum is reinforced through participation in 'La Fiestaval', an inter-schools language celebration.   Whilst being a showcase for children’s talents, this event also aligns with the option for the poor as the money raised is donated to Greenbank High School’s partner school in Ghana.  Additional enrichment activities, displays and signage in French also contribute to the whole school learning environment.

'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' Mathew 19:21

Impact

Our French curriculum will ensure all pupils develop key language learning skills, as set out by the national curriculum, as well as a love of languages that develops year on year. They will be able to:

• Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources.
• Speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation.
• Write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt.
• Discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.

-The National Curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 Framework Document. September 2013

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 data is recorded and monitored by the 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.

What do the children think?

'I enjoy it so much because there are really fun activities to do.'

'I liked learning about animal names in French and I could draw them in my book.'

'I love French!'

Further learning 

Children also have access to the Language Angels pupil games at     https://www.languageangels.com/schools/

WHOLE SCHOOL FRENCH ENRICHMENT

2024

We had a wonderful afternoon that included a range of French enrichment activities. We all tasted some French food, KS1 children boarded a plane to France to experience French culture, whilst in KS2 children were building the Eiffel Tower.  Wherever you were in our school, you were guaranteed to be having some French fun!  

La Fiestaval 

We had an amazing time when we performed at Greenbank High School for La Fiestaval; a celebration of languages involving lots of primary schools.  We used all our skills to entertain the audience with a sketch based on Paris Fashion Week.