Curriculum Intent and Implementation

Since September 2014, the teaching of a Modern Foreign Language at KS2 became a statutory requirement.  There is currently no requirement to teach a Modern Foreign Language at KS1.

French is the chosen language taught at Olton and is currently taught in Years 4, 5 and 6 with the intention of introducing French lessons in Year 3 in September 2022. Our French lessons are delivered mainly through 'Rigolo' - an engaging, challenging and stimulating online scheme. Through this scheme, children learn through modelling and participation - for example games and activities are used that require a physical response to show understanding eg,” Jacques a dit, ” (Simon says), as well as online games.

KS2 Languages Programme of Study

The French curriculum focuses mainly on practical communication and children are expected to: –

1. Listen attentively to spoken language, join in and respond
2. Explore the patterns and sounds of the language, for example through songs and rhymes
3. Engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, express opinions, and seek clarification and help
4. Speak in sentences using familiar vocabulary, phrases and language structures
5. Develop accurate pronunciation and intonation
6. Present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
7. Read carefully, showing understanding of simple writing
8. Appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
9. Develop their vocabulary, including through using a dictionary
10. Write phrases from memory and adapt them to create new sentences
11. Describe people, places, things and actions verbally and in writing
12. Understand basic grammar

Teaching and learning of a MFL addresses five key areas:

Oracy

- Listening, speaking and interacting orally including rhymes and stories

Literacy

- Children will become increasingly familiar with the relationship between the graphic representation and the sound of words and phrases.

Intercultural understanding

- learning about everyday life, customs and festivals

Knowledge about language 

- grammatical skills

Language-learning skills

- how to remember new words and phrases and how to apply them

We host French days at school to immerse the children in some of the cultural aspects of language learning as well as celebrating the language through our Language of the month assemblies. 

We are working closely with Lyndon Secondary school to enable our language learners to progress confidently in Year 6.

We monitor the impact of the French curriculum through various means including: evidence of work, pupil conferences and learning walks. These are analysed on a termly basis and a 'School Improvement Plan' for MFL produced and evaluated which contributes to the whole school ongoing continuous improvement cycle and whole school self-evaluation.