French
Intent
At Chapelfield Primary School we aim for all our children to have a love of language learning. We provide our children with opportunities to engage in fun, interactive language lessons and develop their conversational French skills with a range of engaging activities. In line with the National curriculum, French is taught from Key Stage 2 in a series of units that are relevant to ensure language learning is meaningful for our children.
At our school, we aim for our children to be global citizens and to understand their place in the wider world. Language learning at Chapelfield gives our children the chance to appreciate and learn about another culture. We want our pupils to celebrate the diversity of different countries and broaden their worldview. Our Geography units allow children to make comparisons and draw links between us and French towns, culture and environment. We believe that children’s enjoyment in French is key, as our engaging lessons allow for memorable learning. Language learning teaches our children to be respectful of others, celebrate any differences and feel curious to learn about other people’s ways of life, developing a strong sense of tolerance, respect and understanding.
At Chapelfield, children are taught French each term. French is taught each year from Year 3 - Year 6 to ensure progression that strengthens and builds on children’s prior knowledge. Our children participate in many opportunities during MFL learning, including: playing French games, singing French songs, taking part in role plays to rehearse conversational, spoken French as well as listening to, reading and beginning to develop some written French in the form of captions and simple phrases. This progresses to sentences which demonstrate an increasing level of skill by Year 6. Our aim is that children will leave Chapelfield feeling confident that they have a wide bank of French vocabulary and linguistic skills and feel enthusiastic to continue their language learning in high school and beyond.
Implementation - how we teach French
At Chapelfield, we follow the National Curriculum for Modern Foreign Languages. In doing so, our lessons support children in embedding knowledge through a structured, multi-sensory curriculum that uses regular repetition, progressive challenge, and immersive and varied audio to allow children to develop skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar. French is taught primarily using Language Angels to provide a sequenced, progressive curriculum with interactive learning which helps our pupils to embed, recall and use the language effectively. French is delivered in blocks of three half terms throughout the academic year across Key Stage 2 on weekly basis (throughout Autumn 2, Spring 2 and Summer 2) and work is recorded in French books most weeks.
At Chapelfield, we aim for all pupils to understand and respond to spoken language with increasing confidence in a range of scenarios, finding ways to communicate through discussion and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation. In French lessons, children are encouraged to discover and develop an appreciation of the language.
Progression and Curriculum Map - what will my child learn?
Our French lessons are organised into specific progressive tiers (Early Language, Intermediate, Progressive) as appropriate for each class in KS2 where children are taught skills for speaking, listening, reading and writing. French is taught through a cyclical curriculum to ensure full curriculum coverage in our mixed age classes. Please below documents for overviews of Cycle A and Cycle B.
Assessment and Outcomes
We use a range of strategies to assess what skills and knowledge the children have attained each term including the following:
- Language Angels end of unit assessments in Key Stage 2
- Book looks
- Regular feedback each lesson
- Termly Sonar data
- Pupil voice
Inclusion and Support
At Chapelfied, we ensure that language teaching and learning is inclusive and accessible for all learners, including those with SEND. We achieve this through:
- Structured, multi-sensory, and adaptable features built into our lessons.
- Visual and interactive cues and scaffolds.
- Repetition of key vocabulary through dynamic, interactive resources that cater to diverse learning styles and needs.
- Lessons loop back to core vocabulary consistently, reducing anxiety and allowing pupils with processing delays time to consolidate knowledge.
- Short, direct, and concise instructions.
- "Chunked" Language - Vocabulary and grammatical concepts are broken down into bite-sized, manageable pieces.
Subject Lead Contact
If you have any questions regarding the MFL curriculum please contact the school directly.
Contact: Miss R Wynne at Chapelfield Primary School 01617235519 or via email on Chapelfield@bury.gov.uk
Additional Information
Every other year we have a ‘French Day’. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to celebrate our French learning and engage in a range of related activities such as dining at a ‘French café’, French songs and games and exploring French art.