French is taught creatively in Key Stage Two in a whole-class setting. We follow the recommendations of the National Curriculum at each stage of our children’s language education. At Coop Princeville, the intent is that we aim to develop an interest in learning other languages.

Demographically, our children are mainly of Pakistani descent and we strive to develop children’s awareness of cultural differences and in other countries and places. We encourage children’s confidence and strive to stimulate and encourage children’s curiosity about language.

Our curriculum is designed to foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The lessons are designed to inspire children from the first moment and are mainly practical and oral in focus. The school follows the Twinkl Scheme of work to ensure coverage and progression for non-specialist teachers. French is taught weekly and should also be built into daily routines.

The national curriculum for languages aims to ensure that all pupils:  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; can 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.

Although the study of Modern Foreign Language is only statutory in KS2, it is important that KS1 is introduced to language learning through exploring other cultures and languages beyond our own. Although there will be no formal lessons in KS1, children will be encouraged to join in songs, rhymes and games.

Children in  Key Stage Two  have a timetabled lesson equating to at least thirty minutes per week. French lessons provide a broad variety of sources to model the language, and make as many connections to real life situations as possible. Lessons focus on speaking and listening. However, when appropriate, children record written work in learning journals. The intent of our MFL curriculum is to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all and that will maximise the outcomes for every child and planning is focused around five key concepts: Oracy, Literacy, Intercultural Understanding, Knowledge about Language and Language Learning Skills. SEND children have access to the curriculum through variation of task, grouping or support from an adult.

By the time children have completed their French program of study at Co-op Academy Princeville, they will be able to:

• Use a bank of vocabulary that they have memorised;
• Understand basic grammar to ask and answer questions;
• Use a variety of strategies, including the use of dictionaries, to support interpreting meaning of new words;
• Work in pairs and groups, and communicate in French, focusing on using correct pronunciation and intonation;
• Look at life in another culture – this will include French speaking countries other than France. 

A high quality language education should foster children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. At Coop Academy Princeville, we are committed to ensuring that competence in another language enables children to interpret, create and exchange meaning within and across cultures. It also helps children develop skills that will open further opportunities later in life. The teaching of French across all year groups in KS2 provides an appropriate balance of spoken and written language and lays the foundations for further foreign language development in KS3.