Languages

Intent

At The Willows Catholic Primary School, we aim to develop pupils' confidence, curiosity and competence in learning a foreign language.

French is our principal modern foreign language. Our curriculum is designed to give pupils a secure foundation in listening, speaking, reading and writing and to prepare them for further language learning at secondary school.

We want pupils to develop a growing bank of useful vocabulary, phrases and grammatical knowledge which they can combine and apply with increasing independence.

Pupils learn to listen carefully, understand familiar spoken language, respond appropriately and develop accurate pronunciation. They progressively learn to read and understand words, phrases and short texts and to write with increasing accuracy and independence.

Grammar is taught as an important part of language learning. Pupils develop their understanding of how French works, including patterns in pronunciation, sentence structure, gender, agreement and verb forms.

We also want pupils to develop an interest in other languages and cultures. Through learning French, pupils begin to recognise similarities and differences between languages and develop respect for the wider world.

Implementation

French is taught through a carefully sequenced curriculum in Key Stage 2, with learning organised progressively so that new vocabulary, grammatical structures and language skills build upon what pupils have learned before.

Our curriculum is structured through progressive stages of language learning. Important vocabulary and sentence structures are revisited regularly so that pupils have repeated opportunities to retrieve, practise and apply what they know.

Listening and speaking form an important foundation. Pupils regularly hear accurate models of spoken French and practise pronunciation through repetition, conversation, songs, rhymes and structured oral activities.

As pupils' confidence develops, they are expected to respond with increasing independence. They move from individual words and familiar phrases towards constructing and adapting complete sentences.

Reading is developed alongside spoken language. Pupils learn to recognise familiar vocabulary in written form, identify patterns in spelling and pronunciation and use contextual and grammatical knowledge to understand increasingly complex texts.

Writing progresses from copying and adapting familiar language towards composing sentences and short passages with greater independence. Pupils are encouraged to draw upon previously learned vocabulary and grammatical structures rather than relying solely on models.

Grammar is taught explicitly and revisited across units. Pupils learn how words and sentences are constructed and begin to apply grammatical rules when speaking and writing.

Teachers make regular links between new and previous learning. Retrieval, repetition and rehearsal are used deliberately so that pupils retain important language and can use it flexibly in new contexts.

Assessment focuses on what pupils can understand and communicate through listening, speaking, reading and writing. Teachers use oral responses, conversations, reading activities and written work to identify what pupils have secured and what needs further practice.

Teaching is adapted where necessary so that all pupils, including those with SEND, can participate meaningfully in language learning while maintaining ambitious expectations.

Impact

The impact of our Modern Foreign Languages curriculum is seen in pupils' increasing confidence and independence in understanding and using French.

As pupils progress through Key Stage 2, they should develop an increasingly secure bank of vocabulary, phrases and grammatical structures which they can recall and apply in different contexts.

Pupils should become more confident listeners and speakers. They should be able to understand familiar spoken language, respond appropriately and communicate using increasingly accurate pronunciation and sentence structures.

They should also develop as readers and writers of French. Pupils should be able to understand familiar written language, use their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar to interpret meaning and produce increasingly accurate sentences and short texts of their own.

Pupils should be able to make connections between English and French and recognise patterns within language. They should become increasingly confident in adapting familiar language rather than simply repeating memorised phrases.

Teachers and subject leaders evaluate pupils' progress through spoken language, reading, written work and assessment information. The Modern Foreign Languages subject leader monitors the quality and impact of the curriculum through lesson visits, pupil discussions, scrutiny of work and assessment information.

By the end of Year 6, our aim is for pupils to leave The Willows with a secure foundation in French, confidence in communicating in another language and the knowledge and skills needed to continue language learning successfully at secondary school.