French

Intent

In French, we aim to support our pupils to become linguists by deepening their cultural understanding of France and fostering their curiosity when introducing a new language. The curriculum is planned around three pillars: phonics, vocabulary and grammar.  

Pupils will be provided with opportunities to develop their spoken, written, listening and reading skills. Verbally pupils will be able to respond, engage in conversation, ask and answer questions and give opinions. Pupils will broaden their understanding of vocabulary through repetition and exposure of high frequency words and phrases in reading, writing and listening activities, which they build upon in each year group. A variety of mediums will allow pupils to achieve this including songs, games, poems and conversations. Woven throughout the curriculum are opportunities to develop their understanding of France and other French speaking countries.

Implementation

At Westcliff Primary Curriculum, French is implemented using these 5 golden threads:

• Spontaneity: Pupils are encouraged to be spontaneous with the language they learn and use it in a meaningful way which is purposeful to each individual.
• Community: Learning links to the local community, explores and appreciates the culture of communities in France and French speaking countries.
• Phonics: French is taught through an early reading approach with a focus on phonics to support pronunciation and spelling of key vocabulary.
• Grammar:  Grammar underpins the learning and supports pupils to understand the structure of a language.
• Vocabulary: The vocabulary which is learnt allows pupils to talk about themselves and their local area. Regular and irregular high-frequency verbs are taught to promote independent manipulation of language.

Impact

The impact of our curriculum is assessed through the eyes of the child. All monitoring of subject areas and teaching and learning will start with focused pupil discussion and sharing of knowledge and skill-based outcomes. French is assessed through pupils understanding of and their ability to manipulate new language.