Curriculum – MFL

What will take place before teaching in the classroom? 

The school’s senior leadership team will … 

• Lead the school staff to develop a curriculum intent consistent with school’s drivers and development of all curriculum subjects.  
• Develop specific French subject intent, which explains our school ethos and curriculum design in detail.  
• Support subject leader to spend time with staff to share skills.  
• Provide funding to support high quality implementation of the French curriculum.   

Curriculum leader will ...

• Understand and articulate the requirements of the curriculum. 
• Use this knowledge to support staff in the delivery of French.   
• Ensure skills and knowledge are planned for progressively over time so that children become effective linguists.  
• Develop a long-term subject plan, which identifies the progression within each phase of knowledge, skills and vocabulary in French.  
• Support staff to have a full picture of learning in French at each stage, including EYFS and KS1 so prior knowledge is constantly referenced accurately. 
• Catalogue and organise an up to date range of resources so children have access to equipment, which supports them to extend their skills as a linguist.  
• Establish and nurture links within the local community to linguists or those studying French, to give children aspirations.  
• Network with other local schools to keep up to date with subject development. 

The class teacher will, with the support of the curriculum leader … 

• Work in teams to develop curriculum skills grids, which outline the knowledge and skills to be covered over the course of each term and share with parents and carers.  
• Use the long-term subject plan to ensure coverage in lessons is sequential, includes a balance between knowledge and skills and references prior learning. 
• Seek out the subject leader if they require support or advice.  
• Ensure lesson resources are engaging, appropriate and plentiful so children can learn knowledge and practise skills across the series of lessons.  
• Plan experiences, trips and visitors, which both enhance learning and place learning into context.  

What will this look like in the classroom? 

Our teaching sequence will be …. 

Oral work- each project includes a song at the start to introduce some of the new vocabulary in a fun way. 

Phonics- learn the French phonemes to help with reading and spelling of French words. 

Interactive games- linked to new vocabulary for the lesson. Covering reading, spelling and listening to the French words. E.g. snap and noughts and crosses 

Written work- including labels, phrases, sentences and eventually paragraphs. 

Reading- at the end of every unit, there is a French text for the children to read or follow using their knowledge from the unit and then respond to questions about it. 

Cultural awareness- we look at celebrations in France and compare them to how they are celebrated in the UK. E.g. Halloween, Christmas, Epiphany and European languages day. 

We also offer a link with a school (Ecole Jean Zay, which is in Ham in the region of Somme, Picardy, Northern France) which we make and share projects. This gives the children a purpose for learning French and get a greater cultural awareness. 

Our classrooms will… 

• Provide a nurturing environment for learning where children, whatever their age can work individually, in pairs and cooperate in small groups. 
• Contain age-appropriate equipment specific to French for children to use and refer to.  
• Share a range of age-appropriate nonfiction and fiction texts to support previous, current and future learning in French whilst also extending reading skills.  eg. menu, story, poem 
• Share a range of age-appropriate vocabulary or sentence games to support previous, current and future learning in French whilst also extending reading skills. 
• Have a designated project display including children’s work. 
• French vocabulary on display in the classroom alongside the bilingual dictionaries. 

Our children will be … 

• Enthused by their learning because coherent learning experiences give them the confidence to reach beyond their grasp. 
• Engaged by the challenge within lessons to demonstrate their knowledge.  
• Encouraged by specific feedback given by their teacher to reflect on their work and areas to improve.  
• Nurtured to show confidence in contributing to their learning through sharing thoughts and ideas.  
• Develop French skills and confidence over time due to carefully planned, sequences of high quality lessons over time.  

How will this be measured? 

Pupil voice will show … 

• Enthusiasm and confidence in discussing their learning and experiences in French 
• A clear understanding of the skills and knowledge relating to French, needed to be a linguist.  
• A progression of the vocabulary used to articulate their learning and experiences as a linguist.  

Displays around school and books will show ...

• Pupils have a balance of planned learning experiences including practical evidence in photographs on Seesaw, written work in books and work on display.  
• A varied and engaging curriculum, which develops a range of French skills.  
• Clear progression of skills in line with those identified on the long term plans.  
• That pupils, over time, develop a range of skills and knowledge across all parts of the French curriculum.  

The curriculum leader will … 

• Lead annual showcase events to celebrate the success of children as linguists at Neville’s Cross.  
• Collate a portfolio of evidence, which reflect children’s deepening knowledge and experiences in French over time.  
• Monitor standards of teaching, lessons and books.  
• Provide CPD opportunities including mentoring and coaching.