French
French in our Curriculum
French vision
At St Agnes, we believe learning a foreign language is a necessary part of being a member of a multi-cultural society and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster children’s curiosity and allow for wonder of the world around us which ultimately will deepen their understanding of the world and their place within it. The teaching should enable children to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing, which will be achieved through coherent and structured lessons in line with national curriculum expectations.
It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping children to study and work in other countries. Through the teaching of French, children can apply their knowledge to future aspirations and interests. It is intended that when children leave St Agnes, they will have a natural curiosity and confidence to explore other countries, cultures and languages, recognising that in a multi-lingual society, it is a valuable skill to be able to communicate effectively with others in another language and appreciate culture.Â
Through high quality teaching, we develop the following essential characteristics of multi-language users:
- To understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
- To 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
- To write at varying lengths, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures learnt
- To discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing
- To engage in positive experiences so that multi-language usage is the foundation for learning further languages and equips children to study and work in other countries in the future.
- A genuine interest in the subject and the ability to be able to apply the skills learnt enabling them to gain an understanding of their own language as well as to become an active participate in a multi-cultural society.
French at St Agnes
At St Agnes, we are pleased to offer French as our modern foreign language from Year 2 onwards. Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish to develop the knowledge and skills to be life-long learners. The French curriculum is taught by a specialist French teacher.
To promote an active learning of French, a range of teaching methods are implemented to ensure that the children are developing their linguistic skills through listening, speaking, reading and writing in order to be secondary ready. The children are taught a strong awareness of phonology and the importance of grammatical structures so that knowledge gained can be applied to different contexts and topics in French. The children are taught a range of vocabulary which is carefully considered so they can apply these across and beyond topics. Activities are cross curricular and consist of actions, rhymes, stories, song, drama, grammar focus, video clips, sentence structure, books and many more creative ways to extend, embed and combine language skills. The children are regularly given the opportunity to recap their previous learning and deepen their understanding to allow for fluency in the language. Their knowledge is secured through learning about France, French culture and history.
We make lessons as enjoyable as possible so that the children develop a positive attitude to the learning of Modern Foreign Languages. We build the children’s confidence through the praise for any contribution they make, however tentative.
Planning is completed by the specialist French teacher, following a tailor-made scheme of work meeting all children’s needs.  It is focused upon meeting National Curriculum objectives and enables the pupils to progress in each aspect of their language learning (Oracy, Literacy, Intercultural Understanding, Knowledge about Language and Language Learning Strategies).
The children are assessed orally, using quizzes, mini plenary questions, matching tasks and through questioning. They are also assessed through writing and drawing tasks.​ At the end of each unit, the children complete a self-assessment sheet to evaluate their progress and achievement.
At St Agnes, the children have the chance to attend and help organise a French café. The event is a wonderful opportunity for the children to immerse themselves in French culture and practice their language skills.
Impact
At St Agnes, we are pleased to offer French as our modern foreign language from Year 2 onwards. Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish to develop the knowledge and skills to be life-long learners. The French curriculum is taught by a specialist French teacher.
To promote an active learning of French, a range of teaching methods are implemented to ensure that the children are developing their linguistic skills through listening, speaking, reading and writing in order to be secondary ready. The children are taught a strong awareness of phonology and the importance of grammatical structures so that knowledge gained can be applied to different contexts and topics in French. The children are taught a range of vocabulary which is carefully considered so they can apply these across and beyond topics. Activities are cross curricular and consist of actions, rhymes, stories, song, drama, grammar focus, video clips, sentence structure, books and many more creative ways to extend, embed and combine language skills. The children are regularly given the opportunity to recap their previous learning and deepen their understanding to allow for fluency in the language. Their knowledge is secured through learning about France, French culture and history.
We make lessons as enjoyable as possible so that the children develop a positive attitude to the learning of Modern Foreign Languages. We build the children’s confidence through the praise for any contribution they make, however tentative.
Planning is completed by the specialist French teacher, following a tailor-made scheme of work meeting all children’s needs.  It is focused upon meeting National Curriculum objectives and enables the pupils to progress in each aspect of their language learning (Oracy, Literacy, Intercultural Understanding, Knowledge about Language and Language Learning Strategies).
The children are assessed orally, using quizzes, mini plenary questions, matching tasks and through questioning. They are also assessed through writing and drawing tasks.​ At the end of each unit, the children complete a self-assessment sheet to evaluate their progress and achievement.
At St Agnes, the children have the chance to attend and help organise a French café. The event is a wonderful opportunity for the children to immerse themselves in French culture and practice their language skills.
