Languages

Intent

At Horbury St Peter’s and Clifton Primary School, we intend to instil the “St Peter’s Spirit” in all our children. The teaching of French encourages our children to particularly value the importance of being:  

Respectful and perseverance

as they learn about the French culture and the language. By showing enthusiasm to speak and appreciate a different language children are demonstrating that they are mindful and respectful of people from countries other than our own. They delight in discovering how to converse in French and draw parallels with English. Perseverance is shown through the fact that learning to speak a new language does not happen overnight; building on skills taught in Year Three and revisiting key phrases to secure and embed learning throughout Key Stage Two allows our children to become confident and readers and speakers of French.

The ability to communicate is a fundamental human necessity. In an increasingly global community, both in terms of business and social interactions, the ability to communicate with others and build meaningful relationships is vital. Learning a different language opens up pupils’ minds to other cultures, providing opportunities to identify similarities and differences.

Implementation

Our current scheme of work, ‘La Jolie Ronde’ matches the Programme of Study, with the following requirements:

• An appropriate balance of spoken and written language

• Pupils learn to speak in sentences, with appropriate pronunciation

• Pupils learn to express simple ideas with clarity

• Pupils learn to write phrases and short sentences from memory

• Pupils develop an understanding of basic grammar

• Pupils become acquainted with songs and poems in the language studied

• Teaching focuses on making substantial progress in one language

At Horbury St Peter’s and Clifton, French teaching begins formally in KS2, in accordance to the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum. The ‘La Jolie Ronde’ scheme of work is used across KS2 and is delivered by the class teacher. The expectation is that all pupils in KS2 receive a weekly French lesson; which can be delivered as a once a week longer session or several shorter sessions.

Impact

Through the delivery of the programme as outlined above, it is hoped that children enjoy their French lessons and are happy to discuss what they have been learning with teachers, subject leaders, parents and visitors. Monitoring by the subject leader should show that work is regularly recorded in books and that feedback from pupils is positive. The majority of children should leave Horbury St Peter’s and Clifton being able to adapt a model paragraph about a given topic; read a short paragraph confidently and be able to answer questions, including giving their opinion. They should all, however, leave with an appreciation of the French language and the acceptance of differing cultures and values.

French Enrichment Clubs

See below for details of our after-school French Enrichment clubs :-