COLDEAN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Key Stage 2

Intent

Our five key drivers underpin our French Language curriculum:

Through these we aim for pupils’ knowledge and understanding of French to provide an opening to other cultures and deepen their understanding of the world and the people in it. "It helps to equip pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. It encourages pupils to appreciate and celebrate difference." [Ofsted, 2021]

It is our intention that pupils become more expert as they progress through the curriculum, accumulating and connecting the three pillars of language learning:

• phonics - clear and reliable pronunciation and the links between sounds and spelling are integral parts of second language learning
• vocabulary - specific words are built into our curriculum that are relevant to our children, are high-frequency words in French and are revisited across a range of taught units
• grammar  - simple grammatical structures are explicitly taught and built upon across the key stage.

The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing are taught and all necessary grammar is covered in an age-appropriate way. This enables pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning.

Our curriculum is sequenced in line with the National Curriculum for Languages (2013).

All children in Key Stage 2 will have access to a very high-quality foreign languages curriculum using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This progressively develops pupils' knowledge of French phonics, vocabulary and grammar through regularly taught and well-planned weekly lessons taught by a specialist language teacher, with additional in-class practice supported by classteachers.

Children progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary, language skills and grammatical knowledge organised around age-appropriate topics and themes - building blocks of language into more complex, fluent and authentic language.

The planning of different levels of challenge (as demonstrated in the various Language Angels Teaching Type categories) and which units to teach at each stage of the academic year are addressed dynamically and reviewed in detail annually as units are updated and added to the scheme. Lessons offering appropriate levels of challenge and stretch will be taught at all times to ensure pupils learn effectively, continuously building their knowledge of and enthusiasm for the language(s) they are learning.

Language Angels are categorised by ‘Teaching Type’ to make it easier for teachers to choose units that will offer the appropriate level of challenge and stretch for the classes they are teaching.

• Early Language units are entry level units and are most appropriate for our Year 3 pupils.
• Intermediate units increase the level of challenge by increasing the amount and complexity (including French grammar concepts) of the foreign language presented to pupils. Intermediate units are suitable for our Year 4 and Year 5 pupils.
• Progressive units are the most challenging units and are suitable for our Year 6 pupils

Grouping units into these Teaching Type categories ensures that the language taught is appropriate to the level of the class and introduced when the children are ready. Children will be taught how to listen and read longer pieces of text gradually in the foreign language and they will have ample opportunities to speak, listen to, read and write the language being taught with and without scaffolds, frames and varying levels of support.

Early Language Units (entry level) and Core Vocabulary lessons are designed to run for approximately 30 minutes. Intermediate and Progressive units are designed to run for approximately 45 minutes.

Units, where possible and appropriate, are linked to class topics and cross curricular themes. Children build on previous knowledge gradually as their foreign language lessons continue to recycle, revise and consolidate previously learnt language whilst building on all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Knowledge and awareness of required and appropriate grammar concepts is taught throughout all units at all levels of challenge. Our Long Term Plan, Progression Maps and Grammar Grid ensure all children are progressing their French learning skills and are taught the appropriate grammar at the right time in their foreign language learning journey. Grammar rules and patterns are taught by level of challenge:

• We start with nouns and articles and 1st person singular of high frequency verbs in Early Learning units.
• We move on to the use of the possessive, the concept of adjectives, use of the negative form, conjunctions/connectives and introduce the concept of whole regular verb conjugation in Intermediate units.
• We end with opinions and introduce the concept of whole high frequency irregular verb conjugation in Progressive units.

Grammar is integrated and taught discretely throughout all appropriate units. Teachers also use the specific Grammar Explained units to ensure pupils are exposed to all of the appropriate grammar so they are able to create their own accurate and personalised responses to complex authentic foreign language questions by the end of the primary phase.

The Progression Map shows precisely how pupil French learning across the key skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar progresses within each Language Angels ‘Teaching Type’ and also how the level of learning and progression of each pupil is increased as pupils move across each subsequently more challenging Language Angels ‘Teaching Type’. It is a visual demonstration of the progression that takes place WITHIN a ‘Teaching Type’ and also ACROSS each ‘Teaching Type’.  

The school has a unit planner in place which will serve as an overall ‘teaching map’ outlining for all teachers within the school what each class in each year group will be taught and when it will be taught. Each class in each year group will have an overview of units to be taught during the academic year to ensure substantial progress and learning is achieved. Each teaching unit is divided into 6 fully planned lessons.

• Each unit and lesson have clearly defined objectives and aims.
• Each lesson incorporates interactive whiteboard materials to include ample speaking and listening tasks within a lesson.
• Lessons incorporate challenge sections and desk-based activities that will be offered will three levels of support and challenge. 
• Reading and writing activities are offered in all units. Some extended reading and writing activities are provided so that native speakers can also be catered for.
• Every unit includes a grammar concept which will increase in complexity as pupils move from Early Language units, through Intermediate units and into Progressive units.
• Extending writing activities are provided to ensure that pupils are recalling previously learnt language and, by reusing it, will be able to recall it and use it with greater ease and accuracy. These tasks will help to link units together and show that pupils are retaining and recalling the language taught with increased fluency and ease.

Units are progressive within themselves as subsequent lessons within a unit build on the language and knowledge taught in previous lessons. As pupils progress though the lessons in a unit they will build their knowledge and develop the complexity of the language they use. We think of the progression within the 6 lessons in a unit as ‘language Lego’. We provide blocks of language knowledge and, over the course of a 6-week unit, encourage pupils to build more complex and sophisticated language structures with their blocks of language knowledge.

Pupil learning and progression will be assessed at regular intervals in line with school policy. Teachers will aim to assess each language skill (speaking, listening, reading and writing) twice throughout each scholastic year to be able to provide reference points against which learning and progression in each skill can be demonstrated.

By the time the children in Year 6 leave, we want them to have the following experiences and understanding. 

Inspire Knowledge and Skills:

Children will have the knowledge and skills to be able to:

•        Understand simple audio in French with confidence

•        Write small texts in French and write a text from memory

•        Read and comprehend words and texts

Inspire Creativity & Adventure:

The children will be encouraged to:

•        Broaden their vocabulary through various activities and resources

•        Engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, express opinions and respond to those of others

•        Appreciate songs, stories, poems and rhymes in French

Inspire Kindness:

By the end of Year 6, children will:

•        Be able to use French to communicate with other French speakers

•        Become familiar with the culture connected to the language taught and appreciate it