Languages - French

The children in KS2 learn French as part of the Languages National Curriculum expectations.  As part of our curriculum, we aim to instil a love of language learning and an awareness of other cultures.  We want pupils to develop the confidence to communicate in French for practical purposes, using both written and spoken French. 

We use Kapow French scheme of work to support planning and teaching at Meridian and to develop children's foundation for language learning.  We want to enable all children to apply their skills to learning further languages, facilitate future study and open opportunities to study and work in other countries in the future.

Children are given opportunities to communicate for practical purposes around familiar subjects and routines.  There are balanced opportunities for communication in both spoken and written French, although in Year 3 the focus is on developing oral skills, before incorporating written French in Year 4 and beyond. This spiral curriculum, with key skills and vocabulary revisited repeatedly with increasing complexity, allows pupils to revise and build on their previous learning.

Cross-curricular links are included throughout our French units, allowing children to make connections and apply their language skills to other areas of their learning.  Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including role-play, language games and language detective work.

Learning focuses on developing what we term ‘language detective skills’ and developing an understanding of French grammar, rather than on committing to memory vast amounts of French vocabulary. 

To help pupils, retain their French learning, we provide information about how to incorporate French into the classroom environment every day in our ‘During the week’ sections.