Intent

The intent of our Modern Foreign Language offer is to enable pupils to learn a foreign language, providing them with an opening to other cultures. At Millbrook, we aim to foster pupil’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. By exposing our pupils to a Modern Foreign Language, we hope to broaden their horizons, allowing them to develop a deeper level of respect and tolerance, aiding towards them becoming global citizens. To enable clear progression in Modern Foreign Languages, we equip our students with the knowledge and skills to thrive and succeed. To ensure that the aims and purposes of the National curriculum are met, we carefully plan for the four key skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) as well as building on knowledge in the three key areas, phonics, vocabulary and grammar. Our curriculum offer is bespoke, meaning our Modern Foreign Language (French) is taught from EYFS to Year 6. At Millbrook, we believe that it is important to increase the pupils’ awareness of other countries and communities.

We celebrate diversity and give pupils the opportunity to participate in a range of linguistic and cultural educational experiences. We aim to build on the cultural capital of our pupils by providing them with a range of knowledge which goes beyond their own cultural experiences. We promote the importance of SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural) within our school. Pupils are continually challenged through a range of activities that promote curiosity, confidence, and collaborative thinking – skills that are transferable to other areas of the curriculum. We aim, through our Modern Foreign Languages curriculum, to inspire a love of languages and provide the foundation for lifelong language learners. In turn, this will allow greater opportunities in further education for our pupils.

Implementation

At Millbrook we deliver the scheme of work from Primary Languages Network which meets the twelve attainment targets from the current National Curriculum, set by the Department for Education and develops the four key skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking).The class teachers in school are responsible for delivering the target language, which is French. In EYFS and KS1, pupils are exposed to a range of songs, rhymes and stories in the target language. In KS2 the lessons are delivered on a weekly basis, with each session being 30-45 minutes long. During the sessions in KS2, the pupils develop subject specific vocabulary and develop their grammatical knowledge.

The scheme of work that we follow is progressive which enables pupils to recap their prior learning as well as build on it so that their knowledge is secure. For KS2, the scheme of work is in four stages which allows teachers to continually assess children using both formative and summative methods. This allows age-related expectations to be met as well as improving pupil’s language acquisition over time. During the sessions, a range of pedagogy is used to enable the pupils to be actively engaged in the learning. These include games, role-play, songs, rhymes, listening to a native speaker and using a range of different media.

French is incorporated into our daily routine in school as it is embedded into everyday practice. For example, during the register, referring to familiar objects in the classroom and using French to give praise. Primary Languages Network also allows teachers the opportunity to participate with upskill sessions. This allows teachers to feel confident about their delivery of the target language and ensures accurate pronunciation. Our long-term aim is to build on pupils intercultural understating, develop their confidence as linguists and allow them to foster a positive attitude for the subject.

Impact

Through high quality teaching, our pupils will have developed the confidence to communicate in simple French, both orally and in writing. Our pupils will have a broadened range of vocabulary, improved their grammatical knowledge, and will have developed the four key skills in French. To monitor the progress of pupils and identify their next steps, Teachers will use a range of assessment tools including both formative and summative techniques. This will then be tracked and monitored by the subject coordinator to ensure pupils are meeting age-related expectations.

Pupils will have a respectful view of others and will have improved their intercultural awareness. Pupils will also have developed their confidence and have a positive attitude towards learning a modern foreign language.