French

Intent

At St Barnabas Nursery and Primary, we want our pupils to develop a curiosity about languages and cultures and to see themselves as confident communicators. Learning French supports children to understand the wider world, appreciate different cultures and develop respect for others.

Our ambition is for pupils to build a secure foundation in French vocabulary, pronunciation and simple grammatical structures, alongside the confidence to listen, speak, read and write in another language.

Through learning French, pupils develop their oracy, memory and understanding of how language works, which also supports their learning in English and across the wider curriculum.

We want pupils to leave St Barnabas with a positive attitude towards languages and the aspiration to continue learning languages in the future.

Implementation

French is taught in Key Stage 2 through a carefully sequenced and progressive curriculum. Learning is organised into blocks that revisit and build upon prior knowledge so that pupils can strengthen and deepen their understanding over time.

Teaching focuses on:

• Explicit teaching of vocabulary, phonics and pronunciation

• Regular opportunities to listen and respond to spoken French

• Structured speaking activities to build confidence and fluency

• Opportunities to read and write simple words, phrases and sentences

Lessons follow a consistent sequence of Connect, Explain, Example, Attempt, Apply and Challenge, enabling pupils to build understanding step by step.

Knowledge Organisers and Knowledge Notes are used to reduce cognitive load and help pupils focus on the most important content. These provide visual and locational cues to support memory and retrieval.

High quality oracy is central to French lessons. Pupils rehearse language, practise pronunciation and use spoken French in pairs, groups and whole class activities. Audio clips and modelling support pupils to hear accurate pronunciation.

Retrieval practice and regular revisiting ensure that previously learned vocabulary and structures are remembered and applied.

Teachers adapt and scaffold learning where needed so that all pupils, including those with SEND or who are disadvantaged, can access and succeed in French.

Impact

By the time pupils leave St Barnabas, they:

• Understand and use a growing range of French vocabulary

• Pronounce words and phrases with increasing accuracy

• Can listen to and understand simple spoken French

• Can speak, read and write simple sentences

• Show curiosity and respect for other languages and cultures

Pupils leave St Barnabas as confident and enthusiastic language learners who feel a sense of belonging in an increasingly diverse world and who aspire to continue developing their language skills.