French

French at St Mary's Catholic Primary School

Our approach to teaching French in primary school is interactive, engaging, and focused on building confidence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. We use songs, stories, games, and role-play to make learning fun and immersive. Emphasis is placed on practical communication, encouraging pupils to express themselves in simple conversations. Through a supportive and engaging environment, we foster a love for language learning and equip pupils with foundational skills for further study.

Intent:

At St Mary’s we intend for children to develop an interest in learning French in a way that is enjoyable and stimulating. Our scheme of work offers a carefully planned sequence of lessons, ensuring progressive coverage of the four skills in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking in accordance with the National Curriculum guidelines.

By the end of our children's primary education they will have acquired an understanding of both spoken and written French and have confidence to speak in French with others.

Implementation:

At St Mary's, we follow the Language Angels scheme of learning. In Key Stage 1, children acquire basic skills and understanding of French with a strong emphasis on developing their Speaking and Listening skills. These will be embedded and further developed in Years 3 to 6 alongside Reading and Writing, gradually progressing onto more complex language concepts and greater learner autonomy.

What a typical lesson looks like

Rewind: The lesson begins with a recap of previous learning, using quick-fire questions, flashcards, or a short game to reinforce vocabulary and structures. This helps activate prior knowledge and prepare pupils for new content.

Teach It: The teacher introduces new language through engaging methods such as songs, storytelling, or visual prompts. Key vocabulary and phrases are modelled with correct pronunciation, and gestures or repetition are used to aid retention.

Practise It: Pupils engage in interactive activities such as pair work, role-play, and games to reinforce their understanding. Speaking and listening tasks build confidence, while written exercises help develop literacy skills in French.

Assessment: The lesson ends with a short formative assessment, such as a mini quiz, exit ticket, or oral questioning, to check understanding. Teachers provide feedback and identify areas for further practice, ensuring progress in future lessons.

Impact:

Through our teaching of French we aim to inspire pupils to develop a love of languages and to expand their horizons to other countries, cultures and people.

We aim to help our children grow into curious, confident and reflective language learners, thereby equipping them to widen their horizons.

French Long Term Plan