Modern Foreign Language
Curriculum Overview
The National Curriculum for Languages aims to ensure that all pupils:
- understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
- speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation
- can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
- discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.
The MFL Curriculum offers pupils an opening into other cultures and a way to deepen their understanding of the world. At New Road we support the teaching and learning of French and the children develop their French through four key skills:
- Speaking
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
Whilst developing these key skills the children are encouraged to record their work through pictures, videos, captions and sentences. Practical activities, songs and games are often used to help improve memory and recall. Visual prompts are used to support children in translating new vocabulary.
To support the teaching of French at New Road we use Kapow Primary’s French scheme of work. The clear guidance and structure aims to inspire pupils to become curious, confident and enthusiastic language learners with a broad understanding of the French language and culture; in other words, to think and communicate like linguists.
The intention is for pupils to develop the skills to listen, speak, read and write in French, while building the confidence to express themselves and explore new ways of thinking through language learning.
The scheme is designed to develop pupils’ understanding of how learning another language connects people, cultures, and communities worldwide. The aim is to encourage pupils to become open-minded, active citizens who can appreciate diversity and engage meaningfully with the wider world.
Additionally, the scheme supports teachers in developing their subject knowledge and pedagogical skills, enabling them to deliver engaging and well-informed lessons with confidence. The curriculum is designed to be both accessible and ambitious, ensuring that all pupils are supported to participate fully and achieve their potential.
Our Curriculum Overview below sets out the coverage from Year 3 to Year 6 and the End of Unit Assessment/ Sticky Knowledge document shows how teachers will assess the children on what they have learnt during each unit to help inform planning and next steps.