French

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart." – Nelson Mandela

At Millfields, the foreign language that we have chosen to teach is French. We hope that through our teaching of French, our children will develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about French, finding it enjoyable and stimulating. Learning a second language will also offer our children the opportunity to explore relationships between language and identity, develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around them. We aim to give our pupils a foundation for language learning that encourages and enables them to apply their skills to learning further languages and develops a strong understanding of the English language. We hope that our teaching may also facilitate future study and open opportunities to study and work in other countries in the future. As our local secondary school teaches French, our children will be well prepared for their future learning when they leave us.

During their time with us, our children will develop the confidence to communicate in French for practical purposes, using both written and spoken French. They will develop their understanding of spoken and written French and will be able to respond appropriately, with increasing fluency and accurate pronunciation. We have recently developed a link with a school in France, providing children in Upper Key Stage 2 with the opportunity to communicate with other children in French. 

At Millfields, French lessons are delivered to all children in Key Stage 2. Children are taught in weekly sessions of approximately 45 minutes, with class teachers reinforcing their learning outside of these lessons where possible. We aim for our children to develop an appreciation of songs and stories in French throughout their time at the school. 

At Millfields, we use the Kapow scheme of work to teach French. This scheme is designed with six strands:

- Speaking and pronunciation

- Listening

- Reading and writing

- Grammar

- Intercultural understanding

- Language detective skills

Through Kapow Primary’s French scheme, pupils are given opportunities to communicate for practical purposes around familiar subjects and routines. The scheme provides 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. The Kapow Primary scheme is a spiral curriculum, with key skills and vocabulary revisited repeatedly with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Cross-curricular links between French and other areas of the curriculum are made, wherever possible, allowing children to make connections and apply their language skills to other areas of their learning.

Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies including independent tasks, paired and group work, role-play, language games and language detective work. The scheme of work focuses on developing ‘language detective skills’ and developing an understanding of French grammar. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed and enjoyed by all. 

Strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to be able to deliver a highly effective languages curriculum. To support this, each unit within our scheme of work includes a number of teacher videos to develop subject knowledge and support ongoing CPD. Kapow enables staff to feel supported in delivering lessons of a high standard that ensure pupil progression. 

Languages Leader - Mrs Natasha Bennett

Languages Link Governor - Mrs Katie Moore

Part of the Languages team.