INTENT
We highly value language learning at St Edward’s C of E Academy. All pupils study French, allowing them to develop a strong understanding of the language.
Our curriculum is built around the three core pillars of phonics, vocabulary, and grammar, and covers listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Lessons are varied and engaging, using games, songs, ICT, flashcards, videos, and authentic materials. We believe language learning develops intercultural understanding, social confidence, and a deeper awareness of how language works.
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Key Stage 2 French:
Pupils learn how to greet others and talk about themselves, their families, homes, pets, and likes and dislikes. They develop vocabulary for numbers, days, months, colours, clothes, classroom objects, weather, sports, and musical instruments, and learn how to describe people.
They study French phonics and the relationship between sounds and spelling, as well as key grammatical concepts such as number, gender, adjectives (including possessives), simple negatives, and the present tense of être and avoir, along with recognising the -ER verb pattern. Pupils also explore aspects of French culture and geography.
Key Stage 3 French:
Pupils learn vocabulary for places in town, giving directions, food and drink, and asking for items in shops and restaurants. They explore school life in France, school subjects, telling the time, describing the school day, and talking in detail about sports and leisure. In Year 8 they learn to discuss future plans and aspirations and describe a past holiday. They also learn to give opinions with reasons, ask questions, and expand their understanding of life in France and other French‑speaking countries.
Grammar in Year 7 includes the present tense of regular ‑ER, ‑IR, and ‑RE verbs, key irregular verbs, reflexive verbs, second‑verb infinitive structures, the partitive article, à and de with definite articles, negatives, prepositions, and recognising the imperative. In Year 8 pupils use the near future, the perfect tense, more adjectives and pronouns, and begin to recognise and use the imperfect tense.
LEARNING JOURNEYS
ASSESSMENT
In French, we assess the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing in each year group across the year. In addition to this, we do frequent low-stakes retrieval practice as part of in-class learning.
CULTURAL CAPITAL AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
French Trip 2024 Video Click Here
French Year 7 Click Here
Celebration of the European Day of Languages each September
Weekly lunch time Languages Club (which includes other languages)
French breakfast as part of our Year 7 Food and Drink topic
French penfriends in Key Stage 3 with our link school in Paris.
