Learning a foreign language helps to foster curiosity and deepen understanding of the world.
INTENT
The national curriculum states that the purpose of teaching a foreign language is to, ‘foster pupils curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world,’ as well as to help them to, ‘understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing,’ and, ‘provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes.’
Here at Lakenheath Community Primary School, we work hard to ensure children gain a strong understanding of the world, fostering a celebration of different cultures. We believe in providing children with the opportunity to communicate for practical purposes and learn new ways of thinking. This gives children the foundation they need to continue to learn languages in more depth at secondary school.
IMPLEMENTATION
At Lakenheath Community Primary School, we learn French following the Language Angels scheme of work. Children progress in their learning and build upon their prior knowledge as they move through the school. KS2 children have weekly French lessons. Our programme of study is progressive to embed learning. The majority of our focus is on speaking and listening task with an emphasis on practical communication for everyday situations. As the pupils' knowledge progresses, more reading and writing in French is introduced.
Alongside a more formal approach to language in KS2, In EYFS and KS1, children are exposed to different languages and cultures through songs and stories.
Here is our two-year rolling cycle for French across KS2.
IMPACT
We use a range of strategies to assess what skills and knowledge the children have attained throughout each lesson as well as the following methods:
- Lesson observations
- Book looks
- Pupil voice