Our aim is that all children:

• foster an interest in learning other languages;
• introduce children to another language in a way that is enjoyable and fun;
• stimulate and encourage children’s curiosity about language;
• help the children to develop their awareness of cultural differences in other countries;
• gain strategies to help with learning another language;
• develop a positive attitude and a disposition towards language learning;
• acquire an awareness of different languages and their similarities and differences;
• develop technical acquisition of the French language;
• show progression in speaking, listening, reading and writing;
• develop an understanding of phonics in the French language.

At Warren Road, children in Key Stage 2 learn French in a fun and creative way. The children build up their vocabulary and apply this learning to their own experiences, enabling them to express themselves in another language. It is important that the children are excited about learning a new language and are also given the opportunity to explore the culture and particular historical events in France.

The curriculum is based on the ‘Tout-le-monde’ Heinemann Primary French scheme. This provides a foundation for the school’s programme in early foreign language learning. Through the use of ‘Tout-le-monde’ and teachers’ own planning, a clear model of progression is seen through a term’s work. This would begin with the acquisition of key vocabulary and games to help memorise and consolidate these words and phrases. Next, the children would be exposed to French texts in order to identify the learnt vocabulary and put it into context. This could be through the use of stories, poems, songs or other text types. Depending on their age and ability, children will then work towards putting these words and phrases together to form relevant sentences. Differentiation is often in the form of scaffolding and word banks. There is a focus on any relevant phonetic or grammatical knowledge during this phase of learning.