Contact
Lincoln Gardens Primary School
Lincoln Gardens
Scunthorpe
DN16 2ED
Tel: 01724 844430
Email: admin.lincolngardensprimary@northlincs.gov.uk
French Curriculum
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“Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world.”
Primary National Curriculum 2014.
An understanding of language prepares pupils for a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are often carried out in languages other than English. The rise of international commerce means that pupils need to be equipped with the skills needed by the international workplace. The choice of language is secondary to the lifelong language learning skills that the pupils will be encouraged to develop. Children will develop skills that they will be able to access in the future, to learn new languages or to deepen their knowledge in an existing language. Increased capability in the use of languages promotes initiative, confidence and encourages diversity within society.
Intent
Our French curriculum is based on what we know is best for our pupils at Lincoln Gardens Primary School. The intent of the scheme of work for French is to ensure that all our pupils have high aspirations in the four areas of listening, reading, speaking and writing. Our pupils will be able to understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources. With encouragement, all pupils at Lincoln Gardens Primary School will be able to 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. Our pupils will be able to write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt. All our pupils will be able to discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in French.
Curriculum
The framework will have four strands:
- Oracy (speaking and listening)
- Literacy, including grammatical understanding
- Cultural understanding
- Knowledge and language
Children will be taught how to:
- Ask and answer questions
- Use correct pronunciation and intonation
- Memorise new vocabulary
- A sound understanding of basic grammar
- A sound understanding of the phonics within the language
- Interpret meaning
- Explore life in other cultures
- Work in pairs, small and whole class groups to communicate in French
Teaching and Learning
It is now the national expectation that languages will be an essential and statutory part of the Key Stage 2 curriculum. However, Lincoln Gardens has chosen to introduce basic vocabulary (greetings, numbers up to 5 and colours) into both the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.
The learning outcomes are based on the attainment targets set out within the Primary Curriculum 2014. The main success criteria will be that when our children move onto secondary education they will approach the languages taught with a set of skills allowing them to grasp the phonics, grammar and punctuation of the language.
Our focus of languages education will be French. Non- specialist teachers from our own staff will be used to deliver this curriculum throughout the key stage. The resource, which the whole of Key Stage 2 will be using, is ‘iLanguages’. We have selected this as the main resource for the delivery of French as it provides the structure and continuity required by a non-specialist. The subject leader is responsible for maintaining resources and monitoring their use.
We use a variety of techniques to encourage the children to engage and enjoy this area of the curriculum: these include the use of ‘Pierre the puppet’, games, role-play, songs, phonics and the use of interactive technology. We use a multi-sensory and kinaesthetic approach to teaching as this serves to reinforce memory skills. We make the lessons as interesting and enjoyable as possible as this ensures a more positive attitude to the learning of languages. We build confidence through constant praise for any contribution made to the lessons and learning.
SEND and Inclusion
All teachers are expected to adapt the planning to ensure that all pupils are able to participate fully and as effectively as possible within the framework of the National Curriculum. It must ensure that pupils with disabilities are given activities that are suited to their type of disability without destroying the integrity of the activity.
We have a clear view that every child will be exposed to a full range of activities and experiences irrespective of gender, race or disability.
To ensure that pupils of all abilities make worthwhile progress within languages learning:
- Teachers provide suitable ways for pupils of different abilities to access the difficult ideas: for example, for low-attaining pupils by narrowing the range of information to be used, by increasing the degree of support through their own advice, by using relevant resources, or by the use of other adults.
- Teachers should challenge higher-attaining pupils by expecting them to interrogate more demanding sources, by expecting them to work with greater independence and by raising expectations about how they might communicate their ideas.
- Teachers use a range of teaching styles in each lesson in order to match the range of learning styles represented in a typical class.
Assessment and recording
The following methods of assessment are being used:
- Teacher assessment within the normal classroom as in all curriculum subjects, this is to be completed on a termly basis using FFT
- Module tests provided within the ‘ilanguages’ resource
- Pupil self-assessment
Resources
Monitoring and review
Monitoring of the standards of children’s work and the quality of teaching in languages is the responsibility of the class teacher and the languages subject leader. The work of the languages subject leader also involves supporting colleagues in the teaching of languages, being informed about current developments in the subject and providing a strategic lead and direction for the subject in the school. The languages subject leader evaluates the strengths and weaknesses in the subject and indicates areas for future developments.
The effectiveness of this policy will be reviewed and evaluated by the staff as part of the schools rolling programme. The Head teacher will report the result of the evaluation to the governing body and recommend any policy changes as and when they become necessary.
Health and Safety
All staff will adhere to the school’s health and safety policy. During languages lessons, children will have the opportunity to use many forms of ICT. All the equipment available meets the safety requirements and is used under supervision.
Contribution of teaching and learning in other subjects
English
Languages education contributes significantly to the teaching of English in our school by presenting children with the opportunity to explore differences and similarities between French and English. Pupils develop communication and literacy skills that lay the foundation for future learning. Children will encounter a range of situations, audiences and activities designed to develop competence, accuracy and confidence in speaking and listening. There is an increased focus on the phonics of the language and how this affects the pronunciation of the words. Children will learn some high frequency vocabulary, e.g. days, months, greetings etc. There is also an increased focus on the written language, with the children exploring the grammatical features and forming their own phrases and sentences. Opportunities to compare the language with English or another language can be exploited using the alphabet, phonemes, rhyming patterns, sound/spelling links and dictionary work.
Mathematics
Languages teaching can help consolidate the teaching of mathematics, for example when learning vocabulary including numbers, date, time and money.
ICT
ICT is used in the teaching of languages where appropriate. The program ‘ilanguages’ is used to facilitate the teaching throughout Key Stage. Languages education can also provide an opportunity to create links with schools in other countries using online communication techniques, e.g. Skype, email, social networking sites, etc.
Geography
Languages contributes to the teaching of Geography as children will complete work relating to the study of other countries. Children may also learn vocabulary related to the geography, for example the weather or features of the land.
Music
Children learn new vocabulary through the use of songs in a foreign language.
Citizenship
Languages contribute significantly to the teaching of personal, social, health and citizenship education. The teaching of languages encourages a multilingual society and provides children with knowledge about other countries and cultures.
Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
The learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for pupils. There are many opportunities to promote positive attitudes towards language learning through a range of learning activities. Learning another language raises awareness of the multilingual and multicultural world and introduces an international dimension to the pupils’ learning, giving them an insight into their own culture and those of others. The learning of a foreign language also requires that the children participate in many speaking and listening activities, which provides them with many opportunities to interact with each other.
Key Roles
The subject leader will facilitate the development of languages in the following ways:
- Ensuring the all teachers are familiar with the policy and support any lesson planning as required
- Discuss with the Head teacher and the designated governor responsible for languages the progress of implementing the policy in the school
- Audit and monitor resources
- Identify need and arrange INSET with support from the Head teacher when appropriate
- Ensure that all staff are familiar with the resources and planning provided to ensure that all lessons are being delivered to a high standard and that progression is taking place
- Discuss with pupils their work in languages to assess their knowledge and understanding of the subject
- Scrutinise work completed by pupils to ensure that progression is taking place
- Attend relevant INSET provided by the Local Authority
- Liaise with specialist teachers from the local secondary schools
- Work co-operatively with the SENCO where appropriate
The Head teacher will:
- Lead, monitor and manage the implementation of the policy, including monitoring teaching plans and quality of teaching.
- With the designated governor responsible for languages, keep the governing body informed about changes to the policy.