Intent for Languages: 

In South Hams Federation, we believe that the learning of a language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils, helping them to better understand their place in the wider world. It supports them to develop confidence in communication skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing, with the aim of making substantial progress in one language, French. Children’s will develop knowledge of how a language works to lay the foundations for further language learning in future. We believe that learning another language gives children a broader outlook on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures and those of others. Interactive and active learning ensure that French is accessible to all pupil groups including Pupil Premium and SEN children.

Implementation of Languages:

Children develop their love of language learning and develop skills throughout their time in school. In KS2, children are taught in weekly sessions by class teachers. We encourage the participation and awareness of children in KS1 through the enjoyment of French songs and stories either in class or fortnightly assemblies. Learning focuses on oral skills with opportunities for writing provided on a regular basis. Our federation follow a Mastery curriculum using a scheme of work currently chosen by the Languages co-ordinator for each school. By the end of the current academic year 2019-2020 all schools will transition to using Easy MFL, to facilitate the delivery of Languages by non-specialists. We acknowledge children’s different learning styles, providing opportunities to learn through active participation in actions, rhymes, stories, songs, dictionary work and sentence structure, to allow all groups to develop their language skills.

Impact of Languages:

Children are encouraged to understand the relevance of their language-learning and how it relates to everyday life and travel. Teachers foster an enjoyment of languages through a variety of techniques which include interactive, singing and active sessions. Progression through a topic should be evident in the development of key skills and acquisition of main vocabulary.
Evidence is kept of children’s work in individual books. Teacher AfL records children’s progress. Data is monitored and moderated on pupil tracker. Individual support is available from the Languages co-ordinator in each school or for the Federation.

Our French curriculum will ensure all pupils develop key language learning skills, as set out by the national curriculum:

Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources

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

Can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt

Discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied

The National Curriculum Framework Document. September 20