Intent

The intention of the MFL Curriculum at Cedar Park is for children to be excited about learning languages and to be prepared for further language studies at Secondary School – in whichever language that may be. Developing a positive attitude to this subject is essential. 

The aims and objectives of learning a modern foreign language at Cedar Park school are:

• to foster an interest in learning other languages;
• to introduce young children to another language in a way that is enjoyable;
• to help children develop their awareness of cultural differences in other countries;
• to develop their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills;
• to lay the foundations for future studies.

Implementation

At Cedar Park School, our French curriculum is built around the Rigolo scheme of work which covers all aspects of the National Curriculum. This scheme was chosen as it ensures children are introduced to a foreign language, through key concepts and skills development, in an enjoyable and interactive way. These include games, role-play, songs and worksheet activities.

We regularly use ecoutez et repetez (listen and repeat) from both the teacher and also the Rigolo videos which model this. We frequently use the interactive whiteboard to support learning as Rigolo is an online based resource.

We emphasise the listening and speaking skills over the reading and writing skills but work on all four. We also use a multi-sensory and kinaesthetic approach to teaching i.e. we try to introduce a physical element into some of the games, as this serves to reinforce memory.  We make the lessons as interactive and enjoyable as possible, as we realise that this approach serves to develop a positive attitude in the children to the learning of modern foreign languages. We build children’s confidence through constant praise for any contribution they make in the foreign language, however tentative.

Impact

Our approach to the curriculum results in a relevant and interactive French education. In each year group, children are assessed through the Rigolo scheme and there are assessment activities after every second unit. These are in the four disciplines of Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. This termly assessment helps to aid Teacher Assessment on attainment and progress in French, and is subsequently used to feed into teachers’ future planning, allowing teachers to address misconceptions while adapting learning to ensure all pupils make good progress.

Ongoing formative assessment monitors pupil performance and progress during learning; the outcomes of which we use to ensure that work matches the individual needs and abilities of pupils. 

By the end of Year 6, our pupils should feel confident in speaking, listening, reading and writing the basics in French. This should then set children up to be confident learners of a foreign language as French offers a good grounding for learning other languages.

What Does French at Cedar Park Look Like?

Pupils are introduced to a range of topics including greetings, numbers, colours and many more which allow them to continually improve and develop their ideas and skills. The sequence of learning develops pupils’ understanding of the French language and, each lesson they build on skills previously taught. As pupils progress through the school and build upon their language and understanding, they then feel confident in engaging in simple yet important conversations in French.

At Cedar Park, we also believe that French is an invaluable subject for the development of children’s’ confidence in the ‘real world’. Through allowing French to be taught in interactive ways across the curriculum, pupils recognise the benefits of speaking and understanding foreign languages for both their present and future selves.

French is taught in KS2 and is taught weekly or fortnightly. Lessons always begin with the Cedar Park High 5 to re-cap on prior learning.

French for children with SEND

At Cedar Park, we provide suitable learning opportunities for all pupils by matching the challenge of the task to the individual needs and abilities of each pupil. Adaptive teaching through quality first teaching is how we teach. We will achieve this in a variety of ways, including:

• Making reasonable adjustments to the way in which we deliver the MFL curriculum.
• Assigning classroom assistants to individual/groups of pupils, where appropriate, to enable greater one-to-one support.
• Providing extra learning opportunities through bespoke support groups (e.g. one for those with SEND and another for academically more able pupils).
• Using word mats to support pupils with key words.
• Using lots of visual resources for all
• Using cooperative learning to ensure all children are engaged in their learning.

Useful Documents & Links