At Thwaites School, we want pupils to become confident, curious and enthusiastic language learners. Through learning French, pupils discover that language is a tool for communication that connects people, cultures and communities.

Our French curriculum develops pupils’ listening, speaking, reading and writing skills while building their understanding of vocabulary, pronunciation, sentence structure and grammar. We encourage pupils to participate actively, take appropriate risks and communicate meaning, even when their French is not yet perfect.

French is taught from Year 3 to Year 6 as part of the statutory Key Stage 2 curriculum. By providing pupils with a positive and successful introduction to another language, we aim to prepare them for further language learning at secondary school and develop their interest in the wider world.

Curriculum Organisation and Progression

Our French curriculum has been designed to meet the needs of our small, mixed-age school.

French is taught in two groups:

• Lower Key Stage 2: Years 3 and 4

• Upper Key Stage 2: Years 5 and 6

Within each phase, learning is organised through a two-year rolling programme. This ensures that lessons are taught in an appropriate sequence and that every pupil receives full curriculum coverage without unnecessary repetition.

Units are carefully sequenced so that pupils revisit and build upon previously taught vocabulary, sounds, grammar and sentence structures.

In Lower Key Stage 2, pupils develop secure foundations in:

• listening carefully and responding to spoken French;

• speaking with increasing confidence;

• recognising and producing French sounds;

• learning high-frequency vocabulary;

• using simple phrases and sentence structures; and

• adapting familiar language to communicate basic information.

In Upper Key Stage 2, pupils build upon these foundations by:

• using a wider range of vocabulary;

• developing more accurate pronunciation and intonation;

• constructing increasingly complex sentences;

• exploring grammatical features such as verb conjugation, adjective agreement and negation;

• developing an awareness of different tenses;

• expressing and justifying opinions; and

• producing more extended spoken and written responses.

Previously taught language is deliberately revisited and applied in new contexts. This helps pupils retain their learning and use familiar language with increasing confidence and independence.

Teaching and Learning

French lessons place a strong emphasis on listening and speaking. Pupils regularly hear accurate models of French and are given frequent opportunities to repeat, rehearse and apply new language.

Teaching includes:

• teacher modelling of pronunciation and intonation;

• repetition and oral rehearsal;

• songs, rhymes and language games;

• visual prompts and actions;

• paired and group conversations;

• role-play and performance;

• reading words, phrases and short texts;

• sentence frames and modelled examples; and

• short written activities and extended outcomes where appropriate.

Pupils learn to recognise patterns and make connections between words and sentence structures. As their knowledge grows, they are encouraged to adapt familiar language so that they can express their own ideas, information and opinions.

French also provides opportunities for pupils to learn about France and other French-speaking places and communities. This helps them recognise cultural similarities and differences and encourages curiosity, openness and respect.

Mixed-Age Teaching

French is carefully organised to meet the needs of pupils within our mixed-age setting. Years 3 and 4 are taught separately from Years 5 and 6 so that learning can be delivered at an appropriate level and in the correct sequence.

Teachers adapt their explanations, questions, models and expected outcomes according to pupils’ ages, prior knowledge and individual needs. All pupils study an ambitious curriculum while receiving the support or additional challenge they require.

Inclusion and Adaptation

Our French curriculum is inclusive by design. The emphasis placed on listening, speaking, modelling and repetition enables pupils with different starting points and needs to participate successfully.

Support may include:

• visual prompts and actions;

• repeated modelling of vocabulary and pronunciation;

• opportunities to rehearse language with a partner;

• sentence frames and word banks;

• breaking learning into smaller steps;

• reduced or adapted written demands; and

• additional practice and adult support where necessary.

Pupils who are ready for greater challenge are encouraged to recall language independently, extend sentences, justify opinions and adapt familiar structures in new contexts.

We measure success through pupils’ engagement, understanding and ability to communicate—not through perfect accuracy alone. Mistakes are treated as a natural and valuable part of learning another language.

Assessment

Assessment in French is purposeful and proportionate. It reflects the cumulative nature of language learning and focuses on what pupils understand and can communicate.

Teachers assess pupils continually during lessons by:

• listening to spoken responses;

• observing participation in conversations and role-play;

• monitoring pronunciation, intonation and confidence;

• using questions to check understanding;

• considering pupils’ ability to recall and reuse familiar language; and

• reviewing reading and written outcomes where appropriate.

At the end of each lesson, pupils reflect on their learning against the lesson objective and success criteria. They also respond to a short reflective question, helping them recognise what they have learned and identify their next steps.

At the end of each unit, the teacher completes a class assessment summary covering the knowledge and skills taught during that unit. This identifies strengths, misconceptions and areas requiring further teaching and records whether most, some or few pupils have secured the intended learning.

French is not assessed through formal tests, numerical scores or extensive individual tracking. Teachers develop a professional understanding of pupils’ progress by observing their increasing confidence, accuracy, recall and independence over time.

Retrieval is embedded throughout teaching. Previously learned vocabulary and sentence structures are regularly revisited and applied in different contexts. Pupils may also complete low-stakes activities, such as conversations, role-plays, performances or short written tasks, which bring together learning from different units.

The Impact of Our French Curriculum

By the end of Year 6, we aim for pupils to:

• listen attentively and respond appropriately to spoken French;

• communicate with increasing confidence, fluency and accuracy;

• apply their knowledge of French pronunciation;

• understand and use a growing range of vocabulary and grammatical structures;

• read and understand simple French texts;

• write short passages using familiar language and structures;

• adapt language to express information, ideas and opinions;

• show curiosity about and respect for other cultures; and

• approach future language learning with confidence and enthusiasm.

Pupils leave Thwaites School understanding that learning another language is about more than learning new words. It enables them to communicate, make connections and develop a broader understanding of the world and their place within it.