French at RPA

"A different language is a different vision of life"

Federico Fellini

French at Richmond Park Academy

Our key intent is to broaden students' horizons and promote a curiosity in the world around them. 

We want to inspire and motivate students to learn French and ensure that by the end of their language learning journey at RPA they will be able to understand and communicate in  French.

We want to foster a culture of respect, kindness and support not only towards our peers but to those in the world around us.

Who's who in the team

Mr Frend - Pastoral Head of Year 11 and Teacher of French & Spanish

Ms Perella - Achievement Director - Teacher of French & Spanish

Ms Schmitt - SLT - Teacher of French & Spanish

Ms Abruña-Sanchez - Teacher of French & Spanish

Mr Huber - Teacher of French & Spanish

A very warm welcome from the MFL department at RPA - a department that continues to grow from strength to strength and one that is attracting more interest than ever before at both Key Stage 4 and 5.

Current government thinking suggests that future university entrance will demand a modern foreign language as a mandatory GCSE and with the introduction of the English Baccalaureate qualification the importance of studying a language to GCSE level is even more at the forefront of our students’ minds.

We want all our students to be strong, confident communicators who delight in the cultural diversity in the world around them. Through our engaging, relevant curriculum we want to inspire a love of languages.  The sequencing of the lessons ensures that students are constantly building on prior knowledge and over time will be able to express themselves with increasing fluency and spontaneity in the target language.  Through the use of authentic materials we not only add a real life context but build confidence as students access the same material as their French speaking peers.  Cultural capital is an integral part of the curriculum and is interleaved across all key stages ensuring students are introduced to music, literature, festivals and traditions from the French speaking world.

What we do when

Year 7

All about me

(Birthdays, Family, Where I live, School, Daily routine, Free time & Food)

Year 8

All about the world around me

(Holidays,  Sports, Doctors, Charity, Famous French speakers)

Year 9

My world

(Technology, Relationships, Teenage life, Healthy living, Study of a film, Jobs & Festivals)

Year 10

(Me my family and friends, Technology, Free time, Customs and Festivals, Home & region, Social issues)

Year 11

(The environment, Homelessness, Holidays and Travel, Life at school, Jobs and career choices)

In Key Stage 3 students are assessed each term on content covered - the assessment is equally weighted between the 4 core skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking)

In Key Stage 4 students are also assessed termly with the last assessment in Year 10 a mock GCSE paper - though only on taught content.  In Year 11 there are two mock exam cycles.

Who to contact

Ms Perella - Achievement Director - lperella@richmondparkacademy.org

Future Careers