Through our curriculum, pupils are given opportunities to communicate for practical purposes around familiar subjects and routines. We provide balanced opportunities for communication in both spoken and written French, although in Year 3 the focus is on developing oral skills, before incorporating written French in Year 4 and beyond. 

Our curriculum is a spiral curriculum, with key skills and vocabulary revisited repeatedly with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Cross-curricular links are included throughout our French units, allowing children to make connections and apply their language skills to other areas of their learning. 

Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including role-play, language games and language detective work. We focus on developing what we term ‘language detective skills’ and developing an understanding of French grammar, rather than on committing to memory vast amounts of French vocabulary. In order to help pupils retain their French learning, we  incorporate French into the classroom environment every day in our ‘During the week’ sections.

In EYFS, MFL is taught in short 5 minute verbal sessions once per week. As pupils become more confident it is incorporated into our daily routines, e.g. singing our greeting song in French.  In KS1, lessons are taught in short 5 – 10 minute sessions, but this language is revisited regularly throughout the week, term and year.  

In KS2, pupils have discrete MFL lessons, for 30 -45 minutes per week, which are recorded in MFL books, and key vocabulary, skills and grammar are revisited regularly. We are using a mastery approach to ensure higher standards and depth (rather than coverage). This is paving way for greater conceptual understanding in foundation subjects for all.