Modern Foreign Languages Curriculum

Intent

At Benhurst, we teacher French and follow the CGP Salut! scheme of work to foster and encourage pupils’ curiosity and ambition, deepening their understanding of languages and cultures in a respectful way. The teaching enables pupils to be resilient and to express their ideas and thoughts in French and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It also provides opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, creatively learn new ways of thinking and have an awareness of where French is spoken in the world. It encourages heartfelt compassion as children are taught to be empathetic to other cultures in a boundlessly creative way. At Benhurst, we aim for our pupils to be courageously optimistic and feel they are able to speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, through discussion and asking questions. Our curriculum intention is to allow students to maximise their potential in a foreign language, culture and tradition so that they are ready to move onto secondary school with a good basic knowledge of French.

Implementation

At Benhurst Primary School, we believe that learning a new language is a key part of developing well-rounded, culturally aware, and confident students. We implement the French curriculum using the CGP SALUTE Scheme of Work, ensuring a progressive, structured approach to language learning that aligns with our school’s core values of aspiration, resilience, and respect.

Our curriculum is designed to develop the four key language skills: Listening and Responding, Speaking, Reading and Responding, and Writing. The teaching and learning strategies are tailored to match each year group, ensuring that students progressively build on their knowledge and skills year-on-year.

Listening and Responding

Our French curriculum emphasizes listening comprehension through familiar language and context-based scenarios. By consistently revisiting vocabulary and language structures, we ensure that students develop strong auditory skills.

• Year 3: Students respond to familiar phrases and questions, learning to follow clear models of language. Activities include listening to simple instructions, songs, and classroom phrases.
• Year 4: Students progress to understanding short passages that contain familiar language, focusing on identifying key sounds, words, and phrases.
• Year 5: Listening activities expand to include personal responses and short passages. Students identify main points and respond to basic questions about familiar topics.
• Year 6: Students demonstrate understanding of longer spoken passages at near-normal speed, identifying main points and details to develop more sophisticated listening skills.

Speaking

Speaking French is introduced through simple phrases, gradually building students’ confidence in expressing themselves verbally.

• Year 3: Students begin by giving short, simple responses using familiar phrases. Pronunciation is encouraged, though the focus is on clarity of meaning.
• Year 4: Students take part in brief tasks, engaging in conversations that involve multiple sentences. They are introduced to asking and answering questions on familiar topics.
• Year 5: Students express personal responses in structured conversations. They begin to substitute vocabulary to add variation to their questions or statements, moving beyond memorised phrases.
• Year 6: Speaking activities develop into structured conversations of three or four exchanges. Students demonstrate accuracy in pronunciation, applying their growing knowledge of grammar to adapt and substitute words confidently.

Reading and Responding

The development of reading comprehension is integral to our French curriculum. Reading activities range from simple texts to more complex passages, designed to build fluency and confidence.

• Year 3: Students begin by reading short, familiar texts and dialogues. They are introduced to basic written vocabulary and read aloud simple phrases to link spoken and written words.
• Year 4: Reading progresses to more complex dialogues and short texts. Students develop their ability to match sound to print and use glossaries to discover new words.
• Year 5: Students begin reading more independently, focusing on short texts and dialogues. They practice identifying key points and responses, using bilingual dictionaries to explore unfamiliar words.
• Year 6: Students confidently read short stories and factual texts. They identify key details and use contextual clues to decipher unfamiliar words, improving their independent reading skills.

Writing

Writing in French is developed through practice, progressing from copying phrases to crafting short paragraphs, all while focusing on spelling, grammar, and structure.

• Year 3: Writing begins with copying familiar phrases and writing simple words using models. Students practice basic spelling of common words.
• Year 4: Students continue copying phrases but begin producing short written items independently. They learn to write simple phrases regularly used in class.
• Year 5: Writing skills evolve with students creating two to three short sentences on familiar topics, using both support and memorised language. Their spelling is improving, and they write simple phrases from memory.
• Year 6: Students write short paragraphs of three or four sentences, mainly using memorised language but starting to adapt vocabulary and grammar independently. They begin using dictionaries and glossaries to check their work.

Assessment and Progression

Students’ progress is regularly monitored through formative assessments, with an emphasis on oral and written expression. End-of-unit assessments and self-evaluation activities ensure that learners understand their areas for improvement and celebrate their achievements.

Impact

By the end of their time at Benhurst Primary School, students will have developed a strong foundation in the French language, enabling them to approach secondary education with confidence. Our French curriculum not only aims to foster language proficiency but also helps our students develop resilience, cultural awareness, and a love of learning languages—skills that will serve them well throughout their educational journey and beyond.

Year Group Overview

Documents