Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) – French
“Opening minds to new languages, cultures and a love of learning.”
Intent
At Newchurch St. Mary’s Primary Academy, we believe that learning a foreign language is a vital part of a child’s education and a powerful tool for building cultural awareness, communication skills and curiosity about the wider world. Our intent is to ignite a love of language learning that will inspire pupils to continue exploring languages beyond primary school.
In Key Stage Two, we teach French through the engaging and well-structured Grammarsaurus French scheme. This scheme provides a foundation in listening, speaking, reading and writing, while also developing confidence, creativity and enthusiasm. We want our pupils to not only gain a basic understanding of the French language but to also appreciate the value of multilingualism in today’s global society.
Implementation
French is taught weekly throughout Key Stage Two using the Grammarsaurus French scheme, which offers a progressive and engaging approach. Each unit introduces new vocabulary in context, supported by high-quality audio resources to allow children to hear and practise accurate pronunciation.
Lessons are structured to encourage oral rehearsal and active participation, helping pupils to build fluency through games, songs, conversations and role play. Children then apply their knowledge in written and creative tasks that make language learning both fun and purposeful.
The scheme ensures coverage of key vocabulary and grammatical structures, while embedding regular opportunities for retrieval and reinforcement. Lessons are interactive and inclusive, supporting all learners to enjoy and achieve in language learning.
Where possible, cultural connections are woven into lessons to help children understand life in French-speaking countries and broaden their global perspective.
Impact
Through our MFL curriculum, children at Newchurch St. Mary’s develop the foundational skills and confidence to communicate in French. They leave Key Stage Two with:
- A growing vocabulary of key French words and phrases.
- The ability to listen, respond and engage in simple conversations.
- An understanding of basic grammatical rules and sentence structures.
- A positive attitude toward learning new languages.
- An appreciation of the value of languages in personal, academic and future professional life.
Above all, our pupils develop a love of languages and a desire to continue their language-learning journey into secondary school and beyond.