Our Dream

At Redhill our dream is for all children to leave school as:

Individuals who find a joy in languages, who possess a curiosity and respect for other cultures and who recognise and celebrate an awareness of influential French people and their impact on society.

 Young adults who recognise that learning a language is achievable through resilience and perseverance. Individuals who believe that the early acquisition of this foreign language will facilitate the learning of other languages later in life.

 Students who are confident in their abilities to communicate in French, in both speech and written form, and who have a solid foundation for language learning as they begin their secondary education.

Rationale

Learning a language opens a door into the world for children. It builds their empathy and sparks curiosity about other cultures and the world around them. Through our teaching of French we aim to improve children’s communication skills and confidence, and to give them a solid foundation for the Secondary School curriculum. Our French curriculum is shaped by the National Curriculum and we begin language teaching with our youngest children in Reception. By the end of KS1 we expect children to have grasped some basics including colours, numbers and greetings. By the end of KS2 we want children to be able to take part in short, structured conversations in a variety of everyday situations and have built their vocabulary across the topics.

Implementation

There is a clear progression in French, each year group building on previous work. Lessons are interactive, with a focus on speaking and listening. Younger children use songs and rhymes to build their confidence and vocabulary. As children progress through the junior years, they progress onto reading and writing French words and phrases. The storybook curriculum at Redhill allows teachers to make meaningful links between subjects, so opportunities are included to develop French in other areas and to add to children’s cultural capital – for example studying French artists in art or landmarks in Geography.

Curriculum Overview