Modern Foreign Languages Programme of Study

The National Curriculum for Languages aims to ensure that all students:

• understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources;
• speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, find ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation;
• can write a varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt; and
• discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.

Intent for Modern Foreign Languages

French in Year 1	Spanish in Year 5

It is our intention at Gildredge House, to provide all of our students with a high-quality education in Modern Foreign Languages, which develops their love of learning about other languages and cultures. It is our intention to ensure that by the end of our student’s primary education, they have acquired an understanding of both spoken and written French and Spanish, the confidence to speak in French or Spanish with others to an appropriate level and know how important other languages can be in their future in order to prepare them to be global citizens now and in their future roles within a global community.

As an all-through school, we aim to give the students a range of experiences in different languages to prepare for their more formal learning of a language when they arrive in KS3. Our planning in the primary phase is mainly based on using Sentence Builders scheme of work, which covers all the components of the Programme of Study. It is the intention that all children will be introduced to MFL through exploring French and Spanish languages informally and at an age-appropriate level.

Our MFL curriculum is designed to develop not only our student’s language skills but also their love of learning a language. It progressively develops language skills, through regularly taught lessons in order that they can know more, remember more and understand more. This allows the students to acquire a new language and then use and apply it in a range of different scenarios and topics. Students are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversational work, singing activities and games. As their confidence and skills grow, students record their work through pictures, captions and sentences.

The choice of which language to teach is secondary to the lifelong language learning skills that the pupils will be encouraged to develop, skills that they will be able to access in the future that will help them to learn new languages or to improve their competence in an existing language. Increased capability in the use of MFL promotes initiative, confidence and independent learning and encourages diversity within society.

Implementation of Modern Foreign Languages at Gildredge House

In the Foundation Stage, MFL will make an active contribution to all of the seven areas of learning. The language studied will be mainly French, with some reflection of other European languages. In KS1 the key language is French with some reflection of other European languages. In Lower KS2, the key language is French. The students will be building on their prior knowledge and developing proficiency in listening, reading and writing to an age-appropriate level. In Upper KS2, there is a mixture of French and Spanish teaching to prepare for the continued exposure to both if these languages from Year 7. Years 5 and 6 are taught their languages by specialist Secondary based teachers.. Within KS3, students are taught French, Spanish and German.  In KS4, students then make their language selection for study. The students will be building on any prior knowledge and developing proficiency in listening, reading and writing to an age-appropriate level. Each unit of work identifies prior learning and shows how this is built upon. The MFL curriculum focuses on the statutory curriculum and enhances this by developing culture capital activities e.g. a trip to the Opal Coast to visit historical sites, the SeaLife Centre and a French bakery.

For more information on implementation read our Programme of Study