'If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.' - Nelson Mandela

Curriculum Intent

At St Peter’s, we believe that learning a language opens the door to new people, places, cultures and experiences. We want our pupils to develop a genuine love of languages, alongside the confidence and curiosity to communicate with others beyond their own community.

We teach French throughout Key Stage 2 because French is the language taught at our main feeder secondary school. This provides our pupils with a strong foundation for the next stage of their education, allowing them to build on familiar vocabulary, structures and language-learning strategies when they move to secondary school. It also means that children leave St Peter’s with an established understanding of French and the confidence to continue developing their skills.

A particular strength of our French curriculum is that lessons are taught by native French speakers. This gives pupils the opportunity to hear authentic French regularly and develop accurate pronunciation, intonation and listening skills from the outset. Children also benefit from learning directly from teachers who can share their own experiences of the language and culture, helping French to feel like a real language used by real people rather than simply a subject studied in the classroom.

Curriculum Design

Our French curriculum is designed to build knowledge progressively, with each year building on what pupils have learned before. Through a wide range of engaging and age-appropriate topics, pupils develop their vocabulary, pronunciation and understanding of how the French language works.

Pupils develop the four key language skills:

• Listening – understanding words, phrases and increasingly longer pieces of spoken French.

• Speaking – developing accurate pronunciation and using French to communicate with others.

• Reading – recognising and understanding familiar vocabulary, phrases and texts.

• Writing – applying vocabulary and grammatical structures to communicate ideas in French.

Grammar is introduced progressively and in an age-appropriate way, allowing pupils to understand patterns within the language and apply their knowledge in new contexts. As their confidence grows, pupils are increasingly encouraged to use French independently, moving from individual words and phrases towards more complex and authentic language.

French is taught weekly in Key Stage 2 by specialist French teachers. Lessons provide regular opportunities for pupils to listen, speak, read and write in French, with carefully chosen scaffolds and support helping pupils to become increasingly independent.

Pupils revisit and build upon previously taught vocabulary and grammatical structures, strengthening their recall while introducing new language. This cumulative approach helps children to see connections between different areas of their learning and gives them the confidence to apply their knowledge in unfamiliar situations.

Children are also taught strategies for working out the meaning of unfamiliar language and for using reference materials to support their learning. Over time, pupils develop their own bank of vocabulary and useful language that they can draw upon when speaking and writing.

Our curriculum is adapted to ensure that pupils are appropriately challenged at every stage. Children who are new to French are supported to develop the foundations they need, while those with greater prior knowledge are given opportunities to deepen their understanding and use the language with increasing complexity.

Language and culture

Learning a language is about more than learning words. Through French, pupils develop an appreciation of the relationship between language, culture and identity. They explore aspects of French-speaking cultures and make comparisons with their own experiences, developing a broader understanding of the world around them.

We bring French culture to life through a range of experiences across Key Stage 2. Each February, pupils across KS2 celebrate La Chandeleur, learning about the tradition and making their own crêpes. Pupils also learn about La Galette des Rois, with a special assembly exploring this French tradition. In Year 6, children take part in a French café experience, where they practise ordering and communicating in French while trying French foods and drinks, including grenadine, and making their own crêpes.

In Year 6, pupils also have the opportunity to develop a real connection with French-speaking children through a French pen pal, exchanging letters and using their language skills for a genuine purpose. Experiences such as these help children to see French as a living language that is used to communicate, connect and share experiences with others.

We want children to recognise that languages open doors: to new people, new places, new experiences and new ways of seeing the world. Most importantly, we want them to develop curiosity and respect for other cultures and an enthusiasm to discover more.