French
At St Thomas, we aim to foster a love of language learning and an appreciation of different cultures. Our Modern Foreign Languages curriculum is designed to develop pupils’ confidence in communication, curiosity about the wider world and understanding of linguistic structures.
Intent, Implementation, Impact Statement and Linguastars KS2 Primary Language Curriculum
Intent – what are we trying to achieve?
We intend for all pupils to:
- Develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in a foreign language
- Build phonics knowledge to support accurate pronunciation and decoding
- Acquire and retain progressive vocabulary and grammatical understanding
- Communicate with increasing confidence for real-life purposes
- Appreciate and respect other cultures and traditions
- Be prepared for the next stage of language learning in Key Stage 3
Our curriculum is underpinned by the National Curriculum and supported by the Linguastars scheme, which ensures clear progression in knowledge and skills from Year 3 to Year 6.
Implementation – what does MFL look like at St Thomas?
Our MFL curriculum is delivered through a structured and progressive approach using the Linguastars scheme of work, ensuring consistency and depth of learning across Key Stage 2.
Progression of Skills
Learning is carefully sequenced so that pupils build on prior knowledge:
Year 3
- Focus on basic vocabulary, phonics and simple sentence structures
- Pupils begin to listen, repeat and respond, using songs and rhymes
- Introduction to simple grammar, such as gender and basic sentence building
Year 4
- Development of sentence construction and conversational skills
- Increased independence in asking and answering questions Introduction to grammar concepts such as plural forms and verb changes
Year 5
- Pupils use longer phrases and begin to justify opinions
- Increased focus on reading comprehension and writing short paragraphs
- Development of grammatical accuracy, including agreement and negation
Year 6
- Pupils communicate using a range of structures with confidence
- Ability to translate, manipulate language and express opinions clearly
- Secure understanding of grammar, including verb forms and sentence structure
Impact – how does this affect our school?
Pupils will be able to:
- Demonstrate a secure understanding of phonics, vocabulary and grammar in French
- Be able to read and understand a range of texts
- Write with increasing independence, including sentences and short paragraphs
- Be well-prepared for Key Stage 3 language learning
Pupils will have developed the foundational skills to:
- Listen attentively and respond appropriately
- Translate basic language
- Apply their knowledge to new contexts