Modern Foreign Languages
At Whyteleafe School, we are aiming high to encourage all pupils to have an appreciation of other languages and cultures. We have always considered the knowledge of modern foreign languages (MFL) to be essential to our children’s education and we pride ourselves on being able to provide French lessons on a weekly basis to the whole of Key Stage 2. We are also embedding a knowledge of other languages and cultures through ‘Language of the Month’ across KS1 and KS2.
At Whyteleafe School, we believe that a partnership between the children, parents and carers, and the school is essential when supporting children in their learning. Children succeed best when this partnership is based on mutual understanding and trust. That mutual understanding and trust should extend beyond the personal and local environment. We believe that a range of international experiences, as well as local, will enhance the children’s learning and raise awareness of their national and international identity. If you, as a parent or carer, have knowledge of a language other than English and would like to facilitate some taster sessions in that language, we should be delighted to hear from you.
A mastery approach is used so that pupils extend their learning through microscopic steps in their learning path and purposeful questioning. Pupils will be articulate and knowledgeable when talking about the French culture and language. There will be opportunities for Year 5 & 6 children to participate in a pen pal letter exchange system.
All year groups will have access to a variety of high quality texts in different formats, e.g. poetry, fiction, non-fiction and play acting. All year groups will be able to demonstrate their learning to a wider audience through the website and all year groups will have an opportunity to extend their speaking skills through accurate language modelling. There is a learning link with a school in France so that children can have first hand experience of language speaking, communication and culture.
French Club,which is open to Key Stage 1 children, and a British Sign Language club (for Key Stage 2 children) take place regularly and there are opportunities for children to learn signing through assemblies and the school environment.
Each class in the school learns a language of the month for each month throughout the year. The school environment reflects this through displays, assemblies and opportunities for oracy in the classroom.
As a result of the mastery approach in French and developing their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, each child will be able to reflect on their learning outcomes at the end of each unit. This may take the form of an oral record or a written record in their books.
The children’s outcomes in French will be assessed in speaking, reading, writing and listening. A child is expected to show progression against the milestones as listed in the Whyteleafe Curriculum between Year 3 and Year 6. This will be monitored through assessment grids, divided into units of learning.
Talented pupils are identified by an ability to pronounce and write French clearly and accurately beyond the milestones set in the Whyteleafe Curriculum. Children will be challenged and encouraged to dive deeper into the language. Diving deeper will be demonstrated by showing an ability to apply previous knowledge to a different setting independently or with guidance.
By the end of Year 6, a Whyteleafe child will be able to speak, write, listen to and read a sentence in French independently, with knowledge of how the verb tense is formed.
