French Curriculum Intent

Our curriculum will represent, value and celebrate the diverse society in which we live

Our French curriculum is enriched with music and celebrations from around the world to allow children to expand their understanding of the diversity that exists within the Francophone community, foster their curiosity and help deepen their understanding of the world beyond a stereotypical image. Learning a second language will also offer pupils the opportunity to explore relationships between language and identity, develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around them with a better awareness of self, others and cultural differences.

All children will develop into confident, articulate communicators.

Our French curriculum aims at providing children with the confidence and necessary skills to converse, read and write in French and develop intercultural understanding.  Our ambition is for pupils to develop a love of languages, expand their horizons to other countries, cultures and people and help them grow into curious, confident and reflective language learners. which in return will equip them with a strong foundation for further language studies.

All children will be challenged.

Being challenged in French fosters children’s enjoyment of and engagement with the subject. We introduce ideas or concepts at early stages where appropriate and ensure that topics, when revisited, are taught at a progressively more challenging level. Wherever possible, learning is presented in a way that enables children to explore.

The topic and content of our Curriculum will be varied, immersive and engaging.

At the heart of our French Curriculum is the desire to expose children to authentic French language and experiences. We provide a breadth of learning experiences in every year group, to build on the interests and skills of all children. Using a range role play scenarios, our pupils learn how to apply their skills in different contexts. In each sequence of learning, pupils are provided with opportunities to work collaboratively and be active participants and agents of their own learning. 

All children will use their creativity.

In French, our pupils are empowered to make choices about their learning and pursue lines of enquiry. They are encouraged to research language they are unsure of and make use of banks of reference materials to help with their spoken and written language, therefore building on their prior knowledge.

All children will become happy, empathetic and confident citizens.

Our aim is to create a safe learning environment in which pupils ask questions, share their understanding of the language, give feedback to their peers and share their cultural identity. Following our school’s Rights Respecting Ethos, children are expected to be mindful and respectful when working collaboratively. Both children and adults create an environment appreciative to the fact that we can all learn from one another. A collaborative work ethic allows views and opinions to be valued, respected and acknowledged. Our ambition is for children to leave Henry Cavendish as open-minded, active, proud and positive global citizens.

We constantly review our curriculum in order for it to be relevant and of interest to the children, providing them with the knowledge and skills they need for the next stages of their lives throughout and after primary school. The progression of knowledge and skills the children need to learn have been carefully sequenced, and the summary of their learning journey in French is below or click the link to enlarge.