Modern Foreign Language (MFL) ~ French
Teaching Modern Foreign Languages at Over Hall Community School
'Be supported, feel supported - make a difference'
Modern Foreign Language (MFL) Lead: Miss Collins
Intent
Here at Over Hall, learning a language is a fantastic opportunity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for
practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should also provide them with the opporutnity to fulfil their highest potential and also give them the foundations that will further support them with more advanced language studies (including equipping pupils with the confidence to study and work in other countries in the future).
Our curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic
sources.
Speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding 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 at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt.
Discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.
Implementation
Staff are proud to teach MFL using the Rachel Hawkes scheme of work which is in line with the National Curriculum aims. We are currently rolling out the new scheme of learning which teaches the three core strands of knowledge in more depth - as recommended in OFSTED'S Framework for Langauges 2021. LKS2 will begin the new scheme of learning.
The New Scheme of Learning (Rachel Hawkes)
3 Core Strands of Essential knowledge that are taught are:
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Phonics – the key components of the sound-writing relationship
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Vocabulary – a set of the most frequently used words
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Grammar – the essential building blocks required to create simple sentences independently (including gender of nouns, singular and plural forms, adjectives (place and agreement), and the conjugation of key verbs)
To ensure progression and that language knowledge is more easily retrieved, lessons are taught bi-weekly at around 30-45 minutes per lesson. This lesson is then followed by follow up activities the week after for around 15-20 minutes per week to ensure children remain confident with the language skills and knowledge previously taught. Languages are also encouraged to be used through other subject area and using language for real purposes in daily classroom routines is encouraged. Evidence has proven language learning to be at its best when completed little and often.
Leadership
As a result of effective leadership staff receive training and support ensuring they have the knowledge, expertise and skills to effectively implement French (MFL) within their cohort. This is done via Staff Training sessions as well as recommending development courses on the National Curriculum for staff to undertake. Data is generated by Class Teacher judgement and then reported on Insight, where the Subject Lead then collates it and produces a progress table. This is then reported to the Head Teacher and Trustees.
Equal Opportunities
All children are given sufficient time to access the history curriculum which has been designed so that all children are able to access and interact with the content. Through the use of adaptive teaching and scaffolds, all children recieve an enjoyable MFL Curriculum.
Planning
The teaching of a foreign language to every child in KS2 is a statutory requirement, as set out in the National Curriculum Programmes of Study (2014).
The long-term plans (as seen below) are for children to continue to develop an understanding of languages. Staff members turn the Key Learning Documents and Rachel Hawkes Scheme of Learning into Medium term plans to adequately cover the requirements of the curriculum. During the Spring Term, Year 6 focus on preparation for the SATS, this means that their MFL work is instead taught throughout the Summer Term.
Please refer to the progression of skills below for a breakdown of knowledge and skills in each year group.
Breadth and depth
In Key Stage 2, the teaching of a foreign language should focus on enabling pupils to make small steps of progress in one language. The high-quality teaching should provide an appropriate balance of spoken and written langage and should lay the foundations for further foreign language teaching in Key Stage 3. It should give the children the opportunity to begin to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing, focused on famiiar and routine matters, using their knowledge of phonology (which was introduced through their phonetical awareness acquired in Key Stage 1), grammatical structures and vocabulary.
We aim to ensure that our pupils are taught to:
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Listen and show understanding by joining in and responding
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Link the sound, spelling and meaning of words
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Read aloud with accurate pronunciation
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Read and show understanding of phrases and simple texts
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Speak in sentences
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Describe people, places, things in speech and writing
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Ask and answer questions
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Express opinions
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Write phrases from memory
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Adapt phrases to create new sentences
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Use a dictionary
Wider Opportunities
As well as completing work inside the classroom, opportunities for enrichment are frequently sought to engage and encourage pupils to embrace the broad and balanced curriculum. At Over Hall, pupils are offered the experience of visiting Disneyland Paris, where they are able to apply their language skills in real-life settings.
Assessment
Teachers carry out assessments of the children as part of everyday teaching, and at the end of a unit of work to check learning. Both types of assessment help teachers to plan the next steps and they also help to monitor children’s progress and provide reports for parents and carers.
Teacher Assessment takes place in all Key Stage 2 year groups (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6) throughout the year across the curriculum. Teacher assessments are guided by the subject specific end points presented on each year group's knowledge organiser - accessible to children, parents/carers and staff. Staff will use their Teacher judgement throughout the topic to review the skills that the children have built upon. As the children progress in through school at Over Hall, they will also be assessed on their ability to formally write and orally converse on subjects highlighted in the progression document. Verbal and summary reports that detail current attainment, progress alongside attendance are given at parent consultation evenings which are held in Autumn and Spring Terms. Parents/Carers are also informed if their child is/is not identified as SEND at these consultations. An annual report is written by staff and shared with parents in the Summer Term. Detailing achievement and progress, a statement and target within the core subjects; alongside an indication of achievement and effort in the foundation subjects; and a final comment upon the whole child.
Subject leaders have a firm grasp of performance and delivery as a result of pupil voice, staff voice, work scrutiny and data scrutiny alongside lesson observation.
During lessons, teachers check that the children have learnt the necessary knowledge and have the skills required to complete the key learning tasks – this is demonstrated through discussion, hot marking and via short quizzes at the start or end of lessons. Teachers also use this assessment in a timely manner to identify common misconceptions and feedback which informs planning and adjustments to their teaching.
Impact
The impact will ultimately be measured by having happy, knowledgeable, understanding and reflective children that are ready for their next steps in their learning journeys. Impact will also be measured through the increase in profile of the language through school. It should be displayed, spoken and used by all learners on a daily basis. A whole school approach to language learning may also develop on the whole a love of languages for staff, children and parents.
*Please see class or key stage pages for learning intentions for each year group.