Subject Rational

At St Mary’s Primary School we believe that learning a foreign language provides an opening to other cultures, fostering curiosity and deepening an understanding of the world. We want our pupils to enjoy the opportunity to learn a new language through practical activities giving them the inspiration to develop an interest in exploring the world and embracing modern foreign languages as they grow. We aim to ensure that lessons are engaging and purposeful and should enable the pupils to make substantial progress in one language throughout their time at St Mary’s.

All pupils in Key Stage 2 are given the opportunity to learn French.

How we teach MFL

Children learn French in years 3 to 6 as part of the wider curriculum and receive up to an hour a week of French teaching taught by a specialist teacher in lower ks2 and by the class teacher in upper Ks2. The teaching provides a balance of spoken and written language and the children are taught to listen attentively to spoken language and join in and respond in words, phrases and short sentences.  Patterns and sounds of language are explored through songs, games, rhymes, stories and videos.  The children answer questions, ask questions and hold simple conversations.  Accurate pronunciation is encouraged when speaking and reading aloud.  The children read and write phrases and simple sentences in French, adapting them to create new sentences.  

How MFL is assessed at St Mary’s

Children are enthusiastic about learning French and find it fun but it is also a window to different cultures. There are other benefits to learning languages and research has shown that it helps children's thinking skills and memory abilities, and the ability to focus.  As language learners, the children become more conscious thinkers and listeners who gain a broader, more global perspective. Attainment and attitude to learning MFL is reported in KS2 end of year reports.