At Sir John Heron, the French curriculum is based on the four main aspects of language teaching; speaking, reading, writing and listening. Throughout their time at SJH, the children will acquire the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to hold a conversation in French and to have knowledge of a cultural capital which may be different to their own. Children are provided with the relevant skills to be able to ensure they can pronounce words accurately in a foreign language and communicate effectively. Children are also encouraged to use the Language Angels portal which is specifically designed to support them with the topics they cover by providing further support through games and karaoke songs. At SJH, we strive to ensure each child is able to use their oracy skills accurately and this is also embedded when they use their skills during French lessons.

French is taught weekly in KS2 for a 30 minute block. During this the children will engage in an interactive presentation where they are encouraged to participate and respond to a task. Children are given plenty of ‘my turn’ ‘your turn’ opportunities where they listen to the teacher before being asked to pronounce the words themselves. Each week, children will complete either a speaking, reading, writing or listening task based on the lesson they were taught. The teacher will decide which activity the children will complete, based on the outcome of the lesson. At the end of the unit, children will be assessed on their speaking, reading, writing and listening skills before moving on to the new topic. The work provided by the class teacher varies in how independently the children complete the task or the support given by the teacher.

By the end of year 6, children should leave Sir John Heron with the skills of conducting a basic conversation in French and understanding key aspects of phonics, grammar and vocabulary in French. Weekly task-based outcomes in folders allow them to see the progression in each unit. Children also take their folder with them to the next year group so their learning is continuous and progressive. Children will be able to see and remember all the fabulous work they have completed during their time at SJH and how their language skills have developed. These units are designed to support them in real life learning experiences and knowledge which the children will use outside of school. The units are also cross curricular across other subjects they will encounter at SJH. For example; in year 4, children look at Vikings and Romans, which is also a topic covered by our history curriculum.