Network Schools

The Discovery Academy

KS3 Provision

Students study French at the Discovery Academy.  The Year 7 curriculum introduces students to the important transferrable skills of learning a language and also highlights the long term benefits of additional language acquisition, including their upskilling in English and the potential to use language in their future lives. 

The start of their language learning journey at Discovery builds upon the foundations introduced in KS2.   Students are taught through a variety of approaches and there is a focus on the practice of the spoken word through explicit teaching of French phonics. They are challenged to build the written language through a programme of sentence building tasks and homework.   The topics covered to practise these skills are; descriptions of themselves, their families, pets, the environment in which they live and school subjects.

In Year 8 the curriculum builds on the skills developed in KS2 and Year 7 and applies them to a range of cross-curricular themes, wherever possible exploiting an aspect of French speaking culture. A stronger emphasis on grammar and syntax is introduced and students learn to write and converse in 3 tenses, on which they can build later.

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced via an evidence informed and research-based curriculum using Conti’s MARS EARS approach to make sure that over a sequence of lessons, tasks build from modelling, receptive practice and structured production.  Over time the sentence builder approach to scaffolding is gradually reduced allowing students to build independence and develop strong recall and retrieval. 

In Year 9 the curriculum continues to build on the skills developed and knowledge acquired in the KS3 years and revisits some topics in greater detail whilst also introducing new topic and linguistic concepts to ensure students have a good understanding of key vocabulary. Students can opt to study GCSE French in KS4.

KS4 Provision

Students pick their options at the end of year 9.  Students who continue with French have five hours of lessons a fortnight, following the AQA specification.  The MFL department at the Discovery Academy plan to use the AQA specification from September 2024 to teach the reformed GCSE.

Highlights of our provision

The core purpose of our study of Modern Foreign Languages at The Discovery Academy is to develop pupils who are able to communicate and compete with people in an increasingly globalised workplace and society.  It is also our intention to instil pupils with an understanding of different cultures which will open minds.   By making languages accessible and engaging we hope that more pupils opt to study languages beyond the compulsory years.

We provide opportunities for pupils to develop their Social, Moral, Spiritual, Cultural and Physical development through a varied and engaging curriculum and by giving them the opportunity to communicate and make contact with children from other parts of the world through pen-pal schemes and residential trips abroad. We also provide pupils with the opportunity to see how languages are used and how they are useful in the world of work in a variety of ways. One example of this is by asking professionals from institutions such as Michelin to come in and talk to our pupils about the importance of languages.

Mrs H Brugger-Goring  Head of MFL.  The Discovery Academy

King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls

KS3 Provision

All pupils study French and German in Years 7 and 8 with 3 lessons a fortnight of French and 3 lessons a fortnight of German. Each lesson lasts 50 minutes. In year 9, students choose one language, studying either French or German. Over 6 lessons each fortnight, students explore the language in more depth and develop greater fluency before moving into KS4.

We follow the E.P.I ‘Conti’ curriculum at KS3 and use sentence builders to modal and seed implant linguistically challenging structures. Our chosen topics at KS3 encourage the use of French and German in real life contexts where fluency, spontaneity and accurate pronunciation are highly regarded. Our curriculum is sequenced in such a way so as to foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the French and German speaking world. Our pupils develop their cultural capital through an interleaving of Francophone and Germanic culture into our curriculum. For example, in Year 7 in French, we study ‘The Scramble for Africa’ and begin to understand how and why certain African countries speak French and in Year 9, pupils have the opportunity to visit either Lille or the Rhineland as part of the Year 9 residential offerings.

KS4 Provision

At KS4, all students study a language and continue with their chosen language from year 9. Students have 4 hours of language teaching per fortnight. Throughout the course, pupils build on their strong foundation from KS3 and deepen their grammatical, phonetic and lexical knowledge to prepare them for future linguistic study at KS5 or beyond. We follow the AQA specification, developing our own resources with the support of the Oxford Kerboodle digital textbook.

KS5 Provision

At KS5, French and German are taught collaboratively with King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys and King Edward VI Aston. We follow the AQA curriculum for both languages and our lesson planning is supported by the Oxford Kerboodle courses. We run a bi-annual trip to Paris for our Year 12 and Year 13 students.

Highlights of our provision

Our pupils benefit from an aspirational and rigorous curriculum. Our super-curricular offer is varied and enables pupils to develop their interest in languages outside of the classroom. Our Sixth Form language ambassadors run our French book club and we have strong links with The University of Warwick and their Routes into Languages programme. We also aim to instill into our pupils the importance of languages in their future careers. This year, we hosted an event with GCHQ who came to talk to our Year 10 students about how valuable linguists are in their particular industry.

Saint Margaret Ward Catholic Academy

KS3 Provision:

In KS3, students study French in year 7, German in year 8 and choose which language they will continue with in year 9. We have 3 hours a fortnight of lessons. 

Our bespoke curriculum is carefully sequenced using Conti’s MARS EARS approach to make sure that, over a sequence of lessons, tasks build from modelling to receptive practice, followed by structured production.  Over time the sentence builder scaffold is gradually reduced allowing students to build towards independence. 

KS4 Provision: 

All students continue with their language of choice in years 10 and 11. For our most able linguists, there is the option to study both GCSE French and German. Students have five hours of lessons a fortnight and students in year 11 currently following the AQA specification.  The team at Saint Margaret Ward plan to use the EDEXCEL specification from September 2024 to teach the reformed GCSE.

KS5 Provision:

Saint Margaret Ward currently do not offer any French or German classes in KS5, although A Level languages are offered across our Post 16 partnership with two other local high schools. The St Margaret Ward team hope to offer Post 16 opportunities in the near future in response to student interest and become the lead school for Post 16 MFL learning across our collaborative Trinity sixth form. 

Highlights of our provision

The Languages department at Saint Margaret Ward is proud of its diversity and inclusivity. Through a well-planned academic and pastoral approach the needs of our increasing EAL community are embraced (around 23% of our whole school cohort is EAL with about 50 different languages spoken in school).  We have exceptionally strong links with the eight primary schools within our Collegiate and, in partnership, have designed a bespoke and carefully sequenced French curriculum from Year 3 to Year 6 to ensure effective progression into Year 7. We have also developed close links with the Language Centre at Keele University and are involved in several MFL projects designed to enthuse and enhance our school curriculum. St Margaret Ward is also playing an integral role in a regenerative  town-twining project between Stoke on Trent and Erlangen in Germany.

West Coventry Academy

KS3 Provision:

In KS3, students study French or Spanish and have 4 hours a fortnight of lessons.  In years 7 and 8 students follow the ATLP bespoke languages curriculum.  Venturing on a fictional exchange to either France or Spain, students are immersed in a carefully planned language learning journey which focuses on the vocabulary and structures required to: 

• Prepare for an exchange to Boulogne / Granada – including introductions, descriptions of yourself and your family and talking about free-time
• Arrive in France/ Spain and engage with your host family including transactional language useful in everyday life
• Visit Paris / Granada and explore its attractions
• Relocate to a new city – Toulouse / Barcelona
• Go to school in France / Spain
• Enjoy French / Spanish celebrations and cultural experiences

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced using Conti’s MARS EARS approach to make sure that over a sequence of lessons, task build from modelling to receptive practice, followed by structured production.  Over time the sentence builder scaffold is gradually reduced allowing students to build towards independence. 

In year 9, the focus shifts to more explicit teaching of grammar.  Exploring the themes of free time, technology and cinema, the planned curriculum supports learners to develop confidence using the past, the present and the future tense fluently, understanding both the formation of the individual tenses as well as how to use them alongside one another.

KS4 Provision: 

Students pick their options at the end of year 9.  Students who choose to continue with French or Spanish have five hours of lessons a fortnight, following the new AQA specification. 

KS5 Provision:

West Coventry Academy currently don’t have any French or Spanish classes in KS5, although this has been taught in the past.  When A-Level languages are offered, students have 8 hours a fortnight of lessons and follow the AQA spec.

Highlights of our provision

The Languages department at West Coventry Academy also includes HHCL, which is seen as a “beacon of excellence” across the city of Coventry. Through a well-planned academic and pastoral approach the needs of our increasing EAL community are embraced (around 23% of our whole school cohort is EAL with about 50 different languages spoken in school).  The team includes a highly experienced EAL coordinator and an EA. We have a dedicated EAL classroom.  Our vision is to foster an understanding and inclusive school community, which recognises and values all languages as an asset and where diverse cultures are acknowledged, accepted and respected.”  Claire Fazilleau.  Head of Languages

The Coleshill School

KS3 Provision:

In Years 7, 8 and 9, students study French or Spanish at the Coleshill School. They have 4 hours of MFL a fortnight and follow the bespoke ATLP curriculum. Students are taught with the support of sentence builders and follow a MARS EARS cycle.

The ATLP bespoke curriculum builds on the principles of the 2016 MFL pedagogy review.  It was collaboratively planned by representatives from the ATLP secondary schools in 2019.  A clear narrative runs through the scheme of learning whereby students embark on a fictional exchange trip to France or Spain learning a carefully sequenced diet of the core structures and vocabulary needed to thrive in a TL country. 

Alongside regular retrieval of core structures and vocabulary, the scheme of learning includes explicit teaching of phonics and exploration of tenses, use of adjectives and ways to develop and justify opinions. 

KS4 Provision: 

Students can opt to continue the language that they have studied at KS3 through to KS4. KS4 students have 5 hours of MFL a fortnight and study the new AQA specification.

KS5 Provision: Students can choose to continue their language studies to KS5 with French and Spanish running in sixth form, dependent on numbers. Groups are usually made up of a handful of students allowing huge scope for collaboration and opportunities to speak in the TL. Students have 10 hours a fortnight of either French or Spanish lessons and follow the AQA specification. 

Highlights of our provision

“I am most proud of our curriculum provision.  Being able to offer students at The Coleshill School the opportunity to learn either French or Spanish provides a broad offer with opportunities to develop cultural capital.”  Catherine Daniels. Head of Languages at The Coleshill School.

The Royal Sutton School

KS3 Provision:

Students in Year 7, 8 and 9 at The Royal Sutton School learn French benefitting from 4 hours of French a fortnight. In years 7 and 8, students follow the ATLP French curriculum.  This bespoke curriculum, which builds on the principles of the 2016 MFL pedagogy review, was collaboratively planned by representatives from the ATLP secondary schools in 2019.  A clear narrative runs through the scheme of learning whereby students embark on a fictional exchange trip to Boulogne-sur-Mer learning a carefully sequenced diet of the core structures and vocabulary needed to thrive in a TL country. 

Alongside regular retrieval of core structures and vocabulary, the scheme of learning includes explicit teaching of phonics and exploration of tenses, use of adjectives and ways to develop and justify opinions. 

Teachers at RSS use a sentence builder approach to introduce the core structures and vocabulary and to provide a clear scaffold to support all learners to access the curriculum.  Purposeful practice activities are incorporated into all lessons, focusing on the ‘trickier’ areas of language learning, supporting students to know more and remember more over time.

In year 9, the focus shifts to more explicit teaching of grammar.  Exploring the themes of  free time, technology and visiting a music festival, the planned curriculum supports learners to develop confidence using the past, the present and the future tense fluently, understanding both the formation of the individual tenses as well as how to use them alongside one another.

KS4 Provision: 

Students pick their options at the end of year 9.  Students who choose to continue with French have five hours of French a fortnight, following the new AQA specification. 

Highlights of our provision

“I am most proud of our collaboration with other secondary MAT MFL departments to create a strong KS3 curriculum.”  Alison Henstock.  Head of Languages The Royal Sutton School

Nether Stowe School

Students in Year 7 , 8 and 9 at Nether Stowe School learn French benefitting from 5 hours of French lessons each fortnight. In years 7 and 8, students follow the ATLP French curriculum.  This bespoke curriculum, which builds on the principles of the 2016 MFL pedagogy review was collaboratively planned by representatives from the ATLP secondary schools in 2019.  A clear narrative runs through the scheme of learning whereby students embark on a fictional exchange trip to Boulogne-Sur-Mer.  Over the course of year 7 and 8, students are immersed in a carefully planned language learning journey which focuses on the vocabulary and structures required to:

• Prepare for an exchange to France – including introductions, descriptions of yourself and your family and talking about free-time
• Arrive in France and engage with your host family including transactional language useful in everyday life
• Visit Paris and explore its attractions
• Relocate to a new town in France
• Go to school in France
• Enjoy French celebrations and cultural experiences

Alongside regular retrieval of core structures and vocabulary, the scheme of learning includes explicit teaching of phonics and exploration of tenses, use of adjectives and ways to develop and justify opinions. 

In year 9, the focus shifts to more explicit teaching of grammar.  Exploring the themes of free time, technology and holidays, the planned curriculum supports learners to develop confidence using the past, the present and the future tense fluently, understanding both the formation of the individual tenses as well as how to use them alongside one another.

KS4 Provision: 

Students pick their options at the end of year 9.  Students who choose to continue with French have five hours of French a fortnight, following the new AQA specification. 

KS5 Provision:

French is also offered at KS5.

Highlights of our provision

“I am most proud of our phonics provision which is embedded into our curriculum in KS3.  Students develop confidence with common French pronunciation rules as well as French phonemes and their corresponding graphemes.  This enables our learners to engage with unseen texts and to communicate orally with confidence and pride.”  Harriet Jones.  Head of French at Nether Stowe School. 

Blessed William Howard

More information coming soon

Fairfax Academy

KS3 Provision

All pupils study either French or German at KS3 and have 2 hours of language teaching per week.  Pupils begin by learning the key phonics rules in their language before moving on to learn to talk about topics such as their hobbies, holidays and where they live.  They also learn about cultural aspects of French/German speaking countries such as traditions and popular culture.  There are also opportunities to visit France and Germany in KS3.

KS4 Provision

At KS4 students are encouraged to study French or German and have 3 hours of language teaching per week.  Pupils build on their learning at KS3 and learn to talk in more detail about a variety of topics including the environment and shopping.  The AQA specification is followed.  There are also opportunities for pupils to visit Paris or Berlin in year 10.

Highlights of our provision

“Our pupils receive a comprehensive language offering, both in and out of the classroom.  This is boosted by opportunities to visit France/Germany in KS3 and KS4.  Pupils also can participate in a variety of language based extra-curricular activities, such as our annual Spelling Bee and 5 Days of Christmas, in order to earn their Language Colours.   In year 10 pupils can also apply to become our Language Ambassadors, where the proudly help to promote MFL in school.”  Alison Jamieson.  Head of French at Fairfax School. 

Stockland Green

KS3 Provision

Students in Year 7, 8 and 9 at Stockland Green School learn French benefitting from 4 hours of French a fortnight. In years 7 and 8, students follow the ATLP French curriculum.  This bespoke curriculum, which builds on the principles of the 2016 MFL pedagogy review was collaboratively planned by representatives from the ATLP secondary schools in 2019.  A clear narrative runs through the scheme of learning whereby students embark on a fictional exchange trip to Boulogne-Sur-Mer.  Over the course of year 7 and 8, students are immersed in a carefully planned language learning journey which focuses on the vocabulary and structures required to:

• Prepare for an exchange to France – including introductions, descriptions of yourself and your family and talking about free-time
• Arrive in France and engage with your host family including transactional language useful in everyday life
• Visit Paris and explore its attractions
• Relocate to a new town in France
• Go to school in France
• Enjoy French celebrations and cultural experiences

Alongside regular retrieval of core structures and vocabulary, the scheme of learning includes explicit teaching of phonics and exploration of tenses, use of adjectives and ways to develop and justify opinions. 

In year 9, the focus shifts to more explicit teaching of grammar.  Exploring the themes of free time, technology and holidays, the planned curriculum supports learners to develop confidence using the past, the present and the future tense fluently, understanding both the formation of the individual tenses as well as how to use them alongside one another.

KS4 Provision: 

Students pick their options at the end of year 9.  Students who choose to continue with French have 5 hours of French a fortnight, following the new AQA specification. 

Highlights of our provision

“We believe that it is incredibly important that students become Confident Communicators, Creative Collaborators and Curious Citizens.  To this end, we have embedded phonics teaching in our curriculum and revisit sound-spelling links every lesson.  We have also carefully crafted a programme at KS3 and KS4 which builds cultural capital and allows students to engage with the lives of peers and role models throughout the French-speaking world.”  Hayley Bourne.  Lead Practitioner Stockland Green School. 

Cardinal Griffin Catholic College

KS3 Provision

In Years 7-9 all students study French for two hours per week. 

In years 7 and 8 we largely follow NCELP’s approach, where students gradually but explicitly build up their knowledge of grammar basics, phonics and vocabulary. Intrinsic motivation is carefully considered at this crucial time in the language learning journey for our students; we want our students to know that they can understand, retain and recall what they are learning. Appropriate cognitive load, regular retrieval and low stakes testing is a feature of every lesson we teach to ensure that our students succeed, and develop a sense of self-belief in their ability to learn the new language. Over time in KS3, students learn how to tackle longer, culturally-relevant texts and audio.

In Year 9 pupils continue to build on the skills and knowledge developed in year 7 and 8 but they begin to see tasks that are typical of the GCSE exam papers, in order to begin to prepare them to meet the demands of the qualification.

Cultural capital is woven into our curriculum in Yr 7-9. Additionally, students have the opportunity to attend a short 3-day, 2-night residential in year 8, and a longer 5-day, 4-night residential in Year 9.

KS4 Provision:

All students at Cardinal Griffin Catholic College study French at GCSE. KS4 pupils study French for 4 hours per fortnight and we follow the AQA specification.

Home Languages:

The French department  also supports students who wish to achieve GCSE in their home language. In recent years, we have supported pupils with Polish, Russian, Italian and Portuguese GCSE qualifications.

Departmental Highlights:

Our department has risen to the challenge of increasing our GCSE French uptake considerably as we have moved as a college from optional MFL at GCSE, to compulsory. We pride ourselves in fostering solid relationships with our students and building their confidence with quality-first teaching and engaging schemes of learning. Our students are intrinsically motivated by the sense of self that they feel when they succeed. The support from the Trent and Tame Language Hub has, and continues to, shape our journey towards better outcomes for all of our students.

Lisa Wynne-Jones, Head of French.

Little Sutton Primary School

In our two-form entry school, all children study a language from as early as Reception. Specialist teachers deliver the lessons during PPA time. In line with the recognition of the importance of language learning, although non-statutory, children in Reception and Key stage 1 are taught Spanish weekly for one term each year. Through familiar songs and stories such as ‘Dear Zoo’ and ‘Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes’, the children are introduced to basic phrases and nouns and adjectives.

 In Key Stage 2 the children receive one hour of French per week building upon and making links with the skills they practise in KS1, working towards making substantial progress in one language in readiness for their transition to secondary school. The curriculum follows the topics in the QCDA (Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency) scheme of work, ensuring progression and continuity across four years. Children’s speaking, listening and reading is supported by both explicit and incidental phonics teaching (Sue Cave: Physical French Phonics) Writing is taught alongside reading and speaking, beginning with simple rehearsed words and sentences in y3 and progressing through the use of writing frames and scaffolds to support and facilitate more adventurous and independent writing of paragraphs in y5 and Y6. Children are taught grammar as identified in the Programme of study and encouraged to identify similarities and differences between French, English and other languages of which they have knowledge.

Aspirations for our Language Learners

At Little Sutton, our aim is for every child, regardless of background, need or ability, to receive a high quality languages education. Providing age-appropriate Primary Language learning opportunities throughout the school instills a love of languages in our children and encourages a curiosity about communication, both in their first language and languages they study or encounter incidentally; a readiness to engage with other cultures and experiences and a willingness to understand and to tolerate difference. Language learning equips our children with the necessary skills and attitudes to thrive in an increasingly global employment market.

My Top Tip!

Never underestimate the ability of primary school children to grasp and retain complex concepts; if they can use and understand subordinating conjunctions and fronted adverbials in English, then they can do it in French!

Moor Hall Primary School

Moor Hall Primary School is a thriving school, with nearly 400 pupils, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. We pride ourselves on providing a caring, nurturing and supportive environment, where children feel happy, safe and ready to learn.

French is taught as part of our broad and balanced curriculum, with all children from Year 2 to Year 6 receiving specialist teaching each week. The specialist teacher, Mrs Jenny Barton, qualified as a Modern Foreign Languages teacher in 2003, and has subsequently taught German in KS3, KS4 and KS5, and French from KS1 right through to Adult Learners. It is this range of experience and wealth of knowledge that enables Jenny to motivate and inspire the children at Moor Hall Primary School.

Jenny has written a scheme of work to reflect the school’s values and the development of the Moor Hall Child, with a focus on our pupils achieving and being responsible, healthy and confident. The scheme of work follows a thematic approach with opportunities embedded each term to re-use and re-cycle vocabulary and structures. With a focus on phonics, vocabulary and grammar, the Moor Hall Child is empowered to achieve in the modalities of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. There is also a firm emphasis on Cultural Understanding and all languages spoken within our school community are valued and celebrated.

The intent of MFL teaching at Moor Hall Primary School is clear – to enable children to succeed in learning an additional language, and to develop a love of language learning, which will allow our children to flourish as linguists.

We do this by:

• Introducing young children to another language in a way that is enjoyable and fun.
• Developing linguistic competence, extending children’s knowledge and making them aware that languages have structures, and structures can be both the same and different, when comparing languages.
• Developing pupils’ communication and literacy skills, to lay the foundation for future language learning.
• Celebrating children’s own cultural heritages and additional languages.
• Helping children to develop their awareness of cultural differences in France and other francophone countries.
• Underpinning the curriculum with the values of the Moor Hall Child.

Mme Barton’s Top Tips: Be kind, be consistent and be positive. Approach every lesson with the expectation that the children ARE capable of grasping today’s structure or pronouncing the new vocabulary. We are facilitators of learning and can break down any barriers to progress. All other elements of teaching French to primary age children will follow, if these key aspects are in place. Being confident in our very specialised field also helps immensely!

Highlights of our provision: Jenny is extremely proud of everything the children have achieved this year so far. Particular highlights have been European Day of Languages, where a total of 42 different languages were spoken and celebrated in class, within our theme of “we all smile in the same language.” World Book Day was celebrated by children reciting parts of The Gruffalo in French, which was very enjoyable. A recent experience for year 4 saw them taking part in a classroom role play of ordering an ice-cream in French and paying for it in Euros. The quality of the language used was fabulous, and all children were able to see that they could easily make themselves understood in a French speaking country. It helped in no small part that we had a toy ice-cream cart and till to use in our work!

Teaching French at Moor Hall Primary School is a real privilege – kind and enthusiastic children; supportive and committed SLT – Jenny is living the dream of every MFL teacher!

The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership

All the primary schools within the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) follow the ATLP’s primary French curriculum.  This curriculum was planned collaboratively in 2019 by a group of French primary subject leads and the Heads of Department of the then 5 ATLP secondary schools.  The group set out to design a carefully sequenced programme of study from year 3 to year 9.  Building on the principles of the 2016 MFL pedagogy review, the group identified the Sound Symbol Correspondences (SSCs), the high frequency vocabulary and the grammatical content to be taught in each year group, ensuring systematic revisiting and retrieval of core learning.

Intent

The KS2 curriculum aims to develop confident communicators and curious citizens.

Explicit teaching of phonics is a cornerstone of the curriculum.  The curriculum uses Sue Cave and Jean Haig’s Physical French Phonics programme to support children in KS2 to develop a sophisticated understanding of the sound system underpinning French.  This gives children the confidence to decode new language for themselves and to develop a strong conceptual schema around French pronunciation, supporting them to become confident communicators.

Over the course of the four years, children explore different topics including food, sport and free time, school, describing themselves and their friends, family and healthy living.  Exploring the countries and cultures where French is spoken is also woven into the curriculum plans.  Each topic has one or more key questions which when joined together create a mastery conversation.  When designing these questions, the team of primary subject leads and secondary HODS thought very carefully about what children in KS2 might want to say to each other, if they were to have a conversation with someone in French in a playground.  These key question are revisited consistently throughout the four years of study, ensuring that learners are able to confidently ask, answer and respond spontaneously to these questions, providing them with both the knowledge and skills needed to have a genuine conversation with a peer.

Implementation

Over a period of four years, the curriculum planning team created a fully resourced curriculum, enabling non-specialist teachers to teach a high-quality curriculum without needing to spend hours planning or developing their subject knowledge.

Schools have access to:

• Detailed long-term, medium-term and short-term plans
• Fully scripted powerpoints for each lesson including French sound buttons
• Clear mapping of the progression of phonics, vocab and grammar over KS2
• Informal assessment opportunities
• Student knowledge organisers
• Teacher subject knowledge development resources
• Face-to-face CPD.

The curriculum is taught by class teachers who benefit from ongoing support from the ATLP’s Trust Lead for Languages.  The first CPD session for non-specialist teachers focuses entirely on French phonics, ensuring that they have the underpinning knowledge required to feel confident speaking in French in their classrooms.  Over time, teacher’s subject knowledge develops and grows, to the extent that they are as equally confident delivering French lessons as any other foundation subject within the curriculum.

Impact

Since the introduction of the ATLP’s primary French curriculum in September 2019, children across the ATLP’s family of schools have benefited from a high-quality French curriculum delivered by their classroom teacher; someone who knows and understands the needs of the children in their class.  The joy of learning another languages has been re-discovered by both the children and the teachers!  French pronunciation is excellent and children leave year 6 excited to continue their language learning journey as they move to Secondary School.

Hodge Hill Primary School

Hodge Hill Primary School is a bustling, vibrant multi-ethnic school hosting 700 pupils in Hodge Hill, Birmingham. We are an Ofsted-rated good school that successfully underwent a deep dive in MFL in 2023.

In Key Stage 2, children are being taught French weekly for 40 minutes. Lessons are prerecorded by a native speaker and language specialist who has experience in both primary and secondary settings. This  flexibility enables children and staff to learn together at their own pace. The video includes a recap of previous learning in order to build on progression, a phonics session to maximise accurate pronunciation and opportunities to practice key vocabulary across the four strands (reading, speaking, writing and listening). Independent practice is differentiated to suit the needs of the children. The lessons also include activities linked to cultural awareness, games, songs and clips, linking with other topics across the curriculum. Every year a French theatre company delivers a French play, which is a great opportunity for our children to listen to additional native speakers and hear conversations within real-life situations.

At Hodge Hill Primary School, languages are an integral part of the school life. We celebrate the European Day of Languages through art: children produce sketches related to the French revolution or paint masterpieces in the style of famous artists such as Matisse or Seurat. Through our Language of the Month initiative, our pupils are given the opportunity to share their family heritage, culture and tradition. The register is taken in a different language every month and children learn some key fundamentals.

Highlight of our provision

We are incredibly fortunate that most of our children are already plurilingual learners; their approach to linguistics is systematic as their brain is trained to cope with the demand of language acquisition from a very young age. Our children are talented learners: not only do they have a natural curiosity for new adventures, but they also show a genuine enjoyment at understanding language structure and phonics.

My top tip

If the children have been exposed to values such as open mindedness and tolerance in their everyday learning environment, and if they understand the benefits of being multilingual speakers in our modern world, they will become successful, skilled adults.

St Thomas More Catholic Academy

KS3 Provision:

In Years 7, and 8  students study French at St Thomas More Catholic Academy. Students have 3 hours of MFL per fortnight in years 7 and 8 and 4 hours in year 9. Students learn to express their own lives and opinions in the target language on a variety of topics. In year 9, pupils also have the opportunity to study German alongside French Each module of work is taught with the support of sentence builders.

The languages curriculum at KS3 is ambitious, providing pupils with a solid grounding in the 3 pillars of language learning: vocabulary, grammar and phonics. The range of topics which are coherently sequenced throughout KS3 allow pupils to understand and use a foreign language to describe their lives and interests. Through a rich and diverse range of topics, the languages curriculum promotes understanding and appreciation of other cultures and lifestyles in the French and German speaking world. The department aims for all pupils to recognize the importance of learning a foreign language in an increasingly global world. Teaching strives to foster an enjoyment of language learning and encourages pupils to take pride in linguistic achievement

KS4 Provision: 

Students can opt to continue studying either French or German in year 10 through to year 11. KS4 students have 5 hours of MFL a fortnight and follow the AQA GCSE scheme of learning.

KS5 Provision:

Students can choose to continue their language studies to KS5 with French  running in sixth form, dependent on numbers. Groups are usually made up of a handful of students allowing huge scope for collaboration and opportunities to speak in the TL. Students have 10 hours a fortnight of French and follow the AQA specification. 

Highlights of our provision

We strive to maximise cultural capital throughout our curriculum. Pupils have the opportunity to take part in foreign language trips to France and Germany, as well as a range of cultural enrichment opportunities throughout the school year. A French culture club completes our enrichment opportunity

Nick Fish (HoD MFL)

Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls

KS3 Provision

All pupils study French in Year 7 until May half term, and then they study Spanish for the final half term. They have 3 hours of language teaching per week.  In Years 8 and 9, all pupils study both French and Spanish, for 3 hours per fortnight. Our curriculum is grammatically rigorous, introducing pupils to a range of tenses across the three years, as is appropriate for our school context. In addition, pupils develop a strong phonetic base in KS3 thanks to our explicit teaching of SSC through Sue Cave’s ‘Physical Phonics’ programmes. Our curriculum is sequenced to allow pupils to extensively process what they learn, before moving on to new content. In addition to the traditional ‘topics’ that we study, we ensure that our pupils develop their cultural capital through an interleaving of Francophone and Hispanic cultures into our curriculum. In Year 9, all pupils have the opportunity to visit Paris as part of a school visit, and we take approximately 160 pupils each year, out of our cohort of 180.

KS4 Provision

At KS4, all students study a language and can choose between French and Spanish, or study both. Students have 5 hours of language teaching per fortnight. Throughout the course, pupils build on their strong foundation from KS3 and deepen their grammatical, phonetic and lexical knowledge to prepare them for future linguistic study at KS5 or beyond. We follow the AQA specification, developing our own resources with the support of the Oxford Kerboodle digital textbook.

KS5 Provision

At KS5, languages are optional as either an AS or A2. We follow the AQA curriculum for both languages and our lesson planning is supported by the Oxford Kerboodle courses. This year we are launching an A level French visit to Paris, alongside the history and art departments. Our intention is to run this trip bi-annually, alongside an A level Spanish trip on alternate years.

Highlights of our provision

Our pupils benefit from an aspirational and rigorous curriculum, with the intent to develop them from pupils into linguists. Our super curricular offer is varied and enables pupils to develop their interest in languages outside of the classroom. Our sixth form languages ambassadors play an important role in supporting our super curricular programme, in addition to operating as FLAs with our Y11 students to prepare them for oral exams. We also aim to instill ‘creativity’ into our curriculum wherever possible, and our Y9 French pupils particularly enjoy our ‘Fairytale’ unit of work which embeds their understanding of the imperfect tense.

Whitehouse Common Primary School

At Whitehouse Common we believe that the learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils.  It helps them to develop communication skills including key skills of speaking and listening and extends their knowledge of how language works.  Learning another language gives children a new perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures and those of others.

We aim to nurture curious, open-minded citizens of the world, with a passion to appreciate and engage with new experiences, languages and cultures, armed with the confidence to communicate with others and the skills to be lifelong language learners. We want our learners to live out the values of ACHIEVERS – confident to ask questions, respectful and positive about new experiences, independent of thought and valued contributors to the community and wider world.

Language learning is integrated into everyday school life, with teachers, teaching assistants and children using and experimenting with their knowledge of different languages whenever the opportunity arises.  We foster a problem-solving approach, giving children opportunities to work out language use for themselves in a supportive context where risk-taking and creativity are encouraged, and there is an emphasis on having fun with the new language.  Our curriculum highlights that Spanish is a world language, spoken in 20+ diverse countries with their own unique heritage, and materials are being continuously added so that all learners can see themselves reflected in them. ICT is used where appropriate to enhance teaching and learning, and a wide variety of activities are used to achieve objectives, allowing all to experience success.  It is also important to us that we celebrate our own (linguistic) diversity as a school community and to do this we have instigated a Language of the Month, selected from those spoken by our community.

Our Curriculum

Although the National Curriculum for Languages starts at KS2, we choose to expose pupils to languages, specifically but not exclusively Spanish from Nursery as we believe that early exposure to other languages is beneficial; research has shown that children who start learning a second language at an early age are better and faster problem solvers, as they have had the opportunity to develop their ability to think critically and are better able to multi-task. They also tend to be more creative (from a cognitive point of view) and have a greater mental flexibility.

In Key Stage 1, pupils are exposed to new Spanish vocabulary and explore Spanish culture during assemblies twice every half term. These provide children with key vocabulary on a variety of topics and allow children to listen to and join in with songs and stories in Spanish. Children also complete follow up activities in class to solidify any new learning. Children are introduced to, and encouraged to join in with, the pronunciation of different Spanish words and make links across topics. They also learn about key geographical and cultural ideas from within the Spanish-speaking world.

In Key Stage 2, pupils are taught by a specialist Spanish teacher using the Light Bulb Languages scheme of work. This has been written so that language is systematically introduced and revisited, with the three pillars of grammar, phonics and vocabulary explored through the four modalities of listening speaking reading and writing. Spanish is all inclusive and all learners access the curriculum with enthusiasm. Learners are also exposed to aspects of Hispanic culture, giving their learning context and widening their view of the Spanish speaking world.

A whole school approach

Weekly language lessons are supported by a schoolwide ethos of No Outsiders, valuing and celebrating our diversity, including linguistic, especially but not exclusively through Language of the Month and Whitehouse Common Language Superheroes. Whilst the language in which children are aiming to make ‘substantial progress’ by the end of KS2 is Spanish, other languages are brought into learning, offering a showcase for the skills of our bilingual and multilingual pupils, and also in order to make links between Spanish and other world languages in terms of vocabulary, structure and word origins. This is particularly valuable in making links between Spanish and English as this reinforces English literacy. Links are also made across the curriculum – for example with Geography and History to explain why Spanish, French and Italian are so similar; with Maths as we discuss shape in Y3 and use larger numbers to discuss currency and prices in Y5; and with Art in Y3 as we look at the work of Gaudí.

Each year a group of KS2 pupils are appointed Language and Global Ambassadors to gather views, offer support and suggestions to promote languages and the global dimension,  and represent the school at meetings such as the GSA Primary Pupil Council.

Our International work ensures that learners leave us with positive experiences of learning about and learning with their peers from other countries and cultures. They  see and describe themselves as global citizens. They are independent in their thoughts and take an interest in the wider world. They take their learning from projects and encounters into the wider world and question what they see on the news and outside school through the lens of respect for and celebration of our diversity and rights. Pupils understand their local, national and international place in the world and see themselves as part of a rich and vibrant world, learning from one another, showing interest in other languages and cultures and confidently challenging prejudice and bias, unconscious or deliberate. They don’t just tolerate but respect differences and see themselves as important parts of a worldwide community.

Señora Stevens’ Top Tip:

Model being a language learner. Show that we are all learning, whether we began yesterday or many years ago. Mistakes are the way to learn and nobody should be worried about making them. And value every attempt to communicate whether it’s completely accurate or not.

Bishop Walsh

KS3 Provision

In Years 7-9 all students study Spanish for two hours per week. 

In years 7 and 8 we largely follow Conti’s MARS-EARS approach. We use booklets which contain carefully-sequenced Sentence Builders to interleave structures, communicative functions and grammar. Over a sequence of lessons pupils move from receptive practice to structured production. Subsequently we remove the scaffolds of the sentence builders to enable pupils to aim for fluency. With the ‘less is more’ approach, we ensure that pupils will remember more over time. Phonics are taught systematically throughout this key stage. Metacognitive approaches are employed to enable pupils to have a good awareness of what works for them as linguists.

In Year 9 pupils revisit the skills and knowledge developed in year 7 and 8 but with a much stronger emphasis on explicit grammar instruction. Pupils will learn to use a full range of tenses and employ them in written and spoken work. Towards the end of year 9 we cover a ‘bridging curriculum’ which prepares them for the demands of GCSE.

Cultural capital is also important and so a range of cultural projects are embedded into the curriculum. We run a trip in KS4 and are preparing to offer a trip in KS3 from next academic year.

KS4 Provision:

From September 2024, languages will be a fixed option choice for most pupils at our school. The current year 9 have made a choice between Spanish, French or Polish at GCSE. KS4 pupils study their language for 5 hours per fortnight and we follow the AQA specification.

Home Languages:

In addition to Polish, we also support students to gain a GCSE in their home language. In the past we have supported pupils with Russian, Greek, Chinese, Italian and Portuguese.

Departmental Highlights

Our department is already benefitting enormously from the input from the TTLH. Throughout both key stages, we are planning to raise intrinsic motivation and the spontaneous use of target language through the inclusion of initiatives such as Group Talk. The appointment of our first Lead Practitioner in MFL will also enable us to raise attainment in MFL and further promote the enjoyment of languages amongst our pupils.

Claire Bowker, Head of MFL.

Holte School

Key Stage 3 Provision

Year 7:
Pupils have the opportunity to participate in a taster session of both French and Spanish during the Year 6 induction day, giving pupils an experience of both languages. At the beginning of the Autumn term, pupils complete a languages baseline test, this enables us to place them in the correct teaching group for their ability. Most pupils will continue to study either French or Spanish as a compulsory subject throughout Key Stages 3 and 4.

Year 8:
Groups continue with the language that they studied in Year 7 and this will form a compulsory subject of the curriculum. Pupils are set according to ability. As in Year 7, they are regularly assessed in all four skills of language learning: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Pupils are expected to speak, write, understand and translate slightly longer texts using a wider range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.
The topics covered in Year 8 French are: holidays, celebrations, leisure, the world, and sports. The topics covered in Year 8 Spanish are: past holidays, all about me, hobbies and free time, food and arranging to go out.

Year 9:
Pupils continue to study either French or Spanish. They receive four hours of language lessons per fortnight until the Summer term, when hours will increase to 5 per fortnight. Pupils will continue to be assessed in the four skill areas.

French classes study the topics of myself and family relationships, media and technology, free time, active lifestyles and school and focus on dealing with practical situations e.g. buying tickets at the cinema or being in the train station, in further detail.

Spanish classes study the topics of holidays in the past tense, media and technology, free time activities and friends/family as well as also focusing on practical situations e.g. making travel plans and buying tickets at the cinema.

Key Stage 4 Provision

Year 10 and 11 pupils will continue to study the language that they have previously been studying following the new (9-1) GCSE specification. Studying a language to Key Stage 4 is strongly recommended, especially as Modern Foreign Languages form part of the EBacc qualification and having a language on your CV can widen employment opportunities in today’s competitive market.

Community Languages (GCSE)

Holte school is aware of the significance of community languages and seeks to encourage pupils to pursue these languages to a high level of competency. We aim to identify pupils with community language skills as early as possible, to enable us to support these pupils to achieve their full potential.

We are able to offer Urdu, Bengali, Italian, German, Chinese (Mandarin & Cantonese), Portuguese and Arabic for pupils who are able to speak, read, understand and write these languages formally.

Excel Academy

KS3 Provision

Students study either French or Spanish in Year 7 upon entry into the Academy. In Year 7 the curriculum builds upon the foundations of language learning introduced in KS2 and introduces metacognitive approaches so that students begin to understand how they learn languages and the value and benefit of language learning. They are challenged through a series of lesson-based tasks and home works to communicate orally and in written form about themselves and their families, pets, the environment in which they live and school life. Students continue to study either French or Spanish in Year 8. 

In Year 8 the curriculum builds on the skills developed in KS2 and Year 7 and applies them to a range of cross-curricular themes, wherever possible exploiting an aspect of French/Spanish speaking culture. A stronger emphasis on grammar and syntax is introduced and students learn to write and converse in 3 tenses, on which they can build later.

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced via an evidence informed and research-based curriculum using Conti’s MARS EARS approach to make sure that over a sequence of lessons, tasks build from modelling, receptive practice and structured production.  Over time the sentence builder approach to scaffolding is gradually reduced allowing students to build independence and develop strong recall and retrieval. 

In Year 9 the curriculum continues to build on the skills developed and knowledge acquired in the KS3 years and revisits some topics in greater detail whilst also introducing new topic and linguistic concepts. Students can opt to study either GCSE French or Spanish in Years 9 – 11. The focus is on GCSE Theme 1 – Identity and Culture and further develops the idea of retrieval practice, interweaving of topics, metacognition and recall approaches so that learners understand how building on and embedding prior knowledge is key to success.

KS4 Provision

Students pick their options at the end of year 9.  Students who choose to continue with French or Spanish have five hours of lessons a fortnight, following the AQA specification.  The MFL department at Excel Academy plan to use the AQA specification from September 2024 to teach the reformed GCSE.

Highlights of our provision

The Languages department at Excel Academy endeavours towards our motto of ‘expecting excellence’. We believe that a ‘world-class’ curriculum facilitates personal development and equips students with the knowledge and skills needed for the demands of local, national and international society. We intend to promote interest and dispel the myth that language study is not important. We provide a curriculum for our students that allows them to attain high quality qualifications routed in a deep foundation of transferrable knowledge acquired from a range of subject areas from a broad and balanced curriculum.

Mrs L Soboljew,  Assistant Principal,  Head of MFL.  Excel Academy

Erdington Academy

KS3 Provision:

In Years 7-9 all students study French for two hours per week.  The curriculum uses the Dynamo textbooks as a foundation and the students follow a learning journey that allows them to express themselves about topics including family and friends, hobbies, sports, music, technology, food and the environment.  

The key vocabulary, phonics and grammar linked to these topics are carefully sequenced students revisit these core aspects as they make their way through the learning journey to build confidence and fluency with the language.

At Erdington Academy we are very proud of the cultural links we make within our learning and when looking at all topics we make connections to French speaking countries all over the world.   Examples of this include looking at a Martinique carnival when discussing celebrations or listening to rai and zouglou when pupils are discussing their musical preferences.

KS4 Provision:

At the end of Year 9, students complete the option process and can choose French.  GCSE teaching begins in Year 10 with all pupils having 3 hours a week following the new AQA specification. 

Home Languages:

Erdington Academy is very proud to support learners to gain an extra qualification in their home, heritage or community language.

In the 22-2023 academic year, students successfully completed GCSEs in Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Spanish & Italian.

In the 23-24 academic year students will also take exams in Polish, Portuguese and Greek alongside the language offered in the previous academic year.

Jay Patel. Head of Languages. Erdington Academy

King Edward VI School, Lichfield

Curriculum Intent

We truly believe that language learning is a “liberation from insularity in today’s global society”. All pupils in years 7 and 8 learn French and German and have the opportunity to continue both up to A-level.  Through the study of one romance and one Germanic language, they gain an understanding of the similarities and differences between not only the languages themselves, but also the cultures of the countries in which they are spoken.

Pupils learn to communicate with increased spontaneity, independence and accuracy throughout their language learning journey with us and we also aspire to provide an excellent basis for future language study, whichever language that may be.

Implementation, literacy and independence

We feel it is important that our pupils value any prior knowledge and skills from their life experiences as well as from any formal learning and we highlight these from our very first transition lessons. We teach pupils the skills they need to acquire new Vocabulary, Grammar and Phonics so that they become increasingly independent as they move from novice towards expert linguists. Literacy is integral to everything that we do and we are explicit in teaching the skills required for each of the four key modalities of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Pupils are encouraged to use the wealth of authentic French and German resources that may be of particular interest to them.

We provide all pupils with bespoke “Passbooks” in which the curriculum is broken down into manageable chunks of learning.  They also enable pupils to see their progression throughout each unit, year and key stage.  In lessons we model differentiated exemplar work, provide scaffolds to support independent practice and encourage pupils to share identify and share their mistakes.  Regular retrieval practice is essential for successful language learning and our spiral curriculum ensures that current and previous learning is regularly revisited and tested. Our curriculum is ambitious and in order to develop confidence in our learners, the homework we set helps to embed learning in the long-term memory. We encourage the ‘little and often’ approach and pupils can use online courses and apps outside of the classroom.

Highlight of our provision

“We are extremely proud that 70% of our cohort at KES Lichfield study either French, German or both at GCSE, especially considering the current national context regarding foreign language study in the UK.  This puts our pupils in a privileged position when applying for jobs having studied two of the languages most in demand by UK employers.  We are also delighted to be able offer MFL at A-level.” 

Shirley Dunn.  Head of Languages.  King Edward VI School, Lichfield.

Hamstead Hall Academy

KS3 Provision:

In KS3, students study French or Spanish and have 5 hours a fortnight of lessons in sets 2 to 4 and 3 hours a fortnight of lessons in Set 1 as they also study Latin. In years 7, 8 and 9 students follow a bespoke languages curriculum. Exploring a range of topics, they are taught key recyclable structures building tense fluency in the past, the present and the future.

• Introductions
• Family descriptions
• Likes and dislikes
• Films and music
• Free time activities
• Sports and games
• Clothes
• Food and drinks
• Town
• School
• Holidays
• Technology
• Environment
• Health
• Family

KS4 Provision: 

Students pick their options at the end of year 9.  Students who choose to continue with French, Spanish, or Latin have five hours of lessons a fortnight, following the Eduqas specification. We also offer Punjabi classes after school with the option of sitting the GCSE examination. The team at Hamstead Hall Academy plan to use the Eduqas or AQA specification from September 2024 to teach the reformed GCSE.

KS5 Provision:

Hamstead Hall Academy currently does not have any French or Spanish classes in KS5, although French has been taught in the past.  The team hope to do so again in the future.  Students have 8 hours a fortnight of lessons.

Highlights of our provision

“The Languages department at Hamstead Hall Academy is delighted to offer a variety of languages that offer our students a wide range of opportunities. We pride ourselves on our above national average number of students entered for the Ebacc (53%). We also offer access to GCSE examinations in community languages that go beyond our initial offer. Our vision is based on the underlying principle that every child has the right to learn a language as it will offer them access to the best life chances possible.” 

Leila Dupon.  Head of Languages.  Hamstead Hall Academy.