Languages

At Radwinter CofE (VA) Primary School, we believe that learning a modern foreign language is a vital part of a broad and balanced education. We provide a caring and stimulating environment where every child is inspired to explore new languages and cultures, preparing them to thrive in a diverse and ever-changing world.

Why Do We Teach Modern Foreign Languages?

Learning a foreign language opens the door to understanding and appreciating different cultures beyond our rural village community. It fosters curiosity, broadens horizons, and equips children with valuable communication skills for their future lives. Through language learning, children develop confidence in expressing their ideas, deepen their understanding of the world, and gain practical skills that will support them at secondary school and beyond.

Our language teaching aligns with the National Curriculum’s aims to ensure all children:

• Understand and respond to spoken and written language from authentic sources.
• Speak with increasing confidence, fluency, and spontaneity.
• Write for different purposes and audiences using a variety of grammatical structures.
• Develop an appreciation of literature and culture in the language studied.

What Will Children Learn?

At Radwinter CofE Primary, our focus is French. By the time children leave us, they will have a solid understanding of both spoken and written French and feel confident to use it in conversation. We aim to inspire a lifelong love of language learning and prepare children to embrace other languages in the future.

Our approach includes:

• Building confidence and creativity through songs, role play (such as a French café), and interactive activities.
• Celebrating languages during whole school events, like our carol service.
• Inviting native speakers during themed language days to share their culture and language.
• Exploring cultural diversity through activities such as cooking and tasting international dishes.
• Teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills progressively throughout the school.

Children begin experiencing languages from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 through songs and rhymes, with formal weekly French lessons starting in Key Stage 2. We use the Grammarsaurus French scheme of work to ensure systematic and engaging progression.

How Are Languages Taught?

In line with the National Curriculum, our teaching enables children to:

• Listen attentively and respond to spoken French.
• Explore language patterns and sounds through songs and rhymes, linking spelling, sound, and meaning.
• Engage in conversations, asking and answering questions, expressing opinions, and seeking clarification.
• Speak in sentences using familiar vocabulary and basic grammar.
• Develop clear pronunciation and intonation.
• Present ideas orally to different audiences.
• Read and understand simple texts.
• Appreciate stories, songs, and poems in French.
• Broaden vocabulary and use dictionaries to understand new words.
• Write phrases from memory and adapt these to create new sentences.
• Describe people, places, things, and actions orally and in writing.
• Understand basic grammar, including gender, verb conjugations, and sentence structure.

Outcomes and Monitoring Progress

Our MFL subject leader regularly monitors the impact of language teaching to ensure children are making good or better progress. We focus on knowledge retention, skill application, and learner independence by using:

• Observation of speaking and listening activities.
• Marking and review of written work.
• Photographs and videos documenting language use.
• Pupil voice interviews to gather children’s perspectives.
• Moderation meetings for staff to discuss and evaluate learning.
• Annual reporting to parents on language standards.
• Learning walks and governor monitoring visits.

By adhering to the Grammarsaurs scheme of work, we ensure consistency and quality across lessons, supporting children to meet key language learning milestones.

Summary

At Radwinter CofE (VA) Primary School, learning French is more than just acquiring a new language,  it is about opening hearts and minds to the wider world. Through a carefully planned, enjoyable, and inclusive curriculum, we nurture confident communicators who appreciate cultural diversity and are prepared to embrace life in all its fullness.

We warmly invite you to join us on this exciting linguistic and cultural journey. Together, we grow and learn as a vibrant, caring community.

How Can You Learn More?

If you would like further information about our Modern Foreign Languages curriculum or have any questions, please contact the school office or speak to Mrs Mantle, our French Leader.