Modern Foreign Languages at Broom Valley
At Broom Valley, we believe that learning an additional language will inspire a curiosity about the world and other cultures. French lessons follow the Language Angels Scheme of learning in Key Stage 2 and focus on the use of repetition and recall to embed learning. To further support this, we ensure there are always a variety of learning activities such as: games, drawing, oral sentences, writing, music and interactive games. We want children at Broom Valley to develop a love of an additional language which will continue into secondary school and even beyond, giving them the confidence communicate with different people from a variety of cultures.
To view our Foreign Languages Policy, please click here to visit our polices page.
Intent
Broom Valley Community School intends to use the Language Angels scheme of work and resources to provide a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign languages curriculum that inspires and excites pupils through a wide range of topics and themes. We aim for all pupils to achieve their full potential by promoting high expectations and strong standards in language learning so that they feel confident and motivated to continue studying languages beyond Key Stage 2. The curriculum will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains dynamic, clearly sequenced in long and short-term planning and in line with or exceeding national DfE requirements, enabling pupils’ knowledge to build progressively year on year.
Listening, speaking, reading and writing will be taught alongside age-appropriate grammar to ensure pupils can apply their learning in a range of contexts and establish strong foundations for future study. Pupils will be supported to use reference materials and research unfamiliar language independently, developing a growing bank of resources to support spoken and written work and to aid recall over time. Through this approach, we intend to foster genuine interest and curiosity about languages, deepen understanding of other cultures and identities and support pupils in becoming confident, life-long language learners.
Implementation
All KS2 classes access a high-quality French curriculum through the Language Angels scheme, delivered in regular weekly lessons by class teachers. Learning is carefully sequenced so that children build their
knowledge step by step, developing vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar over time. Lessons are adapted to meet the needs of each class, ensuring appropriate challenge and support. Units are grouped into clear stages so that children begin with the basics, such as simple vocabulary and sentence structures, before moving on to more complex grammar and longer pieces of speaking, reading and writing as they grow in confidence.
Each unit includes six fully planned lessons with clear objectives and engaging interactive resources. Children have frequent opportunities to practise speaking, listening, reading and writing, with activities that offer different levels of challenge. Grammar is taught in a clear and age-appropriate way and revisited regularly so that knowledge is remembered and built upon. A whole-school unit map ensures that all year groups know what is being taught and when, supporting strong progression across KS2. Teachers use progression maps and assessment points throughout the year to monitor how well pupils are developing in each of the four key skills.
Where possible, French learning is linked to class topics to make it meaningful and relevant. We also aim to enrich the curriculum through celebration assemblies, themed days, cultural activities and experiences such as tasting traditional foods. These opportunities help to bring language learning to life and promote a wider understanding of culture and the world around us, supporting a whole-school appreciation of languages.
Impact
Through our language curriculum, children build their knowledge and confidence step by step. As they move
through KS2, learning becomes more challenging and ambitious. Pupils begin by learning simple words and short phrases and gradually progress to understanding longer texts and creating their own spoken and written responses. By the end of Year 6, children are able to use a wider range of vocabulary and grammar, including opinions and justifications, and can speak and write in longer, more fluent sentences. Previously learned language is regularly revisited and practised so that knowledge is remembered and strengthened over time.
Teachers have clear planning and progression documents to ensure that learning builds consistently from year to year. Children are also encouraged to understand their own progress, with pupil-friendly overviews at the start and end of each unit to help them reflect on what they have achieved. Assessment takes place regularly across speaking, listening, reading and writing and is carefully tracked by teachers and the subject leader to ensure all pupils are making good progress. Where needed, additional support can be put in place quickly so that every child is supported to succeed and develop confidence as a young language learner.
Modern Foreign Languages – National Curriculum Aims
Purpose of study
Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity 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 provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.
Aims
The national curriculum for languages 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
Attainment targets
By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
Subject content
Key stage 2: Foreign language
Teaching may be of any modern or ancient foreign language and should focus on enabling pupils to make substantial progress in one language. The teaching should provide an appropriate balance of spoken and written language and should lay the foundations for further foreign language teaching at key stage 3. It should enable pupils to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing, focused on familiar and routine matters, using their knowledge of phonology, grammatical structures and vocabulary.
The focus of study in modern languages will be on practical communication. If an ancient language is chosen, the focus will be to provide a linguistic foundation for reading comprehension and an appreciation of classical civilisation. Pupils studying ancient languages may take part in simple oral exchanges, while discussion of what they read will be conducted in English. A linguistic foundation in ancient languages may support the study of modern languages at key stage 3.
Pupils should be taught to:
· listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
· explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
· engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
· speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
· develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
· present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
· read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
· appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
· broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
· write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly
· describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing
· understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English
