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. 

National Curriculum 2014 

Curriculum Intent

At St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, our Modern Foreign Languages curriculum is ambitious, engaging and carefully sequenced to develop pupils’ confidence, curiosity and enjoyment of language learning. Through the study of French, pupils develop communication skills, cultural awareness and an appreciation of the wider world.

Our MFL curriculum 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 to communicate effectively through discussion, questions and conversation.
• Continually improve their pronunciation and intonation.
• Read and understand a range of written language.
• Write at increasing length for different purposes and audiences using a variety of grammatical structures.
• Develop an appreciation of different cultures, traditions and communities.
• Build confidence in communicating in another language.
• Develop a lifelong interest in language learning and international understanding.

Through high expectations, carefully sequenced learning and regular opportunities for retrieval and practice, pupils develop the knowledge, vocabulary and confidence needed to succeed in language learning at Key Stage 3 and beyond.

Curriculum Implementation

Our teaching and implementation of Modern Foreign Languages is based on the National Curriculum and is delivered through a carefully structured programme that progressively develops pupils' language knowledge and skills throughout Key Stage 2.

Detailed long-term and medium-term planning ensures that learning is ambitious, engaging and carefully sequenced. A clear progression of skills is mapped across four stages, allowing pupils to build upon previous learning and revisit key vocabulary, grammar and language structures over time.

The curriculum is designed around the four key language skills:

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing

Vocabulary is explicitly taught and regularly revisited to support long-term retention and confident application. Retrieval practice is embedded throughout lessons to ensure pupils know more and remember more over time. Teachers regularly revisit previously taught language through games, conversation, questioning and review activities.

Strong assessment practices enable teachers to identify misconceptions, adapt teaching and provide appropriate support and challenge. Adaptive teaching ensures all pupils can access the curriculum and achieve success regardless of their starting point.

Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through:

• Songs and rhymes.
• Games and interactive activities.
• Structured conversations.
• Role-play opportunities.
• Question-and-answer activities.
• Oral repetition and pronunciation practice.

Reading and writing skills are developed through activities that allow children to explore the relationship between spelling, pronunciation and meaning. Pupils learn to recognise familiar words and phrases before progressing to writing increasingly accurate sentences and short pieces of text.

Grammar is introduced progressively to help pupils understand how language works and to support the development of accurate communication.

Alongside language learning, pupils are introduced to the culture, traditions and geography of French-speaking countries, helping them develop a wider understanding of the world and appreciation of different cultures.

Key Stage 2

The French curriculum is taught progressively from Year 3 to Year 6 through a structured sequence of units and topics that develop:

• Vocabulary acquisition.
• Listening skills.
• Speaking confidence.
• Reading fluency.
• Writing accuracy.
• Grammatical understanding.
• Cultural awareness.

Each lesson follows a consistent teaching and learning cycle, enabling pupils to revisit, practise and apply previously taught language while building new knowledge and skills.

Curriculum Impact

The impact of our MFL curriculum is demonstrated through pupils who enjoy learning languages, communicate with increasing confidence and develop a positive understanding of different cultures and communities.

Through carefully sequenced learning, retrieval practice and effective assessment, pupils develop secure language knowledge and can apply their learning in a variety of contexts. They become increasingly confident when listening, speaking, reading and writing in French.

Pupils can:

• Understand and respond to familiar spoken language.
• Participate in simple conversations with growing confidence.
• Read and understand familiar words, phrases and sentences.
• Write using increasingly accurate vocabulary and grammar.
• Apply previously taught language in new contexts.
• Demonstrate curiosity and respect for other cultures.
• Explain similarities and differences between their own culture and those of French-speaking countries.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through:

• Observation of pupils speaking and responding in French.
• Assessment of written work.
• Pupil interviews and pupil voice activities.
• Retrieval activities and vocabulary checks.
• Learning walks.
• Staff meetings and professional dialogue.
• Subject leader monitoring.
• Annual reports to parents.

As a result, pupils leave St Patrick’s with a secure foundation in language learning, an appreciation of different cultures and the confidence to continue studying languages at secondary school and beyond.