At Cury School, we believe that learning a language can be a fun and rewarding experience. Our French curriculum aims to inspire a love of language learning and a curiosity about other cultures. We want our pupils to develop confidence in using French for practical purposes, both in speaking and writing. 

Through our carefully designed lessons, we aim to provide a solid foundation in French, encouraging pupils to apply their language skills to future learning and opening up opportunities for them. Our French curriculum supports pupils in meeting the National Curriculum expectations for Key Stage 2, equipping them with the skills they need to succeed. 

The French curriculum at Cury is designed with three knowledge strands that run throughout our units with knowledge building cumulatively. These are: 

• Phonics 

• Vocabulary 

• Grammar 

This knowledge can then be applied within our skills strands, which also run throughout each unit in the curriculum: 

• Language comprehension (Listening and reading) 

• Language production (Speaking and writing) 

Our Progression of skills and knowledge shows the skills and knowledge that are taught within each year group and how these skills develop. Through the curriculum, pupils are given opportunities to communicate for practical purposes around familiar subjects and routines. The curriculum provides balanced opportunities for communication in both spoken and written French, although in Year 3 the focus is on developing oral skills, before incorporating written French in Year 4 and beyond.  

At Cury school we have a spiral curriculum, with key skills and vocabulary revisited repeatedly with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Cross-curricular links are included throughout our French units, allowing children to make connections and apply their language skills to other areas of their learning. Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including role-play, language games and language detective work.  

Our curriculum focuses on developing what we term ‘language detective skills’ and developing an understanding of French grammar, and key vocabulary rather than on committing to memory vast amounts of French vocabulary. Pronunciation is emphasised early on using our Mouth mechanics videos to support pupils with phoneme pronunciation in French. 

Cury School recognises the importance of integrating language learning into the wider curriculum. French lessons will be integrated into the academic year, including standalone lessons and cultural experiences. These experiences will provide opportunities for calm and focused learning, while also reinforcing key skills and concepts. By exposing pupils to French language and culture, we aim to make language learning engaging and meaningful.  

The impact of the curriculum can be monitored continuously through both formative and summative assessment. Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives. An assessment spreadsheet is also available to record children’s progress in each lesson to enable you to build a picture of their learning through each unit.  

After completing our French curriculum, pupils should leave school with a foundation in French language and culture. They should be able to confidently use basic French phrases, understand simple instructions, and appreciate the cultural aspects of France. This foundation will prepare them for further language learning in Key Stage 3. The expected impact of following the French curriculum of work is that children will:  

Basic Communication: 

• Be able to greet and say goodbye in French. 

• Understand simple questions and commands. 

• Respond to questions with simple phrases. 

• Use basic vocabulary to describe people, places, and things. 

Reading and Writing: 

• Recognise and write letters of the French alphabet. 

• Read simple words and phrases. 

• Write short sentences with support. 

• Understand simple texts with visual support. 

Listening: 

• Listen to short stories and songs. 

• Identify key words and phrases. 

• Understand simple instructions. 

Cultural Awareness: 

• Learn about French culture, customs, and traditions. 

• Recognise French flags and symbols. 

• Sing simple French songs. 

These targets are adapted to meet the individual needs of each learner, ensuring that they are challenged but not overwhelmed. By setting achievable goals and celebrating small successes, we can help our pupils build confidence and a positive attitude towards language learning.