Modern Foreign Languages - French

At St Ambrose, our Foreign Languages curriculum is designed to be broad, vibrant, and ambitious: rooted in the National Curriculum for Languages and guided by the values of Catholic Social Teaching. Through the Language Angels scheme of work and resources, we aim to foster a love of language learning that empowers pupils to communicate confidently, appreciate cultural diversity, and grow as global citizens as we develop their Cultural Capitals.

St Ambrose French Curriculum Intent

National Curriculum Alignment Our programme reflects the statutory aims of the National Curriculum, promoting language learning as a liberation from insularity and a gateway to other cultures. Pupils are taught to:

• Understand and respond to spoken and written language

• Communicate with fluency and spontaneity

• Write for different purposes using appropriate grammar

• Catholic Social Teaching Integration Language learning supports the dignity of every child and encourages solidarity with others. By exploring different cultures and languages, pupils develop:

  • Respect for human dignity

  • A sense of community and global responsibility

  • Appreciation of cultural diversity and identity

• Structured and Supportive Learning At the start of each academic year, pupils engage with Language Angels phonics and grammar units, laying a strong foundation for accurate pronunciation and grammatical understanding. Every lesson is enriched with:

  • Flashback quizzes to reinforce prior learning

  • Knowledge Organisers to support vocabulary retention and thematic understanding

• High Expectations for All We believe every child can succeed. Our curriculum sets high standards, encouraging pupils to reach their full potential and continue language learning beyond Key Stage 2.

St Ambrose French Curriculum Implementation

High-Quality Weekly Lessons

All classes at St Ambrose have access to a high-quality foreign languages curriculum delivered through the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. In Key Stage 2, class teachers deliver weekly, well-planned lessons that progressively build pupils’ skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and grammar.

Building Language Step by Step

Children will acquire, use, and apply a growing bank of vocabulary and grammar, organised around age-appropriate topics and themes. These foundational blocks evolve into more fluent and authentic language use over time.

• Teachers track pupil progress closely, ensuring they know where each child is on their language learning journey.

• Lessons are designed to recycle, revise, and consolidate previously learned content while introducing new skills.

Differentiated Challenge Through Teaching Types

Language Angels units are grouped into Teaching Type categories to ensure appropriate challenge and progression:

St Ambrose French Curriculum Impact

Miss Morgan, our French Subject Lead, leads a curriculum that not only meets the expectations of the National Curriculum but also inspires every pupil to SHINE. Through engaging and inclusive lessons, she ensures that all children are supported and challenged to reach their full potential as confident and curious linguists.

• Dynamic and Evolving The curriculum is reviewed annually to ensure it remains relevant, engaging, and in line with DfE expectations. Long-term and short-term planning ensures progression in language knowledge year after year.

• Building Complexity 

  Each unit is designed to build complexity over time, like constructing with Lego blocks:

  • Lessons within a unit build on each other, gradually increasing linguistic sophistication.

  • Pupils reuse and recall previously learned language to improve fluency and accuracy.

   

• Core Language Skills Pupils develop the four key skills, listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with phonics and grammar taught in an age-appropriate way. This foundation supports not only future language learning but also enhances literacy and attainment across other subjects.

• Independent Learning Tools Children are taught how to research unfamiliar vocabulary and grammar using a growing bank of reference materials (such as the French display and Knowledge Organsiers) . This evolving reference library supports retention and builds confidence in both spoken and written tasks.

  • Curiosity and Enjoyment Our curriculum sparks genuine interest and enjoyment in learning languages. Pupils explore engaging topics and themes that connect language to identity, culture, and global awareness.

  • Cultural Understanding Through language, pupils gain deeper insights into other ways of life, fostering empathy, respect, and intercultural understanding, key values in both the National Curriculum and Catholic Social Teaching.

  • Lifelong Learning Ultimately, our goal is to nurture life-long language learners who are equipped to thrive in a multicultural world and contribute positively to society.

  • Enrichment Opportunities To extend learning beyond the classroom, we offer:

    • Whole-school assemblies celebrating languages and cultures

    • A vibrant French Club for pupils to explore language through games, songs, and conversation

    • Language Angels logins for every KS2 pupil, enabling access to interactive resources and activities at home

At our school, we follow the National Curriculum aim for Modern Foreign Languages, enabling pupils to foster curiosity, deepen their understanding of the world, and express their ideas and thoughts in another language with confidence.

As French Lead, Miss Morgan ensures that our curriculum is carefully sequenced, beginning each academic year with a focus on phonics or grammar to establish strong foundations for accurate pronunciation and understanding. Each lesson builds on prior learning, helping children to develop their knowledge progressively and purposefully. We use Language Angels  to support our teaching and to provide engaging, high-quality resources that reinforce these key skills both in school and at home.

Our French curriculum reflects the Catholic Social Teaching principles of dignity of the human person and solidarity, as children learn to appreciate and respect other cultures and languages, recognising that we are all part of one global family under God. Through learning French, our pupils grow not only in knowledge but also in empathy, understanding, and joy in the diversity of God’s creation.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”  Proverbs 15:1

This reminds us that the words we speak, in any language, have the power to build peace, friendship, and understanding.

Learning a new language reminds us of the story of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to speak in many languages so that everyone could understand the Good News of Jesus.

“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”  Acts 2:4

Our French curriculum is rooted in the  Catholic Social Teaching Principles, helping pupils recognise that learning another language is a way to live out their faith. Through exploring French culture and communication, children grow in solidarity, respect, and an understanding of the dignity of every person. They learn that we are all part of one global family under God and are encouraged to use their voices with kindness and empathy. In this way, our French lessons reflect our school mission: We do our best by following Jesus.

At St Ambrose, our French curriculum is thoughtfully aligned with the Catholic Pupil Profile, ensuring that language learning supports not only academic development but also the spiritual and moral formation of our pupils. Across Key Stage 2, each unit is linked to key virtues that reflect our commitment to nurturing faith-filled, compassionate, and eloquent learners.

In Year 3, pupils begin their French journey with units such as Phonics 1, I Am Learning French, Animals, and Little Red Riding Hood. These units encourage curiosity and attentiveness as children explore new sounds and vocabulary. Expressing identity through language fosters eloquence and affirms each child’s uniqueness, while learning about animals promotes compassion and gratitude for creation. The storytelling element in Little Red Riding Hood invites discernment and reflection on justice and care for the vulnerable.

In Year 4, the curriculum builds on these foundations with Phonics 2, Presenting Myself, My Family, and At the Café. These units deepen pupils’ understanding of language structure with intentional learning and wise application. Presenting oneself in French supports eloquence and self-worth, while discussing family life reinforces the importance of community and generosity. Exploring cultural customs in cafés nurtures curiosity and solidarity with others around the world.

Year 5 expands pupils’ knowledge through more complex units such as Grammar, Do You Have a Pet?, The Weather, and Clothes. These units promote learned and intentional communication, encouraging pupils to use language with precision and purpose. Talking about pets continues to foster compassion, while weather discussions open up themes of stewardship and care for our common home. The Clothes unit invites reflection on dignity, identity, and fairness, linking to the virtue of generosity and the dignity of workers.

In Year 6, pupils engage with advanced units including Grammar, At School, The Weekend, and Healthy Lifestyles. These units support truthful and learned expression, helping pupils articulate their thoughts with clarity and integrity. Learning about school life highlights the role of education in building inclusive communities, while discussions around weekends encourage attentiveness to rest and personal well-being. The Healthy Lifestyles unit promotes compassion and advocacy for health equity, aligning with the prophetic call to care for the poor and vulnerable.

By embedding the Catholic Pupil Profile into our French curriculum, we ensure that pupils not only develop linguistic skills but also grow in character, empathy, and global awareness: becoming confident, faith-filled individuals ready to engage with the world around them.

Our French curriculum provides children with the opportunity to develop the four key language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing in every lesson and across every year group in Key Stage 2.

In every lesson, children write the date in French and begin with a Flashback quiz* to revisit previous learning and strengthen their recall. This regular retrieval practice helps pupils to make meaningful connections between topics and to embed key vocabulary and grammar into their long-term memory. We also make effective use of Knowledge Organisers to support understanding, promote independence, and ensure that key knowledge is retained and built upon throughout each year.

* Year 3 start using the Flashback quizzes on Lesson 3 to ensure there is some prior learning to revisit and recall.

Snippets of French Lessons

Below you can see a couple of images from our French lessons in school.

The children were utilising writing and speaking skills in this lesson and working hard to receive French stickers- bon effort!

To further enrich the learning of French across Key Stage 2, children are encouraged to log in to Language Angels from home, where they can access interactive games and songs used in lessons. This supports the National Curriculum aim for pupils to foster curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world through language learning. The children love practising their French in this fun and engaging way, so much so that they have asked Miss Morgan to start a French Club! One where they can use the iPads at break or lunchtime to explore Language Angels together. This exciting new club will launch later this academic year, thanks to our enthusiastic pupils and their love of learning!

Miss Morgan also enriches our curriculum each year by leading a whole-school French assembly, linked to important dates in the French calendar such as Joyeux Noel, Bastille Day or La Chandeleur. These assemblies are joyful opportunities to celebrate our learning, develop cultural capital, and appreciate the diversity of God’s world — all while recognising our shared humanity and the richness of different traditions. Year 3 even make French Christmas cards!

Our French enrichment reflects the Catholic Social Teaching principles of solidarity and dignity of the human person, and promotes the British Values of mutual respect and tolerance. Through these experiences, pupils learn to value other cultures and languages, growing in friendship and understanding with our global neighbours. In all we do, we strive to live out our school mission:

“We do our best by following Jesus.”