How we Support and Develop Your Child

Lessons, homework and spelling lists are tailored to the needs of students working at and towards each threshold, ensuring that students are simultaneously supported and challenged. Students receive writing frames and sentence starters for more challenging tasks and are shown models of work from each threshold. A wide range of activities is planned in order to meet the learning needs of every students including games, songs and kinaesthetic activities as well as online homework to motivate students.

How we Assess Your Child's Progress

Students are encouraged to engage with their own learning through Threshold progress trackers. Formative assessment, through teacher, or self-assessment, is recorded and reflected on at regular points throughout each unit. At the end of each unit, students will be summatively assessed, with each skill being monitored against the threshold descriptors. In addition, students will be regularly tested on relevant vocabulary, key verbs and grammar. Finally, speaking skills will be assessed regularly in the lesson during role-play activities

Year 7

Overview

In Year 7, our aim is to instil in the pupils an enthusiasm about interacting in French and a curiosity about the culture and language. In every unit, there is building of independent language learning skills, grammatical content and cultural discussion.

Lessons are conducted in French as much as possible, using accessible language. We encourage every child to participate and grow in confidence.

Skills Developed

A variety of reading, written, speaking, and listening skills are developed. Students will also develop skills to interact in the foreign language. They will use dictionaries as language learning tools as well as strategies for efficient learning of vocabulary and grammar structures .They will develop techniques to understand meaning of unknown vocabulary with the context. They will learn to develop their ideas in writing showing that they can use 2 tenses as well as justify their opinion. Formal grammar work is also a priority to ensure that their writing is highly accurate.

Topics Covered

Download the French Year 7 Curriculum Overview

• Me voilá!
• Ma famille et moi
• Mes passetemps
• Mon college
• Mon monde a moi!
• KiriKou

Year 8

Overview

In Year 8, our aim is to build on the communication skills, vocabulary and grammatical knowledge acquired in Year 7 and to enable learners to communicate in three time frames (past, present and future) about a greater range of topics.

Skills Developed

In addition to building upon the skills developed in the Year 7 course, students will express their opinions, agree and disagree. They will continue to effective vocabulary-learning strategies. Students will learn to be more independent and use the textbook and grammar notes as well as vocabulary mats to help with their own speaking and writing. They will also learn to proof read their work.

Topics Covered

Download the French Year 8 Curriculum Overview

• Les vacances
• Les loisirs
• Paris et moi
• Mon monde á moi
• Chez moi
• Le petit Nicolas

Year 9

Overview

In year 9, students will start preparing the GCSE course building on the foundation they will have built in year 7 and 8.

Skills Developed

Effective communication in French is the ultimate aim of the French GCSE course. Pupils should ultimately emerge being able to hold conversations in French, ‘get by’ in the country, and use the language for work and travel purposes.

This year is the year when the strong grammatical foundations will be laid that will equip pupils to speak and write confidently and accurately. This will go hand in hand with practice of the four skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing.

Topics Covered

Download the French Year 9 Curriculum Overview

• Qui suis-je?
• On sort ce soir?
• Mon temps libre
• C’est la fete!
• Les choristes

Subject Leader: Mrs C Ruston
Email: rustonc@lytchett.org.uk

What are the aims of the course?
In today's global economy, companies dealing with international markets are increasingly demanding better language skills of their workforce. Learning a Modern Foreign Language is a skill for life, which will enhance both communication skills and employment prospects.

Many of the skills taught will help students to gain an insight into other countries and cultures and well as improving their own literacy skills by teaching techniques required to access and understand language.

What is the content of the course?

Identity and culture

• Me, my family and friends
• Free-time activities
• Customs in French-speaking countries / communities

 Local, national, international and global areas of interest

• Home, town, neighbourhood & region
• Travel & tourism

School

• Comparing French and English schools
• School rules
• Getting the best out of school

Future aspirations, study and work

• Discussing career choices
• Plans, hope and wishes
• Applying for jobs

International and global dimension

• Discussing problems facing the planet
• Protecting the environment
• Fair trade
• Volunteering

Resources:

• Spanish text book
• Languagesonlineorg.uk
• Activelearn.com
• The Language assistant: 1 hour per week per class
• Sam Learning
• Authentic material

Download the French Year 10 Curriculum Overview

Download the French Year 11 Curriculum Overview

How will it be assessed?
Assessments:  One exam in the four skills at the end of year 11: Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing.

What is expected of me?

• Learn vocabulary and grammar carefully.
• Participate as fully as possible in oral work (this helps to develop all the other skills)
• Think communication
• Extend your range of grammatical structures as often as possible.
• One hour of homework a week.

Opportunities
You will have the opportunity to work with Year 6 on transition days.

Studying a language at GCSE will enable you to access a wide range of jobs in business, marketing, tourism and sales in our busy global market.