Intent – What is the purpose of our MFL curriculum?
At Tranmere Park Primary School, we believe that the study of languages should enable pupils to: study and work in other countries, broaden their horizons, converse fluently with others, explore cultures and strengthen their economic prospects. We believe that fostering a curiosity in languages helps to deepen their understanding of the world. We intend to:
– Captivate our pupils and stimulate their curiosity.
– Help our children know and understand the key concepts of ‘Culture’, ‘Expression’ and ‘Communication.’
– Equip pupils with the linguistic skills of: speaking, reading, writing and listening in another language. They will understand the disciplinary knowledge of a being linguist based upon the three pillars of: Phonics, Vocabulary and Grammar.
In summary, the learning of another language is of great importance to our pupils and we believe that, the earlier they are introduced to this, the more confident and enthusiastic language learners they will become. Because of this, we intend to deliver an ambitious and coherently planned programme of study which enables our students to interpret, create and exchange meaning within and across cultures.
Our aim is to equip pupils with the foundations for learning further languages and ensure they understand the importance of tolerance and understanding of different cultures and languages in addition to their own as they grow up to become global citizens.
| Our Children will: | Our Teachers will: |
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Implementation – How do we do it?
The Learning Journey
Because of our passion for languages, our children commence their language learning in EYFS with weekly sessions of 15 minutes, progressing to weekly lessons of 30 minutes in KS1. We firmly believe that early language acquisition skills are key in facilitating the children’s understanding of the patterns of language and encourages comparisons with English. The focus in EYFS and KS1 is very much on developing speaking and listening skills and children are taught using songs, rhymes and games, with lots of repetition. As the children progress to KS2, more reading and writing tasks are introduced and weekly 60-minute lessons are planned to ensure an equal balance of all four language learning skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing).
The children develop their knowledge and competence by revisiting vocabulary but extending it from single words, to sentences with the aim of writing and understanding short paragraphs by the end of KS2. La Jolie Ronde Scheme of Work is used across school as a basis for planning, but this is also supplemented by other resources such as The Early Start packs and we place a great emphasis on exposing the children to a wide variety of songs, stories, poems and rhymes.
Cross-curricular links are made wherever possible and many of our French topics are linked to the half-termly topics. In addition, any grammar taught is linked to that taught as part of our English curriculum. Authentic material is used frequently, and this is particularly effective in extending our gifted and talented pupils. These pupils are also targeted through our annual “Challenge Days” when pupils across school work on a project to enhance their skills.
We have a wide selection of resources suitable for each Key Stage including authentic French reading books, DVDs and games. Tranmere Park has developed a link with the François Mitterrand College in Veynes, and pupils in Year 6 correspond with a pen pal which enables them to “write for a reason”. Furthermore, Year 6 pupils have also been able to practise their language skills in real life situations during our annual residential to France which has taken place for the last 7 years.
French is generally taught by the class teacher but the two specialist language teachers working in school are used to assist with training and support for those staff who feel less confident.
Assessment
– Short-term assessments aim to assess the children’s learning informally on a lesson-by- lesson basis and are key to our curriculum. These could include observations of groups, analysis of whole class feedback, the marking of work or short tests, either in written or oral form.
– Medium-term assessments are completed at the end of a half-term and individual pupil results are placed on O-Track (a data management system). The EYFS class teacher also keeps a highlighted grid, to show progress within the age bands outlined in ‘Development Matters.’ These grids are kept in the assessment folders within classrooms.
– Long-term assessments assess our children against national expectations. These are also used to provide extra information about individual children’s attainment and progress so that the teacher can report to the next teacher and the child’s parent. Furthermore, data will be used by SLT to brief the governing body, the staff and the LEA on overall progress towards the school’s end of year targets.
Monitoring
The MFL subject leader will use their expertise to support other teachers through timely feedback, coaching and support. Completing an annual deep dive into MFL, they will undertake: learning walks, pupil and teacher interviews and will scrutinise assessment data. Additionally, regular staff consultations and questionnaires are used to identify any areas for development. This information is used to develop the focus for future CPD in the subject.
Impact – What knowledge and skills are obtained?
Our carefully planned assessment procedures ensure a progression of skills that our pupils enjoy and thrive under as they move through school. Said knowledge progressions have now been adapted by local primaries within our cluster as an example of good practice.
At Tranmere Park, every pupil will:
| · Leave the school with the skills to be confident linguists who have a strong awareness of cultural differences and a curiosity about the wider world.
· Be inspired to go and explore the wider world, embracing all the culture and learning that promotes. · Be challenged so that they achieve national expectation by the end of KS2. · Respond confidently when asked to: speak, listen, read and write in French. · Develop a clear understanding of the importance of speaking another language and a show a keen understanding of how being equipped with these skills will afford them the greatest opportunities to enjoy success in KS3. · Recognise themselves as global citizens and will be aware of the importance of understanding and appreciating other cultures. · Have their successes celebrated and will respond to this enthusiastically and with a willingness to ‘have a go’. |
Further to the above, our Curriculum, at Tranmere Park, is designed to ensure that each child is a confident and successful learner who demonstrates our core values:
| The Team Tranmere Way | |||||
| Be Yourself | Be Your Best | Be Team Tranmere | |||
| Our children will learn to like who they are; they respect themselves and live their lives in their own way, regardless of the opinions of others. | Our children ‘give it everything they have got’ to achieve their full potential across the curriculum. | Our children are a part of a community and have respect for the resources and people in it and that surround it. | |||
| Our Learning Values and Behaviours | |||||
| Self-Manager | Effective Participator | Independent Enquirer | Team Worker | Resourceful Thinker | Reflective Learner |
| Our children set their own goals and manage their own time, motivation and concentration. | Our children participate in lessons and persuade and encourage others to do so. | Our children set goals for their research with clear success criteria. | Our children understand that we are stronger together and implement this. | Our children are problem-solvers who can adapt to new or difficult situations. | Our children critically analyse their work ensuring future improvements. |
