Intent:

At Crawley Ridge Junior School, our French curriculum is designed to develop pupils’ enthusiasm for languages and deepen their understanding of the wider world. Through a carefully sequenced, linear curriculum, pupils progressively build their language skills and confidence. Our chosen themes—Time Travelling, Let’s Visit a French Town and This Is France—introduce pupils to the culture of French‑speaking countries and communities.

We aim to enable pupils to express ideas and communicate in French through speaking, listening, reading and writing. Central to our approach is exposure to authentic French, with regular opportunities to hear and engage with native speakers. Our curriculum supports pupils to become curious, confident and reflective language learners, providing a strong foundation for future language study.

Implementation

French is taught through a carefully sequenced programme that builds on prior learning, with regular opportunities for retrieval and revision of vocabulary and grammatical structures. Lessons are designed to introduce new language in context while reinforcing previously learned content.

In Lower Key Stage 2, pupils focus on developing strong speaking and listening skills, acquiring core vocabulary and basic grammatical understanding. In Upper Key Stage 2, these skills are embedded and extended, with increased opportunities for reading and writing, use of more complex language structures and greater learner independence.

Lessons provide cultural context and insight into French‑speaking countries and communities. Learning is further enriched through whole‑school events, including an annual French Day featuring a French breakfast and theatre performance.

Impact

As a result of our French curriculum, pupils develop a growing confidence in communicating in another language and a positive attitude towards language learning. They are able to understand and use key vocabulary and structures in speaking and writing and demonstrate increasing cultural awareness.

The impact of our French curriculum is assessed through:

• Ongoing formative assessment through questioning, observation and spoken responses
• Monitoring pupils’ ability to recall and apply vocabulary and grammatical structures
• Summative assessments used to identify attainment and inform next steps in learning
• Pupil voice to assess confidence, enjoyment and understanding

Pupils leave Crawley Ridge Junior School with an enthusiasm for languages, an appreciation of French culture and the skills needed to continue language learning confidently in the future.