Modern Foreign Language Intent, Implementation and Impact  

“To have another language is to possess a second soul”

Charlemagne

Intent

It is the intent of Park Road Community Primary School to provide a creative, engaging, exciting and progressive modern foreign language curriculum. The National Curriculum 2013 states: 

“A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world”  

Through the teaching of a modern foreign language, we aim to stimulate our children’s natural curiosity, opening a gateway to the world outside Park Road School, for example, working in a foreign country in the future. When learning another language, children are empowered to celebrate and welcome differences in our ever-changing world which links to our school value of being ‘inclusive’. Children’s social skills are developed through a collaborative learning approach, alongside broadening their cultural understanding when learning about life in a different society. At Park Road, children are able to transfer skills taught in MFL lessons across the curriculum, for example speaking and listening skills allowing them to regularly revisit and recap skills. In turn this will aid their application in MFL as they progress through our school, and beyond.  

Implementation

At Park Road, our children learn French. We begin the learning journey in EYFS as we believe that early acquisition of a second language will build foundations and foster the children’s enjoyment, awe and curiosity of the subject. The teaching of Modern Foreign Languages across Park Road follows the National Curriculum using the Language Angels learning scheme. This supports teaching staff to plan and implement MFL lessons that are progressive. During the 30-45minute, weekly lesson, an appropriate balance of listening, speaking, reading and writing opportunities are provided. We engage all learners through using a variety of activities and teaching styles. This may include song, role play, rhymes, games and written activities. Opportunities are also provided outside of the timetabled lesson to apply spoken language, for example when answering the register. Through following the Language Angels scheme, children have secure foundations to allow them to succeed in further language learning. 

 Impact 

We aim for children to make excellent progress in MFL and become confident linguists. They will be able to articulate their learning in MFL lessons and say why they enjoy it, and how it is useful. They will be able to transfer their skills and new learning enabling them to remember more and know more.  

Children in KS2 are assessed against National Curriculum attainment targets. We track children’s progress through using a secure, online tool within the Language Angels website, tracking Programme of Study attainment targets. During lessons, we use a child-friendly assessment tool which enables staff, and children, to assess their learning at the end of each topic. Further assessment opportunities could be demonstrated in many ways including but not limited to spoken performance, song, evidence in language books, verbal communication via Seesaw.

Information about children’s attainment is passed on to the next teacher and the Subject Lead monitors and tracks this throughout the year by way of learning walks and talks, work monitoring and pupil voice discussions.

Click on the National Curriculum image for the National Curriculum programme of study for Modern Foreign Languages.

MFL Curriculum Documents