French

Bonjour et bienvenue à la section française du site de l'école primaire Bacton!

Hello and welcome to the French section of the Bacton Primary School website!

At Bacton Primary School, we believe that learning a modern foreign language broadens horizons, develops curiosity and helps children understand the wider world. As a largely monolingual rural school, learning French provides valuable opportunities for children to communicate in another language, appreciate different cultures and develop confidence as global citizens.

French is taught throughout Key Stage 2 in accordance with the National Curriculum through the Kapow programme. Through carefully planned and progressive learning, pupils develop their skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing French whilst building confidence in communicating in another language.

Speaking and listening are at the heart of language learning. Children regularly practise pronunciation, conversation and presentation skills, developing the confidence to communicate in French whilst strengthening their wider communication skills. By the time pupils leave Bacton Primary School, they will have developed a secure foundation in French and be well prepared for further language learning at secondary school.

We learn to:

• listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
• explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
• engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, express opinions and respond to those of others, and seek clarification and help
• speak in sentences using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
• present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
• read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
• appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
• broaden vocabulary and develop the ability to understand new words introduced into familiar written material
• write phrases from memory and adapt these to create new sentences, expressing ideas clearly
• describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing

Through learning French, children not only develop language skills but also gain an appreciation of different cultures, traditions and ways of life. We hope that language learning inspires curiosity, resilience and a lifelong interest in the wider world.