MFL

Knowledge, skills & mastery

Our department provides high quality, engaging lessons by covering the three pillars of progression: phonics, vocabulary, and grammar. Through learning and practice, the range, complexity and accuracy of grammatical features as well as the breadth and depth of pupils’ vocabulary knowledge increases throughout the curriculum, which is clearly mapped to facilitate clear progression. Moreover, we ensure pupils experience rich cultural content as well as linguistic. This allows pupils to develop their sociolinguistic competence alongside their mastery of discourse.

Our curriculum is outlined in more detail on our curriculum maps. It is designed to be challenging, cross-curricular, and culturally relevant, and includes literary links in line with our whole school literacy focus. Link to SMSC and British Values are carefully embedded and there are also links to careers and further education.

Topics and themes are returned to and built upon across the key stages in order to stretch and challenge pupils, and to allow them to build on previous knowledge and skills. This allows pupils to link concepts together and to apply familiar vocabulary or structures in unfamiliar contexts. Over time pupils’ comprehension (reading and listening skills) is developed allowing them to interpret longer texts and discourse. With regards to producing language (speaking and writing skills) the curriculum ensures pupils have the opportunity develop their confidence and retrieval at sentence level before developing strategies to produce longer and more complex utterances and texts. Throughout the curriculum there is opportunity to revisit grammar in new contexts, and the order in which tenses are taught is carefully considered.

Pupils are assessed through termly milestone assessments. As part of our retrieval strategy, assessments include questions that allow pupils to draw upon knowledge from previous topics or themes. There are also questions on unfamiliar topics as an opportunity to apply familiar concepts (be it phonics, vocabulary, or grammar) to unfamiliar contexts. Vocabulary test are an integral part of our independent learning program to allow pupils to develop and strengthen their understanding of topic lexis and syntax.

Literacy & Numeracy

Literacy is at the heart of our curriculum as pupils develop the skills they need to be effective communicators in the target language. Links are between English and MFL such as grammatical terminology are made explicit as pupils draw on their cross-curricular skills. Topic texts are woven into the curriculum which are culturally relevant texts in the English language, allowing pupils to develop their literacy skills whilst deepening their intercultural understanding.

Writing is a fundamental skill in language learning and communication. Pupils are supported in their development of writing in a target language through the use of writing frames, model answers, and sentence building tasks from Y7 onwards. This scaffolding allows pupils to build confidence in writing in a foreign language and ultimately being able to compose a piece of written work in the target language independently. Pupils are encouraged to use their imagination to write creatively, and to capture the spirit of adventure by writing about what genuinely interests and inspires them.

Pupils are introduced to basic numeracy in the target language as part of their transition work from KS2, and this foundation is built upon throughout the curriculum. Pupils are expected to identify numbers, quantities, prices, and values as well as articulate these in the target language

As part of the transition process from KS2 to KS3, pupils have the opportunity to select their preferred language of study. Whichever language is studied in Year 7 is continued throughout KS3 and pupils are encouraged to continue with their chosen language into KS4. The EBacc is promoted across the department and the value of language learning is communicated clearly to our students and their parents/carers. Links to careers and further education are embedded into our curriculum as well as being referenced in the school’s PSHCE program of study and on displays across the school.  The numbers of pupils opting for a Language GCSE continues to be on a steady increase and the importance that Abbey Park School places on language learning is a factor in this.

Culture as well as language is celebrated across the curriculum and we explore the world beyond the classroom. We capture pupils’ spirit of adventure by exploring communities and cultures, from the Souks in Marrakech to the Parque del Retiro in Madrid. This brings languages ‘to life’ as their eyes are opened to the broader language-speaking communities and culture. The subject is more than just vocabulary and grammar, but a means of communication and of exploring the world in which we live.

Aspiration & Wellbeing

The MFL department is proud to celebrate diversity and to develop pupils’ intercultural understanding. As well as teaching French and Spanish, we fully support EAL pupils to undertake qualifications in their native language if appropriate, and celebrate languages days and cultural events both cross-Trust and with our feeder primary schools.

Along with developing language mastery, pupils are equipped with a wealth of transferable skills and a deepening appreciation and resilience for the wider world. We encourage pupils to consider languages as a life-long endeavour and raise aspirations by exploring the long-term broad benefits of language learning not just from a career perspective, but from a wellbeing perspective also. Our curriculum is regularly audited to ensure appropriate links to SMSC and BV, and to ensure any cultural links are relevant to the changing global picture.

Community, respect & enrichment

Department teachers are language specialists and there is an understanding that teachers’ expertise and CPD are central to meeting the needs of pupils as well as the wider national picture. The department regularly completes subject-specific CPD alongside pedagogic training. Course training from our exam board AQA is central to this, and we routinely share best practice and CPD resources ensuring that there is a mutual benefit from any training or development.

Cultural awareness and understanding is a key component of our curriculum which we believe leads to greater tolerance and respect for others. Pupils experience rich cultural content. Opportunities to explore themes such as the arts, geography, and history of Francophone and Hispanic countries are fully embedded, and literary texts in the target language are analysed at KS4.

Pupils across the key stages are given access to after-school enrichment. The provision varies from cultural clubs such as French cinema, to exam preparation at KS4 and these are run by subject specialists.