MfL Intent, Implementation and Impact
Subject Lead: Mrs Minty
Intent
At Sheldwich Primary School, we aim to offer a relevant, broad and ambitious MfL curriculum which inspires, excites and stimulates children, encouraging them to become lifelong language learners. Children learn French in Years 3, 4 and 5 and Spanish in Class 6. This allows them to study one language in depth, with a clear progression of their learning and language skills, as well as introducing them to a greater breadth of languages – ultimately, our intent here is to enable children to feel confident and more prepared for language learning in Secondary School and beyond. MfL is taught with one structured lesson per week. Within these lessons, the four main language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking) are modelled by teachers and practised by the children and age-appropriate phonic and grammar rules taught.
Implementation
MfL is taught through a series of carefully sequenced lessons. The curriculum is set out to enable children to build on previous knowledge gradually as their lessons continue to recap and consolidate previously learnt language whilst building on all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Thus, each topic within the curriculum is progressive within itself, as subsequent lessons will continue to build upon the learning of the previous lesson.
- Lessons are taught weekly and are in line with the National Curriculum.
- Children are taught in a mixed ability year group with every child learning through whole class teaching and independent activities.
- Lessons use an interactive input with plenty of opportunities for listening, reading and speaking.
- There is an opportunity for writing in every lesson, with children recording in a French book that moves with them up the school, allowing it to additionally be used as a reference tool.
- Knowledge and awareness of required and appropriate grammar concepts will be taught throughout all units at all levels of challenge.
- The language is modelled confidently and accurately by teachers during lessons.
- Where possible, links are made with other subjects across the curriculum.
- The curriculum focusses on topics that children will find relevant to themselves and allows for the learning of language which can be applied to other topics within the curriculum. This enables children to become more familiar with the language and thus more confident when applying previous language learning to new topics.
- An MfL day will be held within the year to further excite and stimulate children with regards to language learning, developing a positive curiosity and genuine interest in the language.
- The use of ‘Teacher swapping’ will enable teachers who are more confident in language teaching to teach additional classes, thus the children will benefit from enthusiastic and passionate teaching.
Impact
As a result of our teaching you will see:
- Children who have a genuine interest in language learning and enjoy their language lessons.
- Children who are increasingly confident listening to, reading, writing and speaking in a foreign language.
- Learning that starts at basic noun and article level progressing to pupils learning how to formulate short phrases and eventually being encouraged to formulate their own, more personalised responses based on a much wider bank of vocabulary, linguistic structures and grammatical knowledge.
- Children who are continuously building on their previous knowledge as they progress in their foreign language learning journey through the primary phase. Previous language will be recapped and consolidated whenever possible and appropriate.
- Year 6 children who leave Sheldwich Primary School having the necessary skill set to embark on language learning as part of the Secondary Curriculum.
- Learning that is tracked and monitored to ensure all children make at least good progress.
Assessment
Teacher assessment forms the basis of MfL assessment at Sheldwich Primary School. Teachers are expected to mark each lesson and record children who have achieved particularly well, and those who require additional support. Teachers assess formatively through the use of interactive lesson inputs, as well as through their marking of children’s work in their books. As a result of this, teachers are highly skilled at adapting their planning to meet the needs of their children. The assessment of children in MfL is noted termly on the schoolwide ‘Foundation Assessment’ file and is reported to parents twice yearly through the ‘Mid-Year Report’ and ‘End of Year Report’.