French
French
At The Angmering School, our French curriculum is designed to nurture confident, resilient and culturally-informed communicators who can succeed in an increasingly global society. Through learning French, students develop both language proficiency and an appreciation of different cultures, perspectives and ways of life. The subject embodies our school values of Ambition, Respect and Courage: ambition through striving for increasing language accuracy and fluency, respect through understanding and valuing other cultures, and courage through embracing challenge, taking risks and learning from mistakes.
French makes an important contribution to students’ overall education by enhancing communication, memory, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. It also encourages curiosity, empathy and international awareness. Learning French expands students’ horizons, deepens cultural understanding and creates opportunities for further study, employment and global engagement.
Our curriculum is carefully structured to build secure foundations in phonics, vocabulary and grammar while developing the four key language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students also acquire valuable cultural knowledge through exploring the traditions, customs and modern life of French-speaking countries.
At Key Stage 3, teaching is informed by Dr Gianfranco Conti’s Extensive Processing Instruction (EPI) approach. Through the use of comprehensible input, carefully designed sentence builders and regular recycling of language, students learn language as meaningful chunks rather than isolated vocabulary items. This methodology supports confidence, fluency and long-term retention while minimising cognitive overload and promoting successful language acquisition for all learners.
The curriculum is both ambitious and accessible, maintaining high expectations for every student, including those with SEND and disadvantaged backgrounds. Effective sequencing, retrieval practice, adaptive teaching strategies and appropriate scaffolding ensure that all learners can access, remember and apply new language successfully.
The programme fully aligns with the National Curriculum requirements for Modern Foreign Languages and provides a clear route into the Pearson Edexcel GCSE French specification. Through a carefully planned sequence of learning, students gain the knowledge, skills and cultural awareness required for success at GCSE and beyond.
Students say…
"Learning a language has made me more confident and shown me that I can communicate with people from all over the world."
"Learning about culture through the enrichment activities and trips make languages feel real – it's not just about learning words, it's about understanding how people live in different countries”
What are the key features of the programme of study?
The Key Stage 3 French curriculum is based on the Dynamo course and is designed to build confidence across listening, speaking, reading and writing. Learning is sequenced carefully to develop phonics, vocabulary and grammatical understanding progressively over time.
What will my child study in Year 7?
During Year 7, students establish a strong foundation in French phonics, vocabulary and basic grammatical structures. Areas of study include personal introductions, school, free time, family life and town. Students learn to understand and produce simple spoken and written French while building confidence with essential language patterns.
What will my child study in Year 8?
In Year 8, students broaden both their vocabulary and grammatical knowledge through topics including holidays, festivals and celebrations, leisure, home life, daily routines and sport and fitness. They begin to justify opinions in greater detail and communicate using a wider variety of language structures and tenses.
What will my child study in Year 9?
Year 9 focuses on developing greater fluency and accuracy while preparing students for GCSE study. Topics include teenage life, future plans, music, environment and the francophone world. Students engage with more sophisticated language and are encouraged to communicate with increasing independence across all four language skills.
How are the groups organised?
Students are taught in mixed-ability classes throughout Key Stage 3. Lessons are planned to provide both challenge and support, ensuring that all learners can make strong progress regardless of prior attainment.
What equipment is needed?
Students are expected to bring a blue or black pen, a purple pen for feedback and improvements, as well as a ruler. Although dictionaries are available in classrooms, students may bring their own French dictionary if they wish.
How is the course assessed?
Assessment is ongoing throughout lessons and includes activities such as retrieval practice, mini quizzes, mini-whiteboard tasks, targeted questioning and teacher checks for understanding. Formal assessments take place once per half term to evaluate progress in relation to the knowledge and skills taught. An end-of-year assessment is also completed in the summer term.
How do you give feedback to students?
Students receive regular feedback to support their development. Teachers provide immediate verbal feedback during lessons and address misconceptions through questioning, discussion and mini-whiteboard activities. Following assessments, whole-class feedback lessons (DIRT lessons) focus on common strengths and areas for development. Extended writing tasks are accompanied by a detailed green feedback sheet containing personalised advice and targets for improvement.
What course is offered?
Students follow the Pearson Edexcel GCSE French (9–1) qualification (2024 specification). The course develops competence across listening, speaking, reading and writing while enhancing understanding of the French-speaking world.
Specification
What will my child study in Year 10?
Year 10 marks the start of the GCSE course using the Pearson Edexcel French textbook (2024). Students explore core themes including My Personal World (identity, relationships and daily life), Lifestyle and Wellbeing (healthy living, leisure activities and routines), and elements of Media and Technology (online activities, TV and film). They strengthen their vocabulary, phonics and grammar knowledge while becoming more confident using present, past and future tenses. All four language skills are developed from the beginning through regular speaking opportunities and structured writing tasks.
What will my child study in Year 11?
In Year 11, students complete the remaining GCSE themes: My Neighbourhood, Studying and My Future, and Travel and Tourism. These units encourage students to communicate using more complex and extended language. Preparation for examinations becomes a major focus, including role plays, photocard discussions, general conversation practice, reading comprehension, dictation, translation and extended writing tasks. Grammar knowledge is refined further, with increased emphasis on accuracy and spontaneous communication.
How is the course assessed?
The GCSE qualification consists of four externally assessed papers, each contributing 25% of the final grade:
Paper 1: Listening and Understanding in French
Paper 2: Speaking in French (conducted in school and externally marked)
Paper 3: Reading and Understanding in French
Paper 4: Writing in French
Each assessment measures students’ ability to understand and communicate in French across a variety of real-world contexts linked to the specification themes. The qualification is tiered at Foundation and Higher level, with examinations taken at the end of Year 11.
What course is offered?
Students study AQA A-level French (7652). This linear qualification develops advanced skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing while promoting a deeper understanding of the culture, society and political contexts of the French-speaking world.
Specification
What will my child study in Year 12?
During Year 12, students strengthen their linguistic foundations and develop the ability to communicate using increasingly sophisticated French. They study the themes of Aspects of Francophone Society, including family structures, youth culture and the digital world, alongside Artistic Culture in the Francophone World, covering areas such as music, festivals and traditions. Students also begin analysing a film, developing both cultural knowledge and critical thinking skills. Grammar is revisited and expanded systematically, with a particular emphasis on translation and linguistic accuracy.
What will my child study in Year 13?
Year 13 completes the A-level programme through the theme of Multiculturalism in Francophone Society, exploring immigration, integration and cultural diversity. Students study a literary text and develop more advanced analytical and evaluative skills. They also undertake an Independent Research Project (IRP) based on a topic of personal interest connected to the French-speaking world. Examination preparation focuses on essay writing, translation, summary skills and spoken fluency.
How is the course assessed?
The AQA A-level French course is assessed through three externally examined papers:
Paper 1: Listening, Reading and Writing (includes translation into and from French and a critical response to the set text or film)
Paper 2: Writing (essay on the set text or film studied)
Paper 3: Speaking (discussion of an Independent Research Project and one sub-theme linked to the specification)
All examinations are completed at the end of Year 13. Students are assessed on their ability to communicate accurately and fluently, analyse authentic materials critically, and demonstrate strong grammatical control and spontaneity.
What opportunities can the course lead to?
A-level French is recognised as a facilitating subject and supports progression into a broad range of university courses and careers. Universities and employers value the communication, analytical and intercultural skills it develops. Students may progress to degrees in languages, translation, interpreting, business, law, politics, international relations and area studies, or combine French with other academic disciplines. Career opportunities include diplomacy, international business, journalism, tourism, education and employment within global organisations where language proficiency and cultural understanding are highly valued.
The French curriculum is delivered by a team of highly experienced multilingual teachers who bring extensive linguistic knowledge and practical experience to the classroom. Many staff members have lived, studied or worked abroad and have used languages professionally outside education. This enables them to enrich learning with authentic cultural perspectives and real-world examples of language use. As a result, students benefit from accurate language modelling as well as deeper cultural understanding and communicative confidence.
Teaching is grounded in research-informed practice and a communicative approach to language learning. Lessons maximise exposure to the target language while providing clear modelling, sentence builders and carefully structured scaffolding to support all learners in mastering increasingly complex language. Listening, speaking, reading and writing are integrated throughout the curriculum, with frequent opportunities for interaction, guided practice and independent application.
Knowledge retention and application are supported through systematic retrieval practice and carefully planned curriculum sequencing. Low-stakes quizzes, mini-whiteboard activities and targeted questioning regularly revisit prior learning, while essential vocabulary and grammar are repeatedly recycled across different topics to strengthen long-term memory and improve fluency.
Literacy development is embedded through the explicit teaching of vocabulary, grammar and sentence construction, enabling students to produce increasingly accurate and sophisticated French while enhancing broader reading and writing skills. Numeracy is reinforced through practical contexts involving time, dates, prices and quantities. Technology is used strategically to enhance learning through digital quizzes, audio materials, interactive platforms and online resources that support listening, pronunciation and independent study.
Homework in Modern Foreign Languages is designed to reinforce classroom learning, develop independent study skills and build students' confidence over time. At Key Stage 3, homework is set twice a half term to consolidate vocabulary and lesson content, practise exam-style questions, and complete cultural research or project-based tasks. At Key Stage 4, students receive homework on a fortnightly basis, focusing on grammar, vocabulary retrieval and the development of GCSE exam skills. At Key Stage 5, homework is set weekly to support students in mastering A Level content, refining language skills and preparing for assessments through independent reading, listening, writing and grammar practice.
Our Modern Foreign Languages enrichment programme brings language learning to life by providing students with meaningful opportunities to experience languages beyond the classroom. Through cultural workshops, theatre performances, careers events, competitions and international links, students develop confidence, curiosity and a greater appreciation of the diverse cultures of the French and Spanish-speaking worlds.
Highlights include Year 7 international dance workshops, Year 8 interactive, foreign-language theatre performances, a careers event exploring the role of languages in industry, and a KS4 pen-pal exchange with partner schools in Latin America and France. Students across the school also celebrate the European Day of Languages and compete in our annual MFL Spelling Bee, fostering enthusiasm and a healthy sense of competition.
Our enrichment programme extends classroom learning, broadens students' cultural capital and demonstrates the value of languages in an increasingly global society. Students also have the opportunity to experience language and culture first-hand through our residential visit to Paris, and we are excited to be planning further residential trips to France and Spain in the future.
