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    French

    Introduction to Department:

    The French department aims to provide students with a solid grounding in grammar, phonics, and vocabulary. The four main skills, listening, reading, speaking, and writing, are developed in almost all lessons and are reinforced through assessments tailored to the curriculum requirements of each year group. The department’s key principles are communication, variety, and motivation. Learners are motivated to acquire languages through diverse teaching methods and a strong emphasis on communicative competence. 

    The curriculum provides a high level of challenge, enabling students to achieve strong outcomes. By learning a life skill, students gain confidence to pursue further education or employment within Europe and internationally. Cross-curricular links are established throughout the French curriculum, incorporating skills acquired in English, History, Geography, and Art. 

    Grammar is introduced cumulatively, ensuring that concepts covered in one topic are reinforced in subsequent topics to strengthen understanding over time. Vocabulary is systematically revisited, and assessments in Years 8 and 9 include content from previous terms to ensure retention. At Key Stage 4, assessments are designed to develop the skills required for the GCSE examination. Outside lessons, students extend their learning through platforms such as Memrise, Quizlet, Languages Online, and Duolingo. 

    Reading is emphasised as a core skill. Pupils progress from basic recognition of information to comprehension and inference tasks. In Key Stage 5, students analyse novels or films in French and produce essays on themes or characters as part of their A-Level examinations. Phonics are systematically taught with targeted resources for specific sounds. 

    The quality of teaching and learning, together with extra-curricular opportunities, ensures that French remains a popular subject, reflected in the number of students who continue to A-Level. 

    Extra and Super-curricular: 

    Students are offered the chance to visit France in Year 9 or Year 10, with the French Department running a residential trip to Paris. For students at A Level, a visit to Lille and Brussels is offered, in which language classes are delivered, while cultural visits are also available. 

    Students are given the opportunity to compete in the UK Linguistics Olympiad, to test their language skills. One-to-one mentoring sessions are delivered by our Sixth Form students to students in Year 11 to help them to prepare for their GCSE examinations. 

    French prefects are encouraged to offer French-specific competitions and events for younger students to motivate young language learners as part of the House System.

    Recommended websites:  

    Recommended reading: 

    • Short Stories in French for Beginners – Olly Richards – KS4 
      A graded collection of stories designed to reinforce key vocabulary and structures. 
    • French Short Stories for Intermediate Learners – Olly Richards – KS4/KS5 
      A continuation text that develops reading fluency and introduces more complex grammar. 
    • Easy French Step-by-Step – Myrna Bell Rochester – KS4/KS5 
      A structured guide to building French grammar and vocabulary. 
    • Mot à Mot- Paul Humberstone- Vocabulary for A-Level French 
    • Action Grammaire!- Paul Shannon, Phil Turk, Genevieve Garcia Vandaele- French grammar for A-Level 
    • Modern Languages Study Guide: Un Sac de Billes- Karine Harrington- Study guide for A-Level French book study 
    • Modern Languages Study Guide: La Haine- Karine Harrington- Study guide for A-Level French film study 

    Learning by Key Stage  

    KS3 

    In Year 7, pupils are taught in tutor groups. They are taught all three Modern Foreign Languages (French, German and Spanish) on a carousel system, with two teachers teaching them two languages at any given time. Students select the language they wish to continue studying to GCSE around Easter in Year 7. In rare cases students must study their second-choice language to mitigate timetable constraints. 

    In Years 8 and 9, teaching groups are mixed according to chosen language and remain consistent. Topics covered include Free Time, Arranging to Go Out, Travel Plans, Festivals, Friendships and Relationships, School, Daily Routine, Holidays, Home and Local Area, Food and Mealtimes, and Illnesses and Injuries. A small number of pupils may be offered an alternative GCSE option by the MFL Department. 

    KS4 

    Pearson Edexcel GCSE French Pearson Edexcel GCSE French (2024) | Pearson qualifications 

    French is delivered in mixed teaching groups according to option choices, five hours per fortnight. Grammar is reinforced, exam skills are developed, and the following themes are studied: Identity and Culture, Local Area, Holiday and Travel, School, Future Aspirations, Work and Study, and International and Global Dimension. 

    The GCSE includes four examinations: 

    • Listening: comprehension of spoken French 
    • Reading: comprehension through written responses, multiple choice, and translation 
    • Writing: ability to produce complex, coherent French and translate from English 
    • Speaking: production of French in real-life scenarios, photo description, and discussion of given themes 

    KS5

    AQA French A-level French 7652 | Specification | AQA 

    French is taught eight hours per fortnight by two teachers who split the content. Year 12 topics include the family, cyberspace, cultural heritage, volunteering, and the history of French cinema. Year 13 topics include diversity and multiculturalism, immigration, young people in politics, and aspects of the French legal system. 

    Students study La Haine and Un Sac de Billes, producing essays for Paper 2 (20%). Paper 1 (Listening, Reading, Translation) assesses vocabulary, grammar, translation, and summary skills (50%). Paper 3 (Speaking) evaluates knowledge of topics and analytical skills (30%), including an Independent Research Project on Francophone culture, society, or history. 

    Staff

    Head of Department: Mr A Green adg@bishopwordsworths.org.uk 

    Teachers of:  

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