Modern Foreign Languages
Dane Royd LINGUISTS;
communicate, discover, enrich
Welcome to our MFL page!
Bonjour, Je m’appelle Madame Hannam!
Children at Dane Royd love learning languages and they are keen to explore other cultures and learn about different countries. Languages are an integral part of the curriculum and it is rewarding to see children become confident in acquiring listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in different languages.
Mrs Hannam
MFL Lead
Intent - Why is MFL important for our children?
We are ambitious for all our children in the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages. The MFL curriculum at Dane Royd Junior and Infant School begins in Upper Foundation Stage and continues through to Year 6. We teach French as our first Modern Foreign Language, taught by a language specialist with a degree in French and German.
Until March 2020 Mandarin was also taught in school. We usually employed a Chinese Language Assistant through the British Council, these CLAs are qualified teachers who have completed a comprehensive training programme to teach Mandarin as a foreign language. Our teaching of Mandarin was an enhancement to our MFL curriculum further developed by our Y6 parent and pupil visit to our sister school in Chengdu, China. We continue our friendly link with our sister school. We currently enhance our MFL provision through our newly established link with a primary school in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
In French our intention is that children develop an interest in learning other languages in a way that is both enjoyable and stimulating. We encourage children’s confidence whilst developing their curiosity as to how language is structured.
Our programme of study is very clear and well sequenced, developing skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening. Grammar is taught systematically to enable children to use and apply their French learning in a variety of contexts laying the foundations for future language learning.
When teaching languages we aim to:
·Develop a love of languages and an appreciation of how language works
·Enhance confidence in spoken language, pronouncing common graphemes to promote accurate pronunciation and intonation
·Improve confidence in learning new vocabulary including how to use a bilingual dictionary and the strategies need to commit words to memory
·Teach an understanding of key concepts such as gender, adjectival agreement, word order and the use of high frequency verbs
·Provide the opportunity to read and appreciate stories, poems and rhymes along with the ability to respond to language from authentic sources
·Develop confidence in writing, integrating new language into previously learned language
Enrichment opportunities also include a Spanish lunchtime club which is very popular
Implement - What will our children learn?
We follow the Little Languages Scheme of Work in EYFS and Key Stage 1 and the ‘La Jolie Ronde’ Scheme of work in Key Stage 2 to ensure coverage and progression across school. Both schemes are written by the Wakefield School Improvement Advisor Rachel Redfearn. The MFL Language Leaders attended termly training to support the teaching of Languages in the school lead by Rachel Redfearn.
Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversational work, singing activities and games. As confidence and skill grows, children record their work through pictures, captions and sentences. By Years 5 and 6 children are writing in paragraphs confidently applying key vocabulary, sentence structures and French grammar in their extended writing French is taught weekly throughout the school. We teach French in a logical sequenced order building on and revisiting high frequency language, teaching through topics that allow children to apply their knowledge of grammatical structures and key phrases. Children have to opportunity to listen to stories being read in the target language as well as read stories for themselves, accessing our MFL school library. In MFL lessons we constantly revisit language skills and build on and recap knowledge. Children have the opportunity to share their language learning beyond the classroom through class assemblies, and MFL focused events.
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Our Scheme of Work has clear age related expectations; it is clear what children should be able to do and understand in MFL. Assessment is based upon the explicit expectations written in the Long Term Plan which includes pupils’ achievement in reading, writing, speaking, listening and grammar. We strive to ensure that our pupils’ attainment is in line with or exceeds their potential when we consider the varied starting points of all our children.
Our MFL Curriculum Overview
Cycle 1: (2022-2023)
Cycle 2: (2023-2024)
Impact - How will it help our children?
At Dane Royd Junior and Infant School, pupils leave KS2 well prepared for the rigour of language learning at KS3 and beyond. It is our hope that the vast majority of our former pupils will take and be successful in GCSE languages or as part of their Ebacc qualification. The teaching of foreign languages supports children to be confident communicators and think as global citizens. The MFL curriculum goes beyond the teaching of a language, it includes intercultural understanding and the aspects of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. MFL is monitored by our subject leader throughout all year groups using a variety of strategies. These include class assemblies, book scrutinies, lesson observations, staff discussions and pupil voice.
What do our children like about MFL?
"I like reading stories in French and enjoy acting them out."
Joel - Year 3
"I like Spanish Club because I love Spanish culture and the language is amazing."
Harmony - Year 6
"I love learning a different language and all about France. I also like singing songs in French."
Mabel - Year 2
"In French I like writing sentences and using different accents."
Dylan - Year 5
"I like the French language because I love pronouncing all the tricky words and creating my own sentences."
Freya - Year 6
Our Spanish Link School
Dane Royd has established an exciting link with a school in Gran Canaria. Our partner school, CEIP Alcorac Henríquez is located in Las Palmas. Children in Year 5 and Year 6 have the opportunity to liaise with pen pals from the school and there is now a popular Spanish lunchtime club for KS2 children.
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As part of our link with CEIP Alcorac Henríquez we are establishing a broadcast radio project. Our school has been invited to take part in a cross European programme in 2024 where we will be able to share our and listen to recorded radio programmes with schools in six European countries. Our radio station broadcasts will be available online for children and parents to listen to at home.
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