Queen's Park CE/URC 
Modern Foreign Languages
“Les limites de ma langue sont les limites de mon monde.”
Ludwig Wittgenstein
The limits of my language are the limits of my world.
“For with God, everything is possible” (Matthew 19:26)
Through our continued service to our community and rooted in our Christian Values, the opportunities we provide inspire our children and adults at our school to learn, to grow and to flourish. We are committed to developing our children into confident individuals who make a positive difference through developing a respect for themselves, each other and the world around them. For with God, everything is possible. (Matthew 19:26)
The spiritual development of our children is a priority across all areas of the curriculum. At Queen’s Park CE/URC Primary School, we define spirituality as connecting with ourselves, others, the world and God, through whom, everything is possible (Matthew 19:26).
We explore spirituality through our Spiritual Capacities (our Spiritual C’s) which are curiosity, creativity, compassion, captivation, consciousness, being courageous contributors and having opportunities to contemplate.
We understand the importance of both planned and spontaneous opportunities in all aspects of our CROWN Curriculum. This is evidenced in our class reflections book, through ‘spirituality in the spotlight’ and through speaking to our children.
At Queen’s Park CE/URC, we are committed to embedding a positive attitude to language learning amongst pupils and staff and providing opportunities to develop an awareness and appreciation of cultural similarities and differences. With this in
mind and in line with our Christian values, we aim to bring the world into the classroom by carrying out international projects and working with partner schools overseas, hereby widening the linguistic cultural capital of our pupils.
Everything is possible!
“Les limites de ma langue sont les limites de mon monde.”
Ludwig Wittgenstein
The limits of my language are the limits of my world
.PNG)
Our five Crown Principles drive our MFL curriculum.
Challenge
Through the ‘challenge’ curriculum driver we want our children to relish the challenges that being a linguist can bring. We ensure that our children experience challenges in all disciplines of languages, within the four strands of MFL: listening, speaking, reading and writing with grammar and phonics interwoven throughout.
Resilience
Through the ‘resilience’ curriculum driver, we promote optimism and determination in our language lessons. Through fun, meaningful lessons the children feel confident and safe to explore a new language. We provide the necessary tools of vocabulary, grammar, audience and purpose within a positive environment to ensure that pupils have an excellent attitude to all language learning.
Opportunities
Through ‘opportunities’, we raise aspirations to broaden our children’s horizons – opening their eyes to the myriad careers they might pursue. We believe in working with partner schools and presently enjoy a connection with Ecole de Velles so that our pupils may see purpose in their French learning as well as enabling them to learn about French culture. We teach our pupils that French is spoken in many countries around the world and carry out projects on ‘les pays francophones’. Whenever the opportunity arises, we invite French native speakers into school, to not only help with French language work but also for our children to understand the language learning journey of others. We want our pupils to have a clear understanding of the link between achieving well and having goals for the future.
Wellbeing
At Queen’s Park, we understand that happiness is linked to personal growth, health and development. We ensure our children are happy, healthy individuals. Languages are delivered in a positive atmosphere where children are encouraged to ‘have a go’. Mindfulness sessions are also delivered through the resources provided by Primary Languages Network. As global citizens our children show tolerance and respect for other cultures and embrace EAL pupils by learning new languages through them. With ‘wellbeing’ as a curriculum driver, we give children the confidence to thrive in a diverse, global society and be respectful citizens with British and Christian Values at the core.
kNowledge
Through the ‘kNowledge’ curriculum driver, we encourage our children to be resourceful learners. It is uniquely challenging and coherent to our children. The knowledge imparted in MFL is crafted by our curriculum leader and MFL subject leader to ensure that all pupils achieve secure substantive and disciplinary knowledge in French. In KS2, lessons are delivered by two French specialists, but all our teachers teach with the aim to ensure pupils have sufficient knowledge to progress through primary school and beyond.
Being a linguist means that disciplinary and substantive knowledge complement each other harmoniously. Language disciplines and skills such as using a bilingual dictionary, translation strategies, pronunciation, intonation and awareness of gender and adjectival agreement are high profile within our MFL curriculum.
Our MFL curriculum very much intertwines with literacy in that we look at the etymology of words as they occur and pick out words of Latin/French origin to work on in guided reading lessons.
.png)
MFL LongTerm Plan
In EYFS and KS1 our pupils are exposed to language learning through songs, games, stories and cultural activities when it is possible. The pupils take part in celebration days such as European Day of Languages and have sessions with a specialist teacher or through PLN lessons using the VLE.
French is taught weekly across the school by two specialist French teachers. We subscribe to Primary Languages Network so that class teachers in all year groups are able to deliver French. Y6 have weekly Mandarin lessons provided by our feeder secondary school, Cowley International College.
Progression documents
Our progression documents have been created by the Curriculum Leader and MFL Subject Leader, based on the scheme of work provided by Primary Languages Network, to ensure clear progress in the three pillars of language learning: vocabulary, grammar and phonics.
The progression documents show key knowledge (substantive knowledge), key vocabulary and key skills (disciplinary knowledge) and assessment outcomes from EYFS – Year 6.
.png)
Vocabulary is V.I.T.A.L in MFL
Valued
We value vocabulary in MFL and in everything we do.
Identified
French vocabulary is identified by the MFL subject leader and is explicitly planned for.
Taught
Vocabulary is explicitly taught in every lesson. Our Crown Planners are used as a teaching tool for key French vocabulary and the French Primary Languages Network medium term plans include additional vocabulary to be taught.
Applied
Once vocabulary is taught, it is applied. Children apply their vocabulary in their speaking and listening, writing and assessment outcomes in MFL.
Learned
Vocabulary is revisited and relearned. Vocabulary sticks in the children’s long-term memory. Lesson by lesson, year by year, children revisit and relearn key French vocabulary.
Through an ‘explosion of experiences’, our youngest linguists are exposed to the foundations of their language learning. Carefully planned language and cultural knowledge, skills and experiences are provided for our children. High quality books, stories and rhymes are the beating heart of our MFL curriculum in EYFS. French vocabulary is planned for. Staff are role models in demonstrating French vocabulary and this is further enhanced by our excellent provision. The foundations of French learning in EYFS is linked to Year 1 and beyond.
Year 1 to Year 6
Year on year, children will build upon their French knowledge, skills and vocabulary. The curriculum leader and MFL subject leader have created a meaningful, sequential learning journey through French language and culture. Careful curriculum thinking and planning ensures that our children have the subject knowledge and components embedded in their long-term memories.
.png)
Pedagogy
Both our staff and children are enthusiastic about languages. Through ongoing CPD, we strive to ensure our teachers have expert knowledge of the French they teach. Our pedagogy is firmly based upon our curriculum intent of embedding concepts into long-term memory so that they are able to be recalled, to ensure substantive and disciplinary knowledge and skills can be applied fluently.
Our ‘Queen’s Park Quality First Teaching’ model ensures that lessons are effectively sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and towards defined end points.
We firmly believe that all children should have full access, including those with additional needs, to our Modern Foreign Language curriculum therefore lessons are scaffolded where appropriate in order to meet the needs of all our children.
Both our staff and children are enthusiastic about Modern Foreign Languages. Through ongoing CPD, we strive to ensure our teachers have expert knowledge of the MFL curriculum they teach. Our pedagogy is firmly based upon our curriculum intent of embedding concepts into long-termmemory so that they are able to be recalled, to ensure substantive and disciplinary knowledge and skills can be applied fluently.
Our ‘Queen’s Park Quality First Teaching’ model ensures that lessons are effectively sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and towards defined end points.
At Queen’s Park, we implement an adaptive teaching approach to ensure that all learnersengage in meaningful, challenging, and achievable learning experiences. Our strategy is informed by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) research on adaptive teaching, emphasising high expectations, scaffolded support, and responsive adjustments to meet the needs of all pupils. We ensure effective, early identification of any additional barriers to learning, inclusive of but not restricted to Special Educational Needs, Pupil Premium and EAL. Adaptive teaching is essential to our quality first teaching offer as part of our graduated response.
Our Approach: 80% Proactive, 20% Reactive
We recognise that effective adaptive teaching is most successful when it is intentionally planned in advance (proactive) while also allowing for real-time adjustments (reactive) based on pupil responses and progress. Our model ensures:
80% Proactive Adaptive Teaching: Teachers anticipate and plan for diverse learning needs by designing lessons that provide challenge while being accessible to all. This includes the following:
- Carefully structured tasks that encourage all learners to think hard but remain achievable with time, effort, and support.
- Scaffolded instruction, including modelling, worked examples, and guided practice.
- Strategic use of questioning to check understanding and deepen learning.
- Use of visuals and concrete resources to support learning.
- Scaffolded tasks that enable all children to access the curriculum without lowering expectations.
- Planned opportunities for retrieval throughout the curriculum and where appropriate planned opportunities for pre-teach of new learning.
- Use of accessibility features on iPads to support learning tasks or use of ICT to provide further scaffolding.
- Where necessary, a modified curriculum to ensure full curriculum entitlement for children who are working below the age-related expectations as identified on the SEND register.
20% Reactive Adaptive Teaching: Teachers remain responsive during lessons, adapting in the moment to ensure all learners stay engaged and make progress. This includes:
- Making in-the-moment adjustments, such as providing additional explanations, breaking down tasks further, or offering immediate feedback.
- Using formative assessment strategies to identify and address misconceptions as they arise.
- Adjusting levels of support, such as peer collaboration
At our school, we believe that with God, everything is possible. We create a caring and exciting learning environment where children are encouraged to be curious, confident, and to believe in themselves.
We use digital technology to help children learn, explore, and prepare for the world around them. By using technology in positive and meaningful ways, we help our children become confident learners who are ready for life in an increasingly digital world. We teach our children how to use technology safely, responsibly, and kindly. This helps them grow into respectful digital citizens who understand how to make good choices online and treat others with care.
Our aim is to give every child the skills they need for the future. Technology supports our teaching, helping us to personalise learning and provide extra support where needed. It is always used to enhance learning and never replaces high-quality teaching or the important relationships between teachers and children.
We also use technology to make learning accessible for all children, supporting different learning needs and helping every child to find their voice. By building confidence, communication skills, and independence, we prepare our children to become lifelong learners who are ready to face future challenges.
.png)
The sequence of lessons across MFL follows the same structure:
Each lesson, within the sequence, follows the structure so prior knowledge is constantly revisited and transferred to long term memory.
.png)
Our Crown Planners support our children with vocabulary and key knowledge (phonics, culture, geography). In French, the children are given them on a format of the French flag at the start of the year. They are told that the blue section, on both the vocabulary and knowledge crown planners, represents autumn term, the white represents spring term and the red is for summer term. They enhance children’s understanding of key concepts, present information clearly and promote appropriate discussion.
.png)
We understand that we may not see the true impact of our MFL curriculum on our children as our languages curriculum is just the beginning of a lifetime of learning.
Our well-constructed and well-taught MFL curriculum leads to great outcomes. Our results are a reflection of what our children have learnt. At Queen’s Park, our philosophy is that broad and balanced leads to great outcomes and meeting end points at the end of each key stage. National assessments are useful indicators of the outcomes our children achieve.
We ensure all groups of children are given the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We strive to ensure that our children are equipped with the skills (through a growth mindset approach) to fluently be able to retrieve key facts and vocabulary from their semantic memory.
The quality of our children’s work, at every stage, is of a high standard. All learning is built towards an end point and at each stage of their education, we prepare our children for the next stage.
We ensure that any reading done in French is planned to a stage appropriate level and fluency. Reading is the beating heart of all that we do at Queen’s Park and we feel that the gift of learning a foreign language impacts the understanding of all areas of English language positively.
The impact of Queen’s Park primary languages curriculum is measured through the following:
- Assessment at the end of each unit of work
- Vocabulary and knowledge are assessed at the end of each lesson and at the end of each sequence
- Pupil voice
- Progress evident in children’s books and record of experiences
- Seeking views of parents where appropriate