French
Lower School Curriculum
French is taught to all pupils from Years 3 to 5 by specialist teachers. Years 3 and 4 are allocated one period per week, while Year 5 have two periods. All year groups study France and French culture.
Year 3 follows an informal introduction to the language using 'KTEV's Pilote' video-based course that emphasises the skills of Listening and Speaking.
Year 4 will continue with the speaking and listening skills learned in Year 3 and begin to develop their reading and writing skills. Heinemann's 'Expo' course is introduced as the main teaching textbook, together with a cahier for written exercises.
Year 5 adopt a more formal approach and continue with 'Expo 1' as their textbook. Pupils in Year 5 have one 30 minute prep per week and sit an end-of-year exam, covering the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing.
- Topics
- greetings; names; how are you; the alphabet; numbers; ages; months; birthdays; days; dates; the weather; family; pets.
- Topics
- rrevision of personal information and understanding other people's information; school objects and gender; talking about the classroom; colours; singular and plurals with numbers.
- Topics
- descriptions of people; talking about hair and eyes; talking about where people live; houses and rooms including describing the bedroom; talking about what you do at home; the time; the town and directions; ordering snacks and drinks; the cost and prices.
The skills of reading and writing begin to assume a greater importance.
Upper School Curriculum
Autumn Term
Greetings, ages. Classroom objects.
Talk about places/where you live.
Talk about the week/alphabet. Asking questions.
Pets/colours/sizes
Family/home. Etre and avoir.
Likes and dislikes
Explaining tu/vous.
Spring Term
The date. Talking about events.
Clothes. Birthdays/presents.
The weather/seasons.
Some ‘er’ verbs.
Leisure activities.
Singular/plural.
Summer Term
Places in a French town. Directions.
‘at’ or ‘to’ (à la etc).
Verb ‘aller’ to go.
Year 6 French Trip and work based upon it.
Autumn Term
The clock/time/daily routine.
School subjects and opinions.
Food, drink and mealtimes. Using the words for ‘some’
Likes and dislikes for food.
The negative.
Verb – ‘prendre’ to take.
Leisure activities
Sport and music.
24hour clock
Household chores.
Faire- to do or to make
Spring Term
Shops and shopping.
Quantity and money.
Negative.
Countries, transport.
Describing towns
Future time. Aller + infinitive.
Voir - to see
Venir - to come
Pouvoir + infinitive – to be able to
Summer Term
School life.
Daily routine, travel to school.
Dire – to say.
Lire – to read
Ecrire – to write
Reflexive verbs.
Vouloir + infinitive – to want to
Autumn Term
Saying what you have done and what has happened – perfect tense with avoir. Talking about where you went (perfect tense of ‘aller’) – what you did and how you travelled.
Talking about family life.
Introducing people. Offering, accepting and refusing food.
Staying with a French family.
Buying drinks, snacks and ice creams.
Meals in a restaurant.
Time, numbers 1-1000.
Spring Term
Travel by train, coach and boat.
Station signs, buying a train ticket.
Describing a recent day out.
Discussing clothes, colours and what to wear.
Describing appearance (mainly facial).
Parts of the body and saying what hurts (avoir mal à …)
Saying you feel ill and explaining what is wrong. Saying you feel hot, cold, hungry or thirsty or that you have a temperature.
Seeing the doctor. Telling people what to do – imperative/command.
Summer Term
Finding out what’s on.
Arranging to meet.
Giving, accepting and refusing invitations.
Discussing leisure activities – buying tickets.
Making comparisons.
CE practice.
Curriculum Enrichment for Gifted or Talented Pupils in French
Pupils are placed in sets according to their linguistic ability and both differentiated and advanced material is used to develop greater confidence and to extend skills.
Lunchtime group sessions are available in order for year 8 pupils to work in smaller groups to increase their speaking and writing skills and to practise for Scholarship and Entrance examinations.
(Those pupils, who, for one reason or another, are behind with their work, are encouraged to attend extra lunchtime clubs in order to help them to catch up.)
Prep
Years 6, 7 and 8 have 3 periods per week. Year 6 has one thirty-minute prep and Years 7 and 8 have one forty-five minute prep per week.
Resources
All pupils must bring the following to the lesson:
- Textbook
- Exercise book
- Jotter pad
- Vocabulary book
- Grammar book
- Homework diary
- Pencil case (working pen, spare cartridges, ruler, pencil, rubber, sharpener, colours, safety scissors and glue stick)
Visits
Pupils are encouraged to take part in the well-established exchange we have with a school in Rouen and in any other trips, which may be arranged to France.
A particular emphasis is placed on learning preps with follow-up work or assessments carried out under test conditions. In addition, homework will consist of: answering written exercises, filling in worksheets, writing messages, postcards and letters etc.
FRENCH BEGINNERS (11+)
Autumn Term
Greetings/ages
Numbers to 30
Classroom objects
Places/where you live
Talk about the family and home
Days of the week
Alphabet
Numbers to 70
Ask questions
Pets/colours/sizes
Likes and dislikes
Explain tu and vous
Spring Term
The date. Talk about events.
Birthdays/presents/adjectives.
Avoir – to have
Etre – to be
Weather/seasons.
Sport and leisure activities
Numbers to 1000
Regular ‘er’verbs
Places in a French town
Summer Term
Directions ‘at’ or ‘to’ (à)
Verb – aller
The clock/time.
School subjects and opinions.
Daily routine.
Reflexive verbs
Food and drink
‘some’
Mealtimes in France
Autumn Term
Revision of food.
Leisure activities.
Sport and music.
24 hour clock.
Household chores.
Faire – to do or to make.
Shops and shopping.
Quantity and money.
The negative
Spring Term
Countries and transport.
Describing towns.
Future time. Aller + infinitive.
School life.
Staying with a French family.
Saying what you have done and what has happened – Perfect tense with avoir. Talking about where you went (Perfect tense with être)
Buying drinks and snacks
Summer Term
Travelling by train
Discussing transport
Clothes.
Describing people.
Parts of the body and saying what hurts (avoir mal à…)
Seeing the doctor.
CE Practice
Post-exam work
