According to the new National Curriculum (2014)
‘learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures.’
At Sandhurst we believe that learning a foreign language is an important aspect of the children’s learning and believe that it can help to raise awareness of the multi-cultural and multi lingual world we live in. The teaching of a Modern Foreign Language is embedded into our curriculum at Sandhurst Primary School.
We are lucky enough to have a support staff member who is French and therefore delivers our French lessons in Key Stage 2 on a Monday afternoon.
We aim to ensure that pupils of all abilities develop solid foundations in these key language learning skills – properly preparing them for the next stage of their language learning journey. These skills will develop children’s ability to understand what they hear and read and enable them to express themselves in speech and writing. We will extend their knowledge of how language works and explore the similarities and differences between the foreign language they are learning and English.
We have links via the Sandhurst twinning society with a school in Heuringhem that we have visited in previous years. Similarly we have also take our children in Years 5 and 6 on a French Residential trip, to the KCC centre at Hardelot, to immerse them in French culture. Currently, due to Covid 19, we write letters to the children in Heuringhem instead until visiting is an option again.
The National Curriculum for languages aims to ensure that all pupils:
- listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
- explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
- develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
- present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
- read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
- appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language