Languages Curriculum

Higher Bebington Junior School
Languages Curriculum

INTENT

At HBJS, we believe that the learning of a language provides a valuable educational, enjoyable and cultural experience for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  It helps them to develop communication skills, including core skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. The children’s knowledge of how language works, its phonics system as well as links with grammar in English will be developed and built upon.  Lessons will enable pupils to make substantial progress in one language. The ‘transferrable’ language learning skills gained will assist and lay foundations for further language study. It will provide pupils with the confidence and independence to explore and be able to attempt manipulation of the structure of language. Learning another language gives children a new and broader perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures more as well as those of others. 

IMPLEMENTATION

HBJS are members of Primary Language Network and follow an adapted version of their scheme of work to deliver language provision. The scheme is continually updated and revised in order to meet with current curriculum standards. Alongside the planning provided, the scheme of supported by accompanying videos, PowerPoints, audio files (spoken by native speakers) links to authentic literature, songs, games, cultural points of reference, seasonal specials and cross-curricular links, all with a 'primary' focus. The children will be taught their French skills through four different topics each year. To promote an active love of languages, a range of teaching methods are implemented to ensure that the children are developing their linguistic skills through listening, speaking, reading and writing in order to be secondary ready. Activities consist of actions, rhymes, stories, song, drama, grammar focus, video clips, air writing, sentence structure, dictionary work, book making and many more creative ways to extend, embed and combine language skills.  Written work is kept in work books although formal writing is not the outcome of every lesson. 

IMPACT

Our French curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression both in core skills and language learning skills.  Formative assessment happens during lessons in order to evaluate what the children have learned and provide real-time feedback to improve further. Errors are corrected by being ‘re-framed’ and growth mindset is encouragement for all to ‘have a go’ and learn from any mistakes. Pupils self-assess each learning objective using PLN’s self-assessment cloud documents. There are inbuilt opportunities to carry out summative assessment at the end of each topic in listening, speaking, reading and writing in order for teachers to track progress. The outcomes of these assessments allow staff to identify any of the core skills which still need developing and any areas of content which need further reinforcement. By the end of KS2, we aim for pupils to have a curiosity for languages and to be developing into global citizens of the future.