Please note: the KS3 curriculum for Modern Foreign Languages will be changing from September ’24. In order to support students’ mastery of the subject and their overall fluency, students will switch to learning one language. More information about the details of this will be shared in the coming months.
Modern Foreign Languages
Vision
We want our students to feel confident about speaking wider languages, but we also want students to have an appreciation for the culture surrounding the languages that we teach and beyond.
We want students to have a thoughtful understanding of the wider world and to feel confident within a global market. We want our students to view MFL as a tool for interacting with the world, rather than a barrier. We want to discourage any fears around elitism and make languages an enjoyable and enriching experience.
How do we build on what students learn at KS2?
We want to ensure that our students are thoroughly supported in their transition from KS2 to KS3 MFL. In order to do this, we work with local primary schools so that our curriculums complement one another. In year 7, we purposely prioritise revisiting and rebuilding on the following:
- Recap key vocabulary that forms the initial building blocks of the language of study e.g. greetings, numbers, opinion phrases, articles and vey verbs.
- Phonics – the pronunciation of key letters and pairs of letters
- Encourage students to engage in short conversations in the target language, always aiming to speak in full sentences.
- Show an understanding of the phonics of their language of study, focusing on the pronunciation of key letters and groups of letters.
- Reading and listening to short passages in the target language with a focus on key words and reading/listening for gist.
- Write phrases from memory to describe themselves, their family and their school.
How do we cover the KS3 National Curriculum and beyond?
We believe that covering the KS3 National Curriculum is hugely important but we also recognise how crucial it is for students to be exposed to wider knowledge beyond this.
We ensure that we cover the KS3 National Curriculum by covering the following:
- Conjugation of both regular and irregular verbs into the present, past and future tenses.
- A range of topic areas and vocabulary that goes beyond their immediate needs and helps them to confidently discuss their interests and the interests of others e.g. school, family, free time, holidays, food and drink, health and home/local area.
- The phonics behind the languages of study – consolidating and embedding the pronunciation of key letters and pairs of letters.
- Produce extended pieces of writing with increasing accuracy in spelling and grammar.
- Expose students to a range of authentic texts and audio recordings including poems, songs, postcards and passages from children’s books in order to develop comprehension skills and encourage curiosity and resilience when encountering unfamiliar vocab.
- Key questions for initiating conversations with others and encouraging students to respond to these questions in more detail, speaking with confidence and increasing accuracy in pronunciation.
- Translating texts both from and into the foreign language.
We go beyond the National Curriculum by:
- Organising trips abroad to practise speaking and encourage an appreciation of other cultures
- Assemblies and house competitions for European Day of Languages
- Cultural capital lessons which cover different aspects of the French, Spanish and German speaking world
- Lunchtime culture clubs
- A variety of assessment opportunities to allow all students to achieve.
What do we cover in KS4 and how do we aspire towards KS5?
We ensure that our curriculum revisits key ideas that are covered in key stage 3 and that a clear foundation for KS4 is created. Over the course of year 10 and 11, we cover:
- A wide range of vocab and topic areas to cover the three key themes of:
- identity and culture
- local, national, international and global areas of interest
- current and future study and employment
- A range of grammar points including imperfect and conditional tenses, direct/indirect object pronouns and idiomatic expressions to increase fluency and foster an ambition to engage with native speakers.
- A range of authentic materials to allow students to refine their comprehension and translation skills, both through reading and listening.
- Customs, festivals, geography and places of interest in the Francohone and Hispanophone world foster an appreciation of the culture behind the language being taught.
KS5
We want to ensure that our students are ready for life beyond KS4 so we foster an interest in languages to help them to aspire to study and engage with this through KS5 and beyond.
In order to encourage this, we:
- Discussing grammar and topic links to A level languages
- Showing of A level films
- Careers discussions
Year 7 Curriculum Overview
| Year | HT1 | HT2 | HT3 | HT4 | HT5 | HT6 |
| Year 7
French/Spanish Learning question Key knowledge |
Bonjour!
Tu peux te presenter? Numbers 1-31, concept of masculine and feminine nouns, definite and indefinite articles, key French phonics rules |
Ma Famille
Tu peux me parler de ta famille? Adjectival agreement and placement, possessive pronouns, key verbs avoir and être in the present tense |
Hola
¿Quién eres? Numbers 1-31, concept of masculine and feminine nouns, definite and indefinite articles, key Spanish phonics rules |
Mi Familia
Habláme de tu familia Adjectival agreement and placement, possessive pronouns, key verbs tener and ser in the present tense |
Mon Collège
C’est comment ton collège? Opinions and justifications, forming questions Cultural awareness of French school system |
Mi Colegio
¿Cómo es tu colegio? Opinions and justifications, Cultural awareness of Spanish school system |
| Building and revisiting | Students arrive with varying KS2 experience with languages, HT1-4 is spend ensuring all students have basic vocab and grammar awareness in French and Spanish | Revisiting the concept of masculine and feminine and building on this concept by introducing adjectival agreement to talk about family members. | Revisiting concept of the definite and indefinite article which has already been studied in French | Revisiting concept of the adjectival agreement and placement for describing family members which has already been studied in French | Revisiting definite article as it is used alongside opinion phrases | Revisiting definite article as it is used alongside opinion phrases |
| Assessment | RAP:
Standardised writing mid way through unit and end of unit assessment – speaking and writing |
RAP: Standardised writing mid way through unit and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through unit and end of unit assessment – speaking and writing | RAP:Standardised writing mid way through unit and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through unit and end of year exam – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing mid way though unit |
| Year | HT1 | HT2 | HT3 | HT4 | HT5 | HT6 |
| Year 7
French/German Learning question Key knowledge |
Bonjour!
Tu peux te presenter? Numbers 1-31,concept of masculine and feminine nouns, definite and indefinite articles, key French phonics rules |
Ma Famille
Tu peux me parler de ta famille? Adjectival agreement and placement, possessive pronouns, key verbs avoir and être in the present tense |
Hallo!
Kannst du dich vorstellen? Cardinal numbers 1- 99, regular verbs in the present tense singular form, the irregular verbs ‘sein’ and ‘haben’, noun gender, the definite article in the nominative case, the indefinite article in the nominative and accusative case. |
Die Schule
Wie ist deine Schule? Possessive adjectives ‘mein’ and ‘dein’, the irregular verbs ‘essen’, ‘trinken’ and ‘tragen’, the negative article in the accusative case. |
Mon Collège
C’est comment ton collège? Opinions and justifications, forming questions Cultural awareness of French school system |
Familie und Freunde
Wie sind deine Familie und Freunde? Plural forms of nouns, adjectival endings before a noun, qualifiers in front of adjectives, connectives. |
| Building and revisiting | Students arrive with varying KS2 experience with languages, HT1-4 is spend ensuring all students have basic vocab and grammar awareness in French and Spanish | Revisiting the concept of masculine and feminine and building on this concept by introducing adjectival agreement to talk about family members. | Revisiting the concept of verb conjugations and the definite and indefinite articles that have already been introduced in French. | Revisiting regular and irregular verbs in the present tense and the indefinite article in the accusative case. | Revisiting definite article as it is used alongside opinion phrases | Revisiting the 3rd person singular verb forms in the present tense. |
| Assessment | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through unit and end of unit assessment – speaking and writing | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through unit and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through the unit and end of unit assessment – speaking and writing. | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through the unit and end of unit assessment – reading and listening. | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through unit and end of year exam – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through unit. |
| Year | HT1 /HT2 | HT3 /HT4 | HT5 /HT6 | |||
| Year 7
Parvis Magna Spanish Learning question Key knowledge |
Hola
¿Quién eres? Numbers 1-31, definite and indefinite articles, concept of masculine and feminine nouns, key Spanish phonics rules |
Mi Familia
Habláme de tu familia Adjectival agreement and placement, possessive pronouns, key verbs tener and ser in the present tense |
Mi Colegio
¿Cómo es tu colegio? Opinions and justifications, cultural awareness of Spanish school system |
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| Building and revisiting | Students arrive with varying KS2 experience with languages, HT1/2 is spend ensuring all students have basic vocab and grammar awareness in Spanish | Building on awareness of key verbs in the first person and consolidating key phonics covered in Term 1 | Revisiting the definite article when used alongside opinions | |||
| Assessment | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through unit | End of unit assessment – speaking and writing | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through unit | RAP: End of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through unit | RAP: End of year exam – reading and listening |
Year 8 Curriculum Overview
| Year | HT1 | HT2 | HT3 | HT4 | HT5 | HT6 |
| Year 8
Learning question Key knowledge |
Mes Passetemps
Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire pendant ton temps libre? Present tense of regular verbs, jouer vs faire, intro to irregular verbs, frequency phrases |
T’es Branché(e)?
T’es Branché(e)? Justifying preferences, present tense of –er, -ir and –re verbs introduction to the perfect tense for regular –er verbs |
Mi Tiempo Libre
¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre? Present tense of regular verbs, intro to stem changing verbs (jugar), frequency phrases, intro to the near future tense |
Diviértete
¿Quiéres salir? Justifying preferences, comparative structures, using stem changing verbs querer and poder in the present tense |
J’adore Paris!
Qu’est-ce que tu as fait à Paris le weekend dernier? Perfect tense of regular and some irregular verbs, perfect tense structures with both avoir and être, cultural awareness of Paris landmarks |
Vacaciones
¿Qué hiciste en las vacaciones el año pasado? Introduction to the preterite tense with regular -ar verbs and irregular key verbs ir and ser, cultural awareness of Central and South American countries |
| Building and revisiting | Revisiting adjectives to justify opinions | Revisiting formation of the present tense, frequency phrases, building on Y7 by giving more detailed opinions | Revisiting formation of present tense and using a range of adjectives to justify opinions | Revisiting the near future tense, building on Y7 by giving more detailed opinions | Revisiting the perfect tense and building a deeper knowledge of the formation of perfect tense structures. | Revisiting adjectives for giving opinions |
| Assessment | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – speaking and writing | RAP:Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of year exam – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing mid way through unit |
| Year | Unit 1 | Unit 2 | Unit 3 | Unit 4 | |||
| Year 8
Parvis Magna Learning question Key knowledge |
Mi Tiempo Libre
¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre? Present tense of regular verbs, intro to stem changing verbs (jugar), frequency phrases, intro to the near future tense |
Diviértete
¿Quiéres salir? Justifying preferences, comparative structures, using stem changing verbs querer and poder in the present tense |
Vacaciones
¿Qué hiciste en las vacaciones el año pasado? Introduction to the preterite tense with regular verbs and irregular key verbs ir and ser |
En Casa
¿Cómo es tu casa? Present tense of regular and stem changing verbs, reflexive verbs, prepositions |
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| Building and revisiting | Revisiting adjectives to justify opinions | Revisiting the near future tense, building on giving more detailed opinions | Revisiting adjectives for giving opinions | Revisiting adjectival agreement and concept of stem changing verbs | |||
| Assessment | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point | RAP: End of unit assessment – speaking and writing | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point | RAP: End of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point | RAP: End of year exam – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point |
Year 9 Curriculum Overview
| Year | HT1 | HT2 | HT3 | HT4 | HT5 | HT6 |
| Year 9
French Learning question Key knowledge |
La Nourritue
Qu’est-ce que tu voudrais manger? Partitive and indefinite articles, key verbs manger and boire, conditional phrase “je voudrais”, numbers 1-100+ for prices and quantities |
Chez Moi, Chez Toi
Tu habites où? BAGS adjectives, prepositions, comparative structures |
Ma Vie Sociale d’Ado
Tu est quelle type d’ado? Using the present and perfect tenses, introducing the near future tense, direct object pronouns |
Bien Dans sa Peau
Que fais-tu pour rester en forme? Using three tenses together, using “Il faut” to give advice, forming negative structures in all tenses. |
Les Vacances
Ou aimes-tu aller en vacances? Using three tenses together, introducing reflexive verbs, asking questions using key questioning words |
Les Choristes
Cultural focus – analysis of a French film followed by a film review. |
| Building and revisiting | Revisiting the indefinite article | Revisiting adjectival agreement, building on prior knowledge of adjective placement | Revisiting adjectival agreement, present and perfect tenses | Revisiting present, perfect and near future tenses | Revisiting “je voudrais” and adding “j’aimerais”
Building on ability to use present, perfect and near future accurately |
Consolidating using 3 tenses + je voudrais alongside adjectival agreement and opinions/justifications |
| Assessment | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – speaking and writing | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP:Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – speaking and writing | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of year exam – reading and listening | RAP: Film review of Les Choristes |
| Year | HT1 | HT2 | HT3 | HT4 | HT5 | HT6 |
| Year 9
Spanish & Parvis Magna Learning question Key knowledge |
En Casa
¿Cómo es tu casa? Present tense of regular and stem changing verbs, reflexive verbs, prepositions |
Mi Ciudad
¿Qué hay en tu ciudad? Comparative structures, using estar, the near future tense |
La Comida
¿Qué te gusta comer durante un día normal? Tu vs usted form of address, using present and preterite tenses together, numbers 1-100+ for prices and quantities |
La Ropa
¿Qué tipo de ropa prefieres llevar? Using two verb structures to express obligation, using two tenses together |
La Salud
¿Qué necesitas hacer para mantener una vida sana? Using three tenses together (present, preterite and near future), key phrase “me duele(n)” |
Valentin
Cultural focus – analysis of an Argentinian film followed by a film review |
| Building and revisiting | Revisiting adjectival agreement and concept of stem changing verbs | Revisiting the near future tense | Revisiting indefinite articles, present and preterite tenses | Revisiting definite/indefinite articles and adjectival agreement | Revisiting two verb structures to express obligation, revisiting key verb estar | Consolidating use of three tenses alongside adjectival agreement and opinions/justifications |
| Assessment | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – speaking and writing | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of unit assessment – speaking and writing | RAP: Standardised writing at mid way point and end of year exam – reading and listening | RAP: Film review of Valentin |
KS4 Curriculum Overview
| Year | HT1 | HT2 | HT3 | HT4 | HT5 | HT6 |
| Year 10 French
Learning question Key knowledge |
Theme 1 Unit 1 – Family and Friends
Qui est dans ta famille? Describe family and friends and relationships with others including opinions on marriage, intro to conjugating verbs into the simple future tense |
Theme 1 Unit 2 – New technologies
Comment utilises-tu les technologies? Discuss uses of new technology inc pros and cons of social media, using pour + infinitive, using “grâce à” + noun |
Theme 1 Unit 3 – Free Time
Que fais tu pendant ton temps libre? Discussing sports, TV and films and food from around the world, using demonstrative pronouns, key pronouns y and en |
Theme 1 Unit 4 – Customs and Festivals
Quelles fêtes aimes-tu célébrer? Giving opinions on a range of celebrations including ones specific to the French speaking world, intro to imperfect tense, using perfect and imperfect tenses together |
Theme 3 – School and Post-16
C’est comment ta vie scolaire? Giving detailed description of school life and discussing post-16 plans and ambitions, using “si” clauses, using conditional tense with “si” clauses, modal verbs |
Theme 3 Unit 2 – Jobs and Future Plans
Quelle est ta carrière idéale? Discussing future career ambitions and pros and cons of different careers, using the passive voice and idiomatic expressions |
| Building and revisiting | Revisiting present tense of –er and –re verbs, adjectival agreement, reflexive verbs and near future tense | Revisiting present tense of regular and key irregular verbs, perfect tense with avoir and être | Revisiting the perfect tense of regular verbs, simple future tense and two verb structures | Recapping perfect tense with avoir and être | Revisiting perfect tense and developing use of “il faut” + infinitive | Revisiting the future and conditional tenses |
| Assessment | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point, end of unit assessment – writing and translation | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point and end of unit assessment – writing and translation | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point and end of Theme 1 mock speaking exam. | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point and end of year exams- reading, listening and writing | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point |
| Year | HT1 | HT2 | HT3 | HT4 | HT5 | HT6 |
| Year 10 Spanish
Learning question Key knowledge |
Theme 1 Unit 1 – Family and Friends
¿Quién es en tu familia? Describe family and friends and relationships with others including opinions on marriage, ser vs estar, reflexive verbs |
Theme 1 Unit 2 – New technologies
¿Cómo usas la tecnologia? Discuss uses of new technology inc pros and cons of social media, intro to perfect tense and present continuous |
Theme 1 Unit 3 – Free Time
¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre? Discussing sports, TV and films and food from around the world, adverbs, the simple future tense |
Theme 1 Unit 4 – Customs and Festivals
¿Cómo celebras tus festivales favoritos? Giving opinions on a range of celebrations including ones specific to the Spanish speaking world, intro tp imperfect tense, using preterite and imperfect tenses together |
Theme 3 – School and Post-16
¿Cómo es tu vida escolar? Giving detailed description of school life and discussing post-16 plans and ambitions, conditional tense, using “lo que” and “lo” + adjective |
Theme 3 Unit 2 – Jobs and Future Plans
¿Qué quieres hacer cómo trabajo? Discussing future career ambitions and pros and cons of different careers, key phrases in the subjunctive (higher tier only) |
| Building and revisiting | Revisiting adjectival agreement, present and near future tenses | Revisiting the present tense and building on this concept by introducing the present continuous | Revisiting present and near future tenses, building on two verb structures | Preterite tense of regular verbs + ser and ir | Two verbs structures to express obligation, comparative structures | Consolidating use of multiple tenses side by side. |
| Assessment | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point, end of unit assessment – writing and translation | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point and end of unit assessment – reading and listening | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point, end of unit assessment – writing and translation | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point and end of Theme 1 mock speaking exam. | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point and end of year exams- reading, listening and writing | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point |
| Year | HT1 | HT2 | HT3 | HT4 | HT5 | HT6 |
| Year 11 French
Learning question Key knowledge |
Theme 2 Unit 1 – Home and Local Area
Tu aimes où tu habites? Discuss in detail you house and your town including pros and cons of where you live, demonstrative adjectives |
Theme 2 Unit 2 – Social Issues
Qu’est-ce qu’on peut faire pour aider les autres? Discuss the importance of charity and of taking care of others, lifestyle choices, Intro to ”il vaut mieux”+ infinitive and vouloir+ subjunctive (higher tier only) |
Theme 2 Unit 3 – Global Issues
Que fais-tu pour aider l’environnement? Discussing environmental issues and potential solutions, poverty and unemployment, Intro to the pluperfect tense |
Theme 2 Unit 4 – Travel and Tourism
Comment passes-tu tes vacances? Discussing holiday preferences including past and ideal holidays |
Exam Revision | |
| Building and revisiting | Revisit negative structures, imperfect tense and conditional tense | Revisiting conditional and imperfect tenses, revisit “il faut” + infinitive | Revisiting devoir/pouvoir+ infinitive, si clauses and pronouns y and en | Revising the present, perfect, future and conditional tenses | ||
| Assessment | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point, end of unit assessment – writing and translation | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point, Mock exams in reading listening and writing | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point, Mock speaking exam | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point, Mock exams in reading, listening and writing | Final GCSE exams |
| Year | HT1 | HT2 | HT3 | HT4 | HT5 | HT6 |
| Year 11 Spanish
Learning question Key knowledge |
Theme 2 Unit 1 – Home and Local Area
¿Qué piensas de dónde vives? Discuss in detail you house and your town including pros and cons of where you live, demonstrative adjectives and pronouns |
Theme 2 Unit 2 – Social Issues
¿Porqué necesitamos ayudar a los demás? Discuss the importance of charity and of taking care of others, lifestyle choices |
Theme 2 Unit 3 – Global Issues
¿Cómo ayudas al medio ambiente? Discussing environmental issues and potential solutions, poverty and unemployment, “if” clauses, modal verbs, opinion + subjunctive (higher tier only) |
Theme 2 Unit 4 – Travel and Tourism
¿Qué haces durante las vacaciones? Disuccing holiday preferences including past and ideal holidays |
Exam revision | |
| Building and revisiting | Revisiting formation of questions and possessive pronouns | Revising conditional tense and present subjunctive (higher tier only), idiomatic language | Revisiting reflexive phrases “se puede” and “se debe” + infinitive | Revisinging the present, preterite, future and conditional tenses | ||
| Assessment | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point, end of unit assessment – writing and translation | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point, Mock exams in reading, listening and writing | RAP: Standardised writing at mid point, Mock speaking exam | RAP: Standardised writing at mis point, Mock eaxms in reading, listening and writing | Final GCSE exams |
