MFL
Intent
At Stockton Wood Primary School, all pupils in Key Stage 2 will benefit from the rich cultural experience of learning a modern foreign language. Language learning provides an opportunity for children to deepen their understanding of their own language, explore a new language, and develop an appreciation of other cultures. It also enhances children’s self-confidence and broadens their cultural awareness. The process of learning a foreign language reinforces fluency and understanding of grammar and sentence structure — skills which are invaluable in later life. Studying a modern foreign language helps to prepare pupils to participate in a rapidly changing world, where work and other activities are increasingly carried out in languages other than English.
Our desire to embed language learning within our curriculum stems from the statutory commitment in the National Curriculum to provide every child between the ages of 7 and 11 with the opportunity to learn a new language.
As part of our evolving curriculum, we are transitioning from French to Spanish. From September 2025, pupils in Year 6 will continue with French to complete their primary MFL journey, ensuring consistency in their learning. However, pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 will begin learning Spanish, allowing them to build strong foundations in this new language. This phased approach supports both continuity and progression, while introducing pupils to new linguistic and cultural experiences.
It is intended that when children leave Stockton Wood Primary School, they will have developed a natural curiosity and the confidence to explore other countries, cultures and languages — recognising that, in a multilingual society, the ability to communicate effectively in another language is a valuable skill. They will be engaged and well-prepared to continue language learning at secondary school.
Implementation
Children have weekly lessons in French throughout Key Stage 2, using the resources and units of work from Language Angels.
In line with the National Curriculum for MFL, pupils at Stockton Wood Primary School are taught to:
- 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
- engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
- speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
- 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
- broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
- describe people, places, things and actions
- understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English.
Impact
We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
⦁ Observing children speaking and listening in another language
⦁ Marking of any written work and End of Unit Assessments
⦁ Images and videos of children completing speaking and listening activities
⦁ Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice)