Modern Foreign Languages Curriculum Overview
Aim
Here at Sandhill View Academy, we aim to securely equip all of our students for life beyond school as successful, confident, responsible and respectful citizens. We believe that education provides the key to social mobility and our curriculum is designed to build strong foundations in the knowledge, understanding and skills which lead to academic and personal success. We want our students to enjoy the challenges that learning offers. Ultimately, we want students to ‘Know more, do more and go further’.
Our aims are underpinned by a culture of high aspirations. Through developing positive relationships, we work towards every individual having a strong belief in their own abilities so that they work hard, build resilience and achieve their very best.
Intent
The curriculum includes formal teaching through subject areas, assemblies and extracurricular activities. We regularly review content to ensure we continue to meet our curriculum aims. The MFL curriculum is planned to enable all students to develop:
- Communication skills
- An ability to manipulate language
- Problem solving and enquiry
- Intercultural awareness
- Opportunities for further study or application of language learning
Throughout our programmes of study, every attempt is made to make explicit links to careers and the world of work. In addition to subject specific links, we aim to explicitly reinforce the skills and aptitudes that employers say are important in the workplace by using the Skills Builder framework;
- Listening
- Speaking
- Problem solving
- Creativity
- Staying positive
- Aiming high
- Leadership
- Teamwork
In MFL this year we will focus primarily on the skills of problem solving, staying positive and teamwork to ensure depth and breadth of coverage across curriculum areas.
The British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect of those with different faiths and beliefs are taught explicitly and reinforced in the way in which the school operates.
COVID Recovery to ‘unlock learning’
We have built Covid Recovery into our long and short term planning by including connect activities with lockdown content, revision to focus on topics studied during this period and homework to cover topics covered during lockdown.
Areas of SPaG, extended writing and resilience with writing have been identified by feeder primary schools as needing particular focus in the continued recovery of lockdown learning and will be built into schemes of learning to address this.
Literacy
We know that students who read well achieve well. As such all subject areas are committed to providing regular opportunities to read extensively. We provide regular opportunities for students to read in MFL lessons and as part of homework tasks, using a variety of different texts to help support the development of reading skills. We make explicit reference to different reading skills in our schemes of learning and when teaching during lessons, exploiting opportunities to develop these regularly. We also have aspirations for our students to use ambitious vocabulary and are using Frayer models and ‘PUSH’ techniques to widen the tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary students use orally and in the work they produce, with particular focus on
Sequence and structure
Our curriculum is split into Key Stage 3 (years 7, 8 and 9) and Key Stage 4 (10 and 11). Year 7 and 8 all pupils study French and in year 9, pupils study either French or German, depending on the language they opted for at the start of KS3. At KS4, some pupils op for MFL as part of their option pathways.
KNOW MORE: Key Stage 3 Curriculum
KNOW MORE: Our Key Stage 3 MFL Curriculum includes the following areas of study:
Half term 1 Half term 2 Half term 3 Half term 4 Half term 5 Half term 6 Year 7 French Me and my world Me and my world School Free time Where I live Language learning skills Year 8 French Where I live Holidays / Near future tense Media A visit to Paris My identity Life at home Year 9 French
School Jobs Free time and hobbies Media and technology Holidays Young people in society Year 9 German Family and relationships House and home Food and drink Media and music Jobs Environment
KNOW MORE Key Stage 4 Curriculum
KNOW MORE: Our Key Stage 4 Curriculum
At Key Stage 4 students follow the AQA GCSE specification for French/German.
(Amended recovery curriculum due to missed teaching time in 2020-21)
Half Term 1 Half Term 2 Half Term 3 Half Term 4 Half Term 5 Half Term 6 Year 10 French Self, family and friends Free time and media Routine and celebrations Home and region Home and region Holidays Year 10 German School Free time and media Family and relationships Life at home Life at home Travel Year 11 French Holidays School The world of work Global issues Revision and exams Revision and exams Year 11 German Travel Town and region The world of work Global issues Revision and exams Revision and exams
DO MORE: Milestone Assessment Endpoints
Year Basic (Lower Ability End Points)
Clear (Middle Ability End Points)
Detailed (Higher Ability End Points)
7 - use the present tense of some basic verbs
- use basic vocabulary relating to the topic
- give basic opinions
- attempt to use accurate grammar, spelling, punctuation and use of accents
- identify words and short sentences when listening
- identify words and short sentences when reading
- take part in short prepared conversations, using familiar language
- say words and short phrases, with understandable pronunciation
- try to translate words and short sentences into English
- write short sentences using appropriate grammar and vocabulary
- try to translate words and short sentences into French.
- use the present tense of regular and key irregular verbs
- use vocabulary relating to the topic
- give opinions
- use accurate grammar, spelling, punctuation and use of accents
- ask some simple questions
- identify main points from short texts when listening
- identify main points from short texts when reading
- take part in short conversations, using familiar language
- speak clearly, with understandable pronunciation
- translate words and short sentences into English accurately
- write short paragraphs using some range of grammar and vocabulary
- translate words and short sentences with some accuracy into French
- use the present tense of a range of regular and irregular verbs
- identify verbs in the past or future tense
- use a wider vocabulary relating to topics covered and some unfamiliar
- ask a variety of simple questions
- give opinions and reasons
- identify main points and details from longer texts when listening
- identify main points and details from longer texts when reading
- take part in short conversations, using familiar and unfamiliar language
- apply pronunciation skills and phonics to learning new vocabulary and phrases
- speak clearly and confidently, with good pronunciation
- translate short paragraphs into English accurately
- write longer paragraphs using a wide range of grammar and vocabulary
- translate sentences with reasonable accuracy into French.
8 - use the present tense of a range of regular verbs
- identify verbs in the past or future tense
- use a wider vocabulary relating to topics covered
- give opinions and reasons
- ask a variety of simple questions
- identify main points from longer texts when listening
- identify main points from longer texts when reading
- take part in short conversations, using familiar language
- speak clearly, attempting good pronunciation
- apply pronunciation skills and phonics to learning new vocabulary and phrases
- identify negatives
- translate short paragraphs into English with reasonable accuracy
- write short paragraphs using a range of grammar and vocabulary
translate sentences with reasonable accuracy into French.
- use the present tense of a range of regular and irregular verbs
- identify and use common verbs in the past or future tense
- use a wider vocabulary relating to topics covered and some unfamiliar
- give opinions and reasons
- ask a variety of simple questions
- identify main points and details from longer texts when listening
- identify main points and details from longer texts when reading
- take part in short conversations, using familiar and unfamiliar language
- speak clearly, with good pronunciation
- apply pronunciation skills and phonics to learning new vocabulary and phrases
- use negatives
- use connectives and a range of discourse markers
- translate short paragraphs into English
- write longer paragraphs using a range of grammar and vocabulary
- translate sentences with reasonable accuracy into French.
- identify and use the present, past, and future tenses with increasing accuracy and frequency
- use vocabulary beyond the basics
- give opinions and reasons
- ask a variety of simple questions
- use accurate spelling and punctuation
- identify main points and details from longer texts when listening
- identify main points and details from longer texts when reading
- take part in conversations, using familiar language
- speak clearly and confidently, with good pronunciation
- apply pronunciation skills and phonics to learning new vocabulary and phrases
- use negatives
- use connectives and a range of discourse markers
- translate short texts into English accurately
- write longer paragraphs using a wide range of grammar and vocabulary
- translate sentences with good accuracy into French.
9 - identify the present, past, and future tenses
- use vocabulary beyond the basics
- give opinions and reasons
- ask a variety of simple questions
- use accurate spelling and punctuation
- identify main points and some details from short texts when listening
- identify main points and some details from short texts when reading
- take part in conversations, using familiar language
- speak clearly, with understandable pronunciation
- apply pronunciation skills and phonics to learning new vocabulary and phrases
- translate sentences and short text into English
- write short paragraphs using some range of grammar and vocabulary
- translate sentences with some accuracy into French/German.
- identify and use the present, past, and future tenses with increasing accuracy and frequency
- use a wide-ranging vocabulary
- give and justify opinions
- ask a variety of questions
- use accurate grammar, spelling, punctuation, accents and Umlauts
- apply pronunciation skills and phonics to learning new vocabulary and phrases
- identify main points and details from longer texts when listening
- identify main points and details from longer texts when reading
- start and develop conversations, using mostly familiar language
- speak clearly, with reasonably accurate pronunciation and intonation
- translate short paragraphs into English accurately
- write paragraphs using a range of grammar and vocabulary
- write creatively to express your own ideas and opinions
- translate sentences accurately into French/German.
- identify and use the present, past, and future tenses of a variety of verbs with increasing accuracy and frequency
- use a wide-ranging, relevant and interesting vocabulary
- identify main points and details from longer and more complex texts from a variety of sources when listening
- identify main points and details from longer and more complex texts from a variety of sources when reading
- start and develop conversations, coping with some unexpected language
- speak clearly and confidently, with accurate pronunciation and intonation
- apply pronunciation skills and phonics to learning new vocabulary and phrases
- write longer paragraphs using a wide range of grammar and vocabulary
- translate longer and more complex sentences accurately into French/German.
- students develop communicative competence in the TL and can communicate for practical purposes.
10 &
11
To achieve grade 3 candidates will be able to:
Listening
- respond to basic and familiar spoken language, identifying key points, and some details
Speaking
- participate in conversations expressing simple opinions and using a limited range of language with some accuracy
- use mainly understandable pronunciation and intonation
Reading
- respond to familiar language in straightforward texts, identifying key points and some details
Writing
- convey meaning and express simple opinions in familiar contexts using a limited range of language with some accuracy
To achieve grade 5 candidates will be able to:
Listening
- respond appropriately to spoken language including some more extended passages, identifying overall messages, key points, details and opinions
Speaking
- develop conversations manipulating language with reasonable accuracy, expressing opinions and responding appropriately to unpredictable questions
- use generally accurate pronunciation and intonation
Reading
- respond appropriately to written language including some more extended texts, identifying overall messages, key points, details and opinions
Writing
- write clearly for different purposes, expressing ideas and opinions and manipulating vocabulary and grammar with reasonable accuracy
To achieve grade 8 candidates will be able to: Listening
- respond effectively to spoken language including more complex and extended passages, extracting information, identifying opinions and drawing conclusions
Speaking
- initiate and sustain detailed conversations manipulating language mostly accurately, expressing ideas and justifying opinions and responding effectively to unpredictable questions
- use mostly accurate pronunciation and intonation
Reading
- respond effectively to written language including more complex and extended texts, identifying opinions and inferring meaning
Writing
- write effectively for different purposes explaining ideas, expressing and justifying opinions and manipulating vocabulary and grammar, including some more complex language, mostly accurately
GO FURTHER:
Skills Builder framework … In MFL this year we will focus primarily on the skills of problem solving, staying positive and teamwork.
Half term 1 | Half term 2 | Half term 3 | Half term 4 | Half term 5 | Half term 6 | |
Year 7 | Problem solving (7):
I explore complex problems by building my understanding through research |
Staying positive (7):
I look for opportunities in difficult situations |
Teamwork (7):
I contribute to group decision making, whilst recognising the value of others’ ideas |
Problem solving (8):
I explore complex problems by analysing the causes and effects |
Staying positive (8):
I look for opportunities in difficult situations, and share these with others |
Teamwork (8):
I contribute to group decision making, encouraging others to contribute |
Year 8 | Problem solving (8):
I explore complex problems by analysing the causes and effects |
Staying positive (8):
I look for opportunities in difficult situations, and share these with others |
Teamwork (8):
I contribute to group decision making, encouraging others to contribute |
Problem solving (9):
I create solutions for complex problems by generating a range of options |
Staying positive (9):
I look for opportunities in difficult situations, and adapt plans to use these opportunities |
Teamwork (9):
I improve the team by not creating unhelpful conflicts |
Year 9
|
Problem solving (9):
I create solutions for complex problems by generating a range of options |
Staying positive (9):
I look for opportunities in difficult situations, and adapt plans to use these opportunities |
Teamwork (9):
I improve the team by not creating unhelpful conflicts |
Problem solving (10):
I create solutions for complex problems by evaluating the positive and negative effects of a range of options |
Staying positive (10):
I look for opportunities in difficult situations, and create new plans to use these opportunities |
Teamwork (10):
I improve the team by resolving unhelpful conflicts |
Year 10 | Problem solving (10):
I create solutions for complex problems by evaluating the positive and negative effects of a range of options |
Staying positive (10):
I look for opportunities in difficult situations, and create new plans to use these opportunities |
Teamwork (10):
I improve the team by resolving unhelpful conflicts |
Problem solving (11):
I analyse complex problems by using logical reasoning |
Staying positive (11):
I identify risks and gains in opportunities |
Teamwork (11):
I improve the team by building relationships beyond my immediate team |
Year 11 | Problem solving (11):
I analyse complex problems by using logical reasoning |
Staying positive (11):
I identify risks and gains in opportunities |
Teamwork (11):
I improve the team by building relationships beyond my immediate team |
Problem solving (12):
I analyse complex problems by creating and testing hypotheses |
Staying positive (12):
I identify risks and gains in opportunities, and make plans to manage them |
Teamwork (12):
I influence the team by reflecting on progress and suggesting improvements |
How does our Curriculum cater for students with SEND?
Sandhill View is an inclusive academy where every child is valued and respected. We are committed to the inclusion, progress and independence of all of our students, including those with SEN. We work to support our students to make progress in their learning, their emotional and social development and their independence. We actively work to support the learning and needs of all members of our community.
A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children or young people of the same age. (CoP 2015, p16)
Teachers are responsible for the progress of ALL students in their class and high-quality teaching is carefully planned; this is the first step in supporting students who may have SEND. All students are challenged to do their very best and all students at the Academy are expected to make at least good progress.
Specific approaches which are used within the curriculum areas include:
- A focus on expanding core vocabulary and building sentences and texts.
- Clear links with literacy skills and strategies used in the students first language.
- Access to a Higher Level Teaching Assistant with MFL qualifications to support with in-class and small group interventions.
How does our curriculum cater for disadvantaged students and those from minority groups?
As a school serving an area with high levels of deprivation, we work tirelessly to raise the attainment for all students and to close any gaps that exist due to social contexts. The deliberate allocation of funding and resources has ensured that attainment gaps are closing in our drive to ensure that all pupils are equally successful when they leave the Academy. More specifically within the teaching of MFL, we:
- Provide revision materials to support pupils when preparing for assessments.
- Offer regular intervention sessions to support learners in making good progress.
- Offer time and space to complete homework outside of lesson time.
- Ensure access to any trips or visits is made possible for all students.
How do we make sure that our curriculum is implemented effectively?
- The MFL curriculum leader is responsible for designing the MFL curriculum and monitoring implementation.
- The MFL leader’s monitoring is validated by senior leaders.
- Staff have regular access to professional development/training to ensure that curriculum requirements are met.
- Effective assessment informs staff about areas in which interventions are required. These interventions are delivered during curriculum time to enhance pupils’ capacity to access the full curriculum.
- Curriculum resources are selected carefully and reviewed regularly.
- Assessments are designed thoughtfully to assess student progress and also to shape future learning.
- Assessments are checked for reliability within departments and across the Trust.
- We maintain strong links with Southmoor Sixth Form to promote opportunities for further study of languages beyond GCSE
- We make clear links to the world of work when discussing careers and life beyond secondary school as part of the GCSE specification.
- The MFL department contributes to whole school events and activities to promote the transferable skills developed through language learning and their application to the work of work.
How do we make sure our curriculum is having the desired impact?
- Examination results analysis and evaluation
- Termly assessments-analysis and evaluation meetings
- Lesson observations
- Learning walks
- Work scrutiny
- Regular feedback from Teaching Staff during department meetings
- Regular feedback from Middle Leaders during curriculum meetings
- Pupil Surveys
- Parental feedback
- Evaluation of staff CPD and student events