French Intent Statement 

At Brierley Forest we strongly believe in the power of developing children’s understanding of other cultures and languages.  We want our children to see that there is a world beyond Sutton in Ashfield and have the communication skills to be able to access it.  

We have chosen to study French at Brierley Forest for a number of reasons; our local secondary schools teach French and we want to ensure that all of our children have the knowledge and skills needed to access the curriculum at Key Stage 3.  French is a widely spoken language and as our nearest European neighbour it is likely that many children will have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills should they ever visit.  Learning another language, in particular French, provides plenty of opportunities for children to explore the structure of language and etymology, work collaboratively with others and develop their spoken language skills.   

To ensure that children leave us in Year 6 with a deep understanding of both the language and culture of France, we begin teaching French in the Early Years, continuing into Key Stage 1 with further development of their spoken language skills before a more formal approach which includes reading and writing in French throughout Key Stage 2.  Alongside this, we also learn about the country and culture and take part in whole school celebrations such as Bastille Day. 

Although our curriculum provides a study of French, we celebrate the diverse range of cultures and languages spoken at our school.