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OUR VISION

“A love of languages for life.”

The French department aims to develop confident linguists who can communicate effectively and appreciate the cultures of the French-speaking world. We believe that learning a language is an essential life skill that broadens horizons and prepares students for life beyond the classroom. Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, students develop strong foundations in vocabulary, phonics and grammar while building the confidence to listen, speak, read and write in French with increasing independence.

Our Team

Miss Davie – Head of Faculty

Mr Guirguis – Lead Practitioner for French

Year 7

Students begin their language learning journey by developing confidence in listening, speaking, reading and writing in French. Through topics related to their lives and the wider world, students build core vocabulary, phonics knowledge and simple grammatical structures that allow them to communicate basic ideas with increasing accuracy and independence.

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Tout sur moi ! (All About Me) Students learn how to introduce themselves, talk about their feelings, describe their family and pets, and give simple opinions. A strong focus on phonics helps students build confidence in pronunciation and listening.	Moi en action ! (My Life and Interests) Students develop their ability to talk about hobbies, daily routines and school life. They begin to justify opinions and use a wider range of verbs to describe activities and healthy lifestyles.	Le Monde francophone (The French-speaking World) Students explore the wider French-speaking world, learning about different countries, cultures, foods and festivals. They develop cultural awareness while continuing to build their ability to express opinions and describe experiences in French.

Year 8

In Year 8, students build on the foundations established in Year 7 by expanding their vocabulary and grammatical knowledge. They begin to communicate with greater confidence across a wider range of topics, developing the ability to describe experiences, express opinions and talk about the past, present and future. Students also deepen their cultural understanding of life in French-speaking communities.

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Moi et mon collège (Me and My School) Students discuss school life, subjects and routines, while developing their ability to describe teachers and express opinions about school. They begin to talk about their ambitions and future careers, learning how to justify their ideas and describe personal qualities.	Moi et mon avenir / Chez moi (My Future and My Home) Students learn to describe their home and local area, including types of housing, rooms and places in town. They practise giving detailed descriptions and opinions while developing their understanding of how to talk about where they live.	Trajets de vie (Life expériences) Students learn to describe past experiences such as holidays, volunteering and activities. They develop their ability to narrate events using the past tense and reflect on experiences while continuing to build cultural awareness and independence in French.

Year 9

In Year 9, students deepen their understanding of the French language while exploring wider global and social themes. They develop the ability to communicate more independently, expressing opinions, discussing real-world issues and describing experiences using a range of time frames. Students also continue to broaden their cultural awareness of the diverse French-speaking world.

Autumn	Spring	Summer
On s’engage / La technologie (Social Issues and Technology)   Students explore social and environmental issues and discuss how individuals can take action in their communities. They also examine the role of technology in everyday life, comparing past and present habits while expressing opinions about the digital world.	La santé pour tous (Health and Wellbeing) Students learn to discuss physical and mental health, healthy lifestyles and wellbeing. They practise giving advice, describing habits and explaining how lifestyle choices can influence health.	Mes Choix /Les fêtes (Choices and Celebrations) Students reflect on their ambitions and personal choices while exploring important festivals and traditions in French-speaking cultures. They develop their ability to narrate experiences, describe celebrations and express opinions about cultural practices.

GCSE FRENCH

We follow the AQA GCSE French course, where students develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills through a range of real-world topics related to identity, culture and global issues.

Year	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Year 10	Identity and Relationships Personality, friendships and family life. Students develop their ability to describe themselves and others and discuss relationships and future aspirations.	Free Time and Technology Hobbies, music, sport and digital life. Students describe past experiences and give opinions about the role of technology in everyday life.	Customs, Festivals and Local Area Celebrations and traditions in French-speaking cultures alongside descriptions of towns, regions and environmental issues.
Year 11	Local Area and Environment Describing where you live, discussing environmental challenges and suggesting solutions.	Travel and the French-speaking World Holidays, tourism and global cultures. Students describe past trips and ideal future experiences.	Revision and Consolidation Students revisit key themes and practise applying their knowledge across listening, speaking, reading and writing tasks.

Contact Details

For further information, please contact kirsten.davie@castlephoenixtrust.org.uk