Dates for your Diary

French

Intent

Studying a language at Barnwell means opening minds and doorways to the wider world.
Our MFL building provides a vibrant and interactive learning space for students to develop an appreciation of diversity in other cultures and languages and foster a life-long love of language learning through a broad and structured curriculum, educational trips and cultural activities.
At Barnwell we aim to enable students to:

Develop effective communication skills
Use problem solving skills when coping with the “unknown”
Improve confidence as individuals
Build key, transferable skills useful to the workplace, further study and leisure opportunities
Be able to compete in local, national and global job markets

Barnwell is a certified Hub School, collaborating with NCELP, the National Centre of Excellence in Language Pedagogy.

Learning Journey

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Curriculum Map

KS3

Subject:

Y7 Content

Y7 Key Assessment

Y8 Content

Y8 Key Assessment

Y9 Content

Y9 Key Assessment

Autumn 1

Topic title

Introduction/

Greetings

Family/ Friends/ Pets/ Personal Information

Formative Task:

Introduction to French

Family vocabulary

Possessive pronouns

Reflexive verbs

Present tense verbs

Adjectives

Intensifiers

Summative Unit Test: Reading/writing

Topic title

Holidays/

Travel and Tourism

Formative Task:

Identification of 3 tenses

Prepositions

Range of vocabulary

Weather terms

Time-phrases

Range of verbs

Summative Unit Test:

Reading/ translation

Topic title

Music/

Modern Technology

Formative Task:

Uses/ disadvantages of different types of technologies

Opinions on genres of music/books

Summative Unit Test:

Speaking and listening

Autumn 2

Topic title

School subjects/

Describing teachers/

School routine

Formative Task:

Sentence building

Adjective agreement

Opinions and reasons

Genders

French Culture

Summative Unit Test:

Listening/ Translation

Topic title

Free-time activities/

sport

Formative Task:

Wide range of verbs

Time-phrases

Application of three tenses

Complex opinions

Intensifiers

Connectives

Summative Unit Test:

Writing/

Speaking

Topic title

Free time activities/ Health and lifestyle

Formative Task:

Healthy / unhealthy lifestyles

Social issues

Range of tenses

Summative Unit Test:

Writing and Listening

Spring 1

Topic title

Food and drink/

Café conversation

Formative Task:

Food vocabulary

Articles

Quantifiers

Opinions and reasons

Role-plays

Question forms

Summative Unit Test:

Speaking/ listening

Topic title

Town/ Environment

Formative Task:

Key core language

Adjectives

Prepositions/directions

Imperfect tense

Summative Unit Test:

Listening/

reading

Topic title

Festivals

Formative Task:

Listening passages/ reading articles

Combining tenses

Summative Unit Test:

Reading and writing

Spring 2

Topic title

Future plans/ making arrangements/

Time

Formative Task:

Numbers

Time-phrases

Connectives

Infinitives

Near future tense

Question forms

Summative Unit Test:

Listening/ Writing

Topic title

Translation strategies/ Grammar overview

Formative Task:

Consolidation of all key vocabulary covered so far

Grammar (all main grammar items including 4 tenses)

Summative Unit Test:

Translation

Topic title

TV/Cinema

Formative Task:

Uses/ disadvantages of different types of technologies

Summative Unit Test:

Speaking and listening

Summer 1

Topic title

House and Home/

Ideal house

Formative Task:

Articles/ genders

Adjective agreement

Prepositions

Conditional tense

Summative Unit Test:

Writing/Reading/Translation

Topic title

Reservations/Hotel/ train station

Formative Task:

Role-play language

Question forms/ Pronunciation focus

Accuracy of tenses

Speaking skills

Summative Unit Test:

Speaking

Topic title

Family and relationships

Formative Task:

Picture descriptions Translations Bullet pointed writing  Extended descriptions Opinions on family/ friends/ marriage Summative Unit Test: Writing and Listening

Summer 2

Topic title

Clothes and colours/

Consolidation

Formative Task:

Clothes vocabulary

Adjective agreement

Complex opinions

Intensifiers

Connectives

Frequency phrases

Question forms

French culture – school uniforms

Summative Unit Test: Reading/

writing

Topic title

Francophone project

Formative Task:

Cultural research

Complex opinions and reasons

Imperative

Group collaboration

Summative Unit Test:

Writing/ creating a brochure

Topic title

Theme 1 Consolidation

Formative Task:

Practise exam skills and techniques

Summative Unit Test:

All skills

KS4

Course:

Y10 Content

Y10 Key Assessment

Y11 Content

Y11 Key Assessment

Autumn 1

Topic title

Family/ Friendships/

Relationships

Formative Task:

Picture descriptions

Translations

Bullet pointed writing

Extended descriptions

Opinions on family/ friends/ marriage

Summative Unit Test:

Exam questions in all 4 skills

Topic title

Work and Education

Formative Task:

Extended opinions and information on school, post 16 and future plans

Discuss daily school life and rules

Summative Unit Test:

Exam questions in all 4 skills

Autumn 2

Topic title

Healthy/ unhealthy lifestyles

Formative Task:

Analyse Healthy / unhealthy lifestyles

Ordering at a restaurant

Social issues surround health

Summative Unit Test:

Exam questions in all 4 skills

Topic title

Customs and festivals

Formative Task:

Cultural texts/ passages

Picture description

Writing/ speaking tasks

Summative Unit Test:

Exam questions in all 4 skills

Spring 1

Topic title

Free time Activities/ Media / Technology

Formative Task:

Listening passages/ reading articles

Combining tenses

Describing a film/ TV programme

Uses/ disadvantages of different types of technologies

Summative Unit Test:

Exam questions in all 4 skills

Topic title

Global issues

Formative Task:

Environmental problems and solutions

Eco friendly solutions in the home and local area

Weather

Summative Unit Test:

Exam questions in all 4 skills

Spring 2

Topic title

Local area

Formative Task:

Extended descriptions of home and town

Discuss opportunities for different age groups in the area

Advantages/ disadvantages of the locality

Ideal places to live

Summative Unit Test:

Exam questions in all 4 skills

Topic title

Social Issues

Formative Task:

Poverty/ homelessness/ unemployment.

Charity/ voluntary work

Summative Unit Test:

Exam questions in all 4 skills

Summer 1

Topic title

Travel and Tourism

Formative Task:

Plans, preferences and experiences of travel

Weather

Transport options

Making reservations/ buying tickets

Summative Unit Test:

Exam questions in all 4 skills

Topic title

Exam Practice in all areas and revision of all themes

Formative Task:

Summative Unit Test:

Summer 2

Topic title

Consolidation of Themes 1+2

Formative Task:

Exam practice and drilling of all techniques in 4 skill areas

Summative Unit Test:

Exam questions in all 4 skills

Topic title

Formative Task:

Summative Unit Test:

GCSE French has a Foundation Tier (grades 1–5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4–9). Students must take all four question papers at the same tier. All question papers must be taken in the same series.

Summary of Assessment1: Speaking

Oral test: 7-9 minutes (Foundation tier)

Skill Assessed	Weighting	Task	Duration	Marks
Unit 1: Listening	25%	Section A – questions in English, to be answered in English or non-verbally Section B – questions in French, to be answered in French or non-verbally No dictionaries.	35 mins (F) 45 mins (H)	40 Marks (F) 50 Marks (H)

Unit 2: Speaking	25%	Role Play Photo card discussion Conversation No dictionaries.	12 mins preparation 7-9 mins (F) 10-12 mins (H)	60 marks

Unit 3: Reading	25%	Reading tasks with non-verbal and written responses, including one translation task from French into English No dictionaries.	45 Mins (F) 60 Mins (H)	60 marks

Unit 4: Writing	25%	3-4 Writing tasks including one translation task from English into French No dictionaries.	1 hr (F) 1 hr 15 (H)	50 marks (F) 60 Marks (H)

GCSE French

Head of Department/Faculty: Mrs S Casey

Email: S.Casey@barnwell.herts.sch.uk

The GCSE French course aims to develop students’ ability to understand spoken and written language in a range of contexts. It will enable students to communicate in French using a range of vocabulary and develop their understanding of French grammar. Students will improve their key skills, e.g. communication, working with others, problem-solving and improve their own learning and confidence. By the end of the course, students will be able to communicate effectively in a variety of everyday situations required for a visit to a French speaking country. Students will have a sound base for further study, work and leisure.

What does the course involve?

Students will study all of the following themes on which the assessments will be based:
Theme 1: Identity and Culture (family, relationships, freetime activities and technology)

Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest (home, town, environment, travel and tourism)
Theme 3: Current and future study and employment

Students will:

Listen to recordings of French speakers
Understand and cope with a wider range of vocabulary, including some unfamiliar language

Understand and discuss issues and opinions
Be able to understand authentic French materials such as hotel brochures, travel information, e-mails and short literary based texts
Write descriptions, accounts and narratives
Develop translation skills

How will I be assessed?

Students are assessed in the four skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading & Writing. These are tiered as Foundation (Grades 1-5) and Higher (Grades 4-9).

Students must take all 4 skills at the same tier (either Foundation OR Higher) and each component is worth 25% of the final GCSE grade.

Paper 1 Listening Exam - 35 minutes (Foundation) or 45 minutes (Higher)
Paper 2 Speaking Assessment - 7-9 minutes (Foundation) or 10-12 minutes (Higher)
Paper 3 Reading Exam - 45 minutes (Foundation) or 60 minutes (Higher)

Paper 4 Writing Exam - 60 minutes (Foundation) or 75 minutes (Higher)

What are my progression routes?

A foreign language can give you a skill for life which could be relevant in any number of professions. An increasing number of Universities are expecting students to have a GCSE in languages to follow degree courses. In order to give you the maximum opportunities Post-16 or in employment, you are advised that knowledge of a modern foreign language is very highly regarded.

Useful Resources