M.F.L.

At High Down School, there is a belief that the acquisition of a language is part of a broader curriculum involving language and culture. It is our intent that children develop a love for learning French through lessons that are enjoyable, supportive and stimulating.

We believe that the skills, knowledge and understanding gained through learning a new language make a major contribution to the development of children’s oracy and literacy and to their understanding of their own culture/s and those of others. It should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world.

Language also lies at the heart of ideas about individual identity and community, and learning another language can do a great deal to shape children’s ideas in this area as well as giving them a new perspective on their own language. Teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for the children to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language.

At High Down Schools we use the Salut scheme to teach French but also invite and encourage the sharing of expertise where children are already fluent in another language.