French
Bonjour!
Learning a language is one of the most valuable experiences you can hope to acquire during your lifetime.
Learning French promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and memory skills, which are essential for academic success. Furthermore, proficiency in French offers significant advantages in future career prospects, especially in fields such as international business, diplomacy, tourism, and translation. Multilingualism is highly valued in the global job market, and the ability to communicate in French can set students apart, enhancing their employability and opening doors to diverse and rewarding career opportunities.
We encourage our students to take part in a range of competitions in French such as the Oxford University Flash Fiction Competition and the Mother Tongue Other Tongue poetry competition promoted by Manchester Metropolitan University.
Key Stage 3
Course Overview
The Key Stage 3 French curriculum aims to provide a robust foundation in language acquisition focusing on the four key language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Through engaging thematic topics such as family, school life, hobbies, and travel, students will immerse themselves in French language and culture, gaining a sound understanding of vocabulary and grammar. The curriculum prioritises interactive and practical activities, such as role-plays, presentations and the use of multimedia resources, fostering not only linguistic competence but also cultural awareness and appreciation.
What can I do to support my child?
The Key Stage 3 French course is closely linked to the Studio textbook. We also provide students with work booklets to access a range of listening and reading resources. Students have logins to linguascope and are also encouraged to use KS3 French BBC Bitesize, Quizlet and LanguagesOnline.
How will students be assessed?
There will be an end of unit assessment approximately each half term which assesses the key components of that unit and their ability to apply their knowledge. In addition to this, there are low stakes vocabulary tests in lessons which allow students to recall and apply their knowledge.
Key Stage 4 (GCSE)
Exam Board and details
Exam Board: AQA French (8652)
Specification:
AQA | French | GCSE | GCSE French
Course Overview
The aim of the GCSE French course is to challenge students and help them make significant progress in their language learning journey. The course covers three main themes: People and lifestyle, Popular culture, and Communication and the world around us. It emphasizes the development of key language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—through a variety of engaging and interactive activities. Students will be assessed through a combination of written exams and non-exam assessments, including listening comprehension, speaking tasks, and written assignments. The course encourages students to use clear and comprehensible language, undertake role-plays, and engage in conversations about visual stimuli. By focusing on practical communication and cultural understanding, the GCSE French course not only enhances linguistic competence but also fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and confidence in using the language in real-life situations. This rigorous approach ensures that students are well-prepared for further language studies and future career opportunities in a globalized world.
There is an optional residential trip to France in Year 10. This enables students to put their language learning into practice in a real-life context.
How will students be assessed?
There will be an end of unit assessment approximately each half term which assesses the key components of that unit and their ability to apply their knowledge. In addition to this, there are low stakes vocabulary tests in lessons which allow students to recall and apply their knowledge.
The GCSE exam consists of four exams:
Paper 1: Listening
What's assessed
• Understanding and responding to spoken extracts
• Dictation of short, spoken extracts
How it's assessed
• Written exam: 45 minutes (Higher tier)
• 50 marks (Higher tier)
• 25% of GCSE
Questions
• Section A – listening comprehension questions in English, to be answered in English or
non-verbally (40 marks at Higher tier)
• Section B – dictation where students transcribe short sentences (10 marks at Higher tier)
Paper 2: Speaking
What's assessed
• Speaking using clear and comprehensible language to undertake a Role-play
• Carry out a Reading aloud task
• Talk about visual stimuli
How it's assessed
• 10–12 minutes (Higher tier) + 15 minutes' supervised preparation time
• 50 marks
• 25% of GCSE
Questions
• Role-play – 10 marks (recommended to last between 1 and 1.5 minutes)
• Reading aloud task and short conversation – 15 marks (recommended to last in total
between 3 and 3.5 minutes at Higher tier)
• Reading aloud task: minimum 50 words at Higher tier
• Short unprepared conversation
• Photo card discussion – 25 marks (recommended to last between 6 and 7 minutes in total at Higher tier)
• Response to the content of the photos on the card (recommended to last 1.5 minutes at Higher tier)
• Unprepared conversation (recommended to last between 4.5 and 5.5 minutes at Higher tier)
Paper 3: Reading
What's assessed
• Understanding and responding to written texts which focus predominantly on the
vocabulary and grammar at each tier
• Inferring plausible meanings of single words when they are embedded in written sentences
• Translating from French into English
How it's assessed
• Written exam: 1 hour (Higher tier)
• 50 marks
• 25% of GCSE
Questions
• Section A – reading comprehension questions in English, to be answered in English or nonverbally
(40 marks)
• Section B – translation from French into English, minimum of 50 words at Higher tier (10 marks)
Paper 4: Writing
What's assessed
• Writing text in the language in a lexically and grammatically accurate way in response to
simple and familiar stimuli
• Translating from English into French
How it's assessed
• Written exam: 1 hour 15 minutes (Higher tier)
• 50 marks
• 25% of GCSE
Questions
Higher tier
• Question 1 – translation of sentences from English into French, minimum 50 words in total
(10 marks)
• Question 2 (overlap question) – student produces a piece of writing in response to three
compulsory bullet points, approximately 90 words in total. There is a choice from two
questions (15 marks)
• Question 3 – open-ended writing task (student responds to two bullets, producing
approximately 150 words in total). There is a choice from two questions (25 marks)
Key Stage 5 (A Level)
Exam Board and details
Exam Board: AQA French (7652)
Specification:
AQA | French | A-Level | A-level French
Course Overview
The A Level French course aims to introduce you to new areas of culture, language, literature, film and current affairs. The content spans three core themes: Social issues and trends, Political and artistic culture, and Literary texts and films. These themes are explored through authentic resources, including articles, essays, and multimedia, which enrich students' understanding and appreciation of French-speaking societies. We develop listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to a high standard of fluency and accuracy, in addition to developing students' abilities in critical analysis, essay writing, and interpretation of literary and cinematic works. You will have the exciting opportunity to conduct an independent research project which you will present during your speaking exams. By engaging with complex topics and producing nuanced arguments, students refine their problem-solving, critical thinking, and independent research skills. Students are encouraged to go beyond the curriculum and explore aspects of la Francophonie, such as music, film, current affairs, which interest them. You will receive four teaching periods a week in addition to a small group session with the French language assistant. Proficiency in French at this level significantly boosts career prospects in various fields. Employers highly value multilingualism and the cultural competence it brings, positioning students favorably in the global job market.
A Level French students are encouraged to enter competitions such as the University of Sheffield translation competition, the ‘Mother Tongue Other Tongue’ poetry competition, the Lancaster University Modern Languages essay competition and the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators.
An optional residential trip to France will be offered in Year 12.
How will students be assessed?
Paper 1 assesses grammar, listening, reading, translation and writing skills across all A level topic areas. This is a written examination which is worth 50% of the A level.
Paper 2 assesses the set film and the set novel studied during the course. Two essays are written in French and this paper is worth 20% of the A level.
Paper 3 assesses speaking skills and the Independent Research Project. This is a speaking examination which is worth 30% of the A level.