Welcome to MfL at Green Lane Primary Academy

“Learning French opens children’s minds to new cultures, builds confidence in communication, and shows them that language is a bridge to understanding the wider world.”

French at Green Lane is about more than learning words and phrases – it is about opening doors to new cultures, communicating with confidence, and understanding our place in a diverse society. Through learning French, pupils develop respect, tolerance, and curiosity about the wider world, directly supporting British Values such as mutual respect and understanding of different cultures. By building language skills and cultural awareness, we aim to enrich pupils’ cultural capital and equip them with confidence and knowledge to engage positively with the world beyond our school.

Why We Love French

We love French because it helps children connect with people and cultures beyond their own. It gives them the opportunity to imagine life in another country and to understand how language shapes communication, identity, and everyday experiences. By learning French, pupils develop confidence, empathy, and strong listening and speaking skills, while beginning to understand concepts such as culture, community, and global citizenship. They discover that languages are not just about vocabulary and grammar, but about real people, shared experiences, and voices from around the world.

What Learning Looks Like

In Key Stage 2, pupils learn French through the Language Angels programme, which builds skills step by step in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Children develop a growing vocabulary and understanding of grammar, learning how to form sentences and express their ideas with increasing accuracy. Alongside language skills, pupils explore aspects of French culture, including traditions, daily life, and festivals, helping them to make meaningful links between language and culture.

Learning is structured around clear objectives and engaging themes that encourage pupils to communicate for real purposes. Over time, pupils build confidence and resilience as language learners, developing the skills and cultural awareness they need to engage positively with the wider world.

Talking, Exploring and Doing

At Green Lane, French comes to life through speaking, listening, and active participation. Pupils practise pronunciation, take part in conversations, and use songs, games, and role play to build confidence in using French for real purposes. Through the Language Angels programme, children explore new vocabulary and sentence structures in an engaging and supportive way, using repetition and retrieval to secure learning.

Pupils also explore French culture through stories, videos, and cultural comparisons, helping them to understand daily life, traditions, and celebrations in French-speaking countries. Interactive activities and creative tasks encourage curiosity and enjoyment, allowing pupils to experiment with language and express their ideas with growing confidence.

What Makes Us Special

Our school community is diverse and rich in languages and cultures, and we celebrate this through our teaching of French. Using the Language Angels programme, pupils are introduced to French in a way that reflects the wider world and builds on their own experiences. Children learn how language connects people across different countries and cultures, helping them to see beyond their local area and develop a sense of global awareness.

We want our pupils to leave Green Lane not only able to communicate in another language, but also with confidence, curiosity, and respect for different cultures, understanding how they fit into a wider, multilingual world.

How We Know Children Are Succeeding

You’ll see your child’s progress in how they can:

  • Speak with increasing confidence using French words, phrases, and simple sentences.
  • Understand and respond to spoken French, showing good listening skills and pronunciation.
  • Read and recognise familiar French vocabulary and phrases.
  • Make links between language and culture, comparing aspects of life in France with their own experiences.
  • Ask and answer simple questions in French, showing curiosity and willingness to communicate.

Ideas For French At Home

WebsiteDescription
French Games – Vocabulary and Interactive LessonsOffers a complete set of French lessons, practice French games and quick French tests for over 100 French topics, all free.
The French Experiment – Free French Lessons and VocabularyA simple, child-friendly site with free beginner lessons and clear French vocabulary lists.
BBC Bitesize – FrenchHigh quality resources from BBC Bitesize for learning French. This includes French phonics, songs and stories, crafts, recipes, conversation topics and culture.
The French Experiment – Children’s Stories in FrenchFrom The French Experiment, Children’s stories translated into French and spoken by a native French speaker.
FLE.fr – Online French Resources and French CultureFLE.fr (French as a Foreign Language) provides access to cultural resources, literature, audio, history and media content that supports learning about French culture alongside the language.