French

The French curriculum has been designed to give our pupils the best possible chance of becoming confident language-learners. In Year 7, we focus heavily on phonics so that pupils feel able to read aloud and tackle new words. We also embed all structures necessary for the GCSE from Year 7 across the ability range. This means that these is no cramming when it comes to Year 11 as pupils have been familiar with past, present, future, opinions and subjunctive right from the beginning of their Michaela journey. In KS3, pupils develop an excellent foundation in the subject which puts them in a very strong position to take on the challenges of the GCSE.

The message to pupils is always that success is about practice and not about innate ability. Nobody is born good at languages, and you need to put the time in if you want to be successful. Parents wishing to support their children in Years 7 and 8 should make sure they complete their homework to the best of their ability, including extensions, and read French aloud with their child. As pupils move towards their GCSE, there are a range of revision guides available and pupils should ensure that they memorise all the vocabulary and key structures for the different topics. Please find a simplified version of the list of topics below from the exam specification. Pupils are examined on these topics across the four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

Theme 1: People and lifestyle

Theme 1 covers the following three topics:

• Topic 1: Identity and relationships with others
• Topic 2: Healthy living and lifestyle
• Topic 3: Education and work

Theme 2: Popular culture

Theme 2 covers the following three topics:

• Topic 1: Free-time activities
• Topic 2: Customs, festivals and celebrations
• Topic 3: Celebrity culture

Theme 3: Communication and the world around us

Theme 3 covers the following three topics:

• Topic 1: Travel and tourism, including places of interest
• Topic 2: Media and technology
• Topic 3: The environment and where people live