The French department at Weald of Kent Grammar School aims to foster a love of language in our students and enrich their awareness and appreciation of the world around them, as well as their linguistic knowledge. We work to provide students with not just practical communicative skills for use in the future, but a keen understanding of life in other countries and cultures and a wide range of linguistic structures. Our spiralling curriculum builds effectively on the foundations of the National Curriculum that students are exposed to during their time at primary school, and we embed both knowledge and skills throughout students’ academic journey with us. Our golden threads of vocabulary, grammar, listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation are weaved into all schemes of work and students continuously practise each of them, not just for a specific topic in isolation but across each module, year and key stage. This deliberate practice is key to students’ feeling of success and their confidence with the language they are studying.

Furthermore, we seek to develop students’ curiosity about the world around them and the richness of the cultures of the people who live in it. Our students study grammar and linguistic structures that enhance their knowledge of their own language, and practise a variety of skills within our curriculum that can be applied to a wide range of future pathways. Our carefully-selected lesson content and wide range of extra-curricular activities help to boost students’ cultural awareness, not just of France, Germany and Spain but of the full variety of countries and cultures where the relevant language is spoken, thereby equipping students with cultural capital as well.

Course Content

Years 7-9

Years 7-9

In Key Stage 3 students study a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

• Me, my family and friends
• My home and town
• The environment and being eco-friendly
• The Francophone world
• Food, drink and healthy living
• Future education and career plans
• Free time activities

By the end of Year 9, students are confident with using and identifying five main tenses: present, perfect, imperfect, future and conditional. They can speak and write with confidence on a variety of topics, giving opinions and justifications to support their ideas. They can infer meaning from a range of texts and spoken passages, and they

KS3 (Years 7–9) – Building Curiosity & Confidence

At this stage, the focus is on exposure, fun, and habits.

• Songs & Music: Learn catchy French pop songs (Stromae, Angèle, Kids United). Create lyric gaps or karaoke challenges.
• Cartoons & Shows: Watch Les Aventures de Tintin or Miraculous Ladybug in French.
• Games: Duolingo, Quizlet Live, or word games like “French Taboo” or “20 Questions” in French.
• Creative Projects: Make posters about a French city, cook a French dish at home, or record a TikTok-style skit in French.
• Penpals: Start exchanging postcards or emails with French-speaking students.

Goal: Build enjoyment and confidence while laying strong vocab/grammar foundations.

Years 10 & 11

In Key Stage 4 students build upon the foundations of Years 7-9 and study the following AQA GCSE French themes:

• Theme 1: People and lifestyle
• Theme 2: Popular culture
• Theme 3: Communication and the world around us

By the end of Year 11 they can write increasingly complex texts and speak with confidence on a range of topics. They can use a wide variety of vocabulary, linguistic structures and grammatical points to further develop their work. Listening, reading and translation skills are also honed and students are able to pick out key and minor details from written and spoken passages.

GCSE (Years 10–11) – Expanding Skills & Independence

Here the focus shifts to authentic materials, structured practice, and exam readiness.

• Films & Series: Les Choristes, Intouchables, Le Petit Nicolas (with subtitles first, then without).
• News & Podcasts: News in Slow French, Journal en français facile (10 min daily).
• Speaking Clubs: Weekly “French café” sessions where only French is spoken.
• Creative Writing: Keep a journal, write a blog, or even short dialogues to practise exam themes.
• Culture Projects: Research French festivals, traditions, or current events. Present findings in French.
• Mock Exams with a Twist: Pair exam practice with fun challenges, e.g. summarise a French TikTok in 3 sentences.

Goal: Consolidate exam skills while keeping motivation high through cultural immersion.

Years 12 & 13

In Key Stage 5 students begin to think more critically and analyse information and current affairs in French. They study the AQA A Level French themes of:

• The changing nature of family (La famille en voie de changement)
• The 'cyber-society' (La « cyber-société »)
• The place of voluntary work (Le rôle du bénévolat)
• Positive features of a diverse society (Les aspects positifs d'une société diverse)
• Life for the marginalised (Quelle vie pour les marginalisés ? )
• How criminals are treated (Comment on traite les criminels)

In addition, students study a film and a book and write analytical essays on these, giving their own points of view and backing them up with evidence and analysis. They also research and present a topic of their choice as part of their speaking exam. Students study French grammar in great depth and expand the range of sophisticated language and structures they can both use and recognise.

A Level (Years 12–13) – Depth, Critical Thinking & Independence

Now the emphasis is on analysis, cultural literacy, and sophistication.

• Set Texts/Films + Beyond: Read beyond the syllabus (if studying L’Étranger, look at Camus’s philosophy; if watching La Haine, research French urban culture).
• Opinion & Debate: Hold debates on current French politics/social issues in French.
• Authentic Reading: French editorials, opinion pieces, or novels (Annie Ernaux, Yasmina Reza).
• Writing Practice: Weekly essays on varied topics, focusing on nuanced argumentation.
• University-Style Learning: Attend online French lectures or cultural talks (Institut Français, UK universities).
• Language Exchange: Regular conversations with French-speaking partners.
• Immersion: Travel, work experience, or online immersion programmes in French.

Goal: Develop independence, cultural awareness, and critical analysis for university-level French.

Co-Curricular Opportunities:

• European Day of Languages assemblies and events (all year groups)
• French cinema club (Key Stage 3)
• French Christmas card competition (Key Stage 3)
• British Film Institute workshop (Key Stage 4/5)
• French Drama Festival (Key Stage 5)
• Year 10 enrichment trip to a French-speaking country
• Year 12 language immersion trip to a French-speaking country

Testimonials

The teachers are great at making lessons fun and engaging, I am learning lots.

• Year 8 student

French lessons are always the highlight of my day; I'm always keen to learn about new vocabulary and how to communicate in French. I think languages are essential to learn at school as it exposes you to a new culture and can come in handy when you go abroad.

• Year 11 student