Learning a language gives children more than just the ability to speak in another country; it gives them a deeper understanding of the wider world and different cultures around them. Broadening children’s understanding of the world is at the core of the key British value of tolerance and further than that, acceptance. Learning another language and about the culture of the countries that speak it fosters an attitude of understanding and this education is the first step in tackling racist and intolerant behaviour. 

At Riverside, we have a two year cycle teaching children French, beginning in KS2. French is spoken in twenty nine countries across the globe, giving children an opportunity to understand the many different cultures that speak it. Parallels are drawn between grammar and phonics in the English language and French. Children will speak French with increasing confidence, improving their pronunciation and understanding. As they progress through KS2, children will begin to write in French using appropriate grammar structures. To give children a view into different languages and cultures, termly ‘language weeks’ will look at languages other than French, learning how to use basic greetings and looking at other aspects of the culture in the countries which speak those languages.  

Our curriculum aims to open the doors to different languages in the future by grounding their understanding in French while fostering a love of different languages as well as an open mind to different cultures.