Our Languages Subject Manual contains a detailed overview of our curriculum.

The learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for the pupils.

“In the knowledge society of the 21st century, language competence and intercultural understanding are not optional extras; they are an essential part of being a citizen. Language skills are also vital in improving understanding between people here and in the wider world, and in supporting global citizenship by breaking down barriers and suspicion between nations.

Learning other languages gives us insight into the people, culture and traditions of other countries, and helps us to understand our own language and culture.”

(Languages for All - Languages for Life, DFES, 2002)

Sidegate follows the National Curriculum for Languages 2014. The chosen language at Sidegate is French.  The Key Stage 2 weekly language lessons link with the Sidegate Curriculum Drivers.

The study of a foreign language is first and foremost about communication: pupils will think about how they communicate in their own language, verbally and non-verbally, and will then be challenged to see how this works in another language. They will learn the importance of careful listening and clear speech to enable a simple conversation. Knowledge of the world is enhanced through the study of the culture, history and geography of the country, and other countries speaking the same language. Current affairs are brought in as appropriate, and this enhances pupils’ awareness of the multilingual and multicultural world in which we live. This helps to foster a sense of community, as pupils’ take pride in their own heritage, but also respect the heritage and traditions of others. They learn to recognise bias and stereotype. The study of a language has its own skill set. Pupils who struggle in some areas of learning can do well as language learners because learning relies more on oracy than literacy, and because it does not presuppose a certain competence in English. This is good for well-being and aspiration. A can-do attitude is encouraged, with pupils learning resilience, they benefit from spaced repetition and retrieval activities when learning the language to achieve long term retention.