Foreign Languages

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At Upton Heath, we believe that learning a foreign language opens children's eyes to the wider world, fostering curiosity about different countries, cultures and ways of life.

In Key Stage 2, children are taught French as our main foreign language, using the Primary Languages Network scheme to ensure a structured and progressive curriculum that builds confidence in speaking, listening, reading and writing in a new language. 

Younger children in Reception and Key Stage 1 are introduced to languages in a less formal way, through songs, games and everyday phrases, helping to spark early enthusiasm and lay the foundations for more formal language learning later on.

Our curriculum is designed so that children build their skills progressively as they move through Key Stage 2, gaining confidence to hold simple conversations, understand spoken and written French, and express their ideas with increasing accuracy. Lessons are practical and engaging, encouraging children to have a go, make mistakes and try again, in keeping with our Christian value of Courage. Learning a language also helps children to make meaningful connections with other areas of the curriculum, deepening their understanding of grammar, culture and communication more broadly.

By the time they leave Upton Heath, children will have developed a genuine enthusiasm for language learning, along with the confidence and skills to continue their language studies into secondary school and beyond. We believe that an early introduction to a foreign language broadens children's horizons, celebrates diversity, and helps to prepare them for life in a global community.