With God’s love, we seek adventure with our minds and find a home for our hearts
At Totternhoe CE Academy we believe that the learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils. It helps them to develop communication skills, including the key skills of speaking and listening, and extends their knowledge of how language works. Learning another language gives children a new perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures and those of others.
At Totternhoe, currently, we provide learning opportunities for all children in Years 3 – 5. The focus language taught in our school is French.
Totternhoe CE Academy aims to provide children with opportunities to speak in their family language, to share their knowledge of the customs, heritage and culture of their family language, in EYFS and throughout the school.
We believe that it is vital for all children to develop their understanding and knowledge of the wider world and to become more aware of the diversity of cultures that makes up our modern society.
Our MFL curriculum aims to:
"I think it's hugely important to be able to speak another language. It unlocks areas of the world you may have never seen yourself before and gives you the chance to meet and learn from people across the globe." - Andrew Muir, Animator
Currently, we employ a specialist language teacher, to teach weekly lessons to KS2 pupils, to inspire enjoyment, confidence, accuracy and enthusiasm in developing language skills, and an awareness of the wider world, beyond their experience.
In addition, class teachers further embed use of French and other languages in ad hoc opportunities, eg. during registration, lining up, classroom commands, in PE lessons, greetings, simple phrases eg. please and thank you, etc.
Across the school and in all year groups, we celebrate and value the diversity of languages represented in our school community, encouraging children to share their language skills and knowledge of other countries with their peers.
We were delighted to facilitate a lunchtime Polish Club, during Spring 2020, run by one of our Year 3s. There was keen interest and support from the children, and the Club ran fortnightly until lockdown intervened!