Kapow Primary’s standard, mixed-age and condensed French schemes are based on principles outlined in Ofsted’s Languages research review.

The French standard, mixed-age and condensed schemes of work are continually evaluated and refined through regular curriculum reviews, internal audits and feedback from subscribing schools.

Updates are informed by the latest subject-specific research, changes to National curriculum guidance and developments in pedagogy. This ensures the curriculum remains current, effective and relevant.

Kapow Primary’s French scheme has been designed as a spiral curriculum with the following key principles in mind:

• Cyclical – pupils revisit key knowledge and skills in different contexts, as well as familiar themes such as ‘All about me’, ‘Daily life’ and ‘France and other French-speaking countries’.
• Increasing depth – each time a vocabulary and grammatical structures are revisited, they are covered with greater complexity.
• Prior knowledge – prior knowledge is utilised so pupils can build upon previous foundations rather than starting again.

The French curriculum is designed to open pupils’ minds to new ways of thinking, speaking and seeing the world.

Through the study of a new language, pupils begin to explore cultures beyond their own. They encounter diverse traditions, festivals, landscapes and daily routines from across the French-speaking world, developing curiosity, empathy and a sense of global citizenship.

The Kapow Primary French curriculum features a comprehensive French phonics programme. This ensures the explicit teaching of critical phonemes, with a focus on both pronunciation and the sound-spelling relationship.

Pupil phoneme videos presented by native speakers support this learning by explicitly teaching common French phonemes. The videos introduce pupils to the phonemes and, in the ‘mouth mechanics’ section of the video, provide an in-depth look at the shape of the mouth during the articulation of each sound.

As recommended by the Ofsted research review, the Kapow Primary French scheme systematically introduces the most commonly used words within familiar sentence structures and patterns. It then provides opportunities for pupils to revisit previously learned vocabulary in different contexts.

This approach allows the children to commit these high-value words to their long-term memory. Many topic words are also introduced to provide a variety of meaningful contexts; however, less attention is given to memorising these.

For example, when a pupil learns how to say ‘I have a…’, ‘I am…’ or ‘I like…’, the most important knowledge is the sentence pattern and the verb, as the nouns can be swapped.

Developing grammatical understanding through a carefully planned progression of key structures is the bedrock of the Kapow Primary French scheme.

Grammar is explicitly taught and systematically revisited to ensure that basic structures are committed to memory before more complex ones are introduced.

Through Kapow Primary’s French curriculum, pupils have opportunities to develop their oracy skills by:

• Developing the physical skills required for speech by utilising their voice, body language, and facial expressions to better communicate in French.
• Explicitly considering the role of syntax in French communication and reflecting on the differences with English to deepen understanding.
• Role-playing as French speakers to practise conversational skills.
• Questioning and responding in French to develop communication skills.
• Interpreting the speech of native French speakers, learning to gist and summarise meaning.
• Listening to native French speakers and peers to enhance listening skills.
• Collaborating in groups and turn-taking during conversations.

The Kapow Primary French curriculum develops an awareness of environmental issues by linking language learning to real-world topics, including climate change and sustainable living.

Pupils learn to express ideas about protecting the environment and consider how global action affects French-speaking communities.

Pupils analyse authentic French language and media, exploring how meaning and viewpoint can vary across French-speaking cultures.

This encourages them to think critically, question assumptions and form balanced conclusions about the wider world.

Lessons promote British values (democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance) by incorporating activities that encourage debate, respect for differing opinions and an understanding of societal structures.

Kapow Primary’s French curriculum broadens pupils’ experiences by immersing them in the language, culture and heritage of France and the wider Francophone world.

The scheme helps pupils appreciate cultural diversity, develop global awareness and communicate with confidence in an increasingly connected society.

With Kapow Primary’s CPD videos, subject leaders can develop their expertise and, in turn, support their colleagues in delivering high-quality lessons.

Whether helping with subject knowledge, modelling effective teaching techniques or offering practical tips for the classroom, Kapow Primary’s CPD videos ensure that every teacher has access to the support they need.

A short, engaging activity designed to hook pupils into the new learning in the lesson.

This could be a thought-provoking question, a quick investigation or an interactive discussion to spark curiosity and enthusiasm for the topic.

The core part of the lesson, where pupils engage in activities that develop their understanding of the learning objective.

This includes a mixture of teacher modelling, guided practice and independent or collaborative tasks tailored to support all pupils.

A final reflective activity that consolidates learning.

This could involve reviewing the success criteria, discussing key learning or applying knowledge in a different context to assess understanding and encourage deeper thinking.

• Activates prior knowledge – helps pupils make connections between new and existing learning, reducing cognitive overload.
• Strengthens memory pathways – retrieval practice has been shown to improve retention more effectively than passive review.
• Identifies gaps in understanding – teachers can quickly assess what children remember and address misconceptions before introducing new content.
• Builds confidence – regular recall activities reassure pupils that they can remember key concepts, improving engagement and motivation.
• Promotes spaced learning – revisiting prior learning at regular intervals supports long-term retention, rather than cramming information in a single lesson.

Due to budget constraints and varied staffing structures, it is not always possible to have classroom support from additional staff.

Kapow Primary’s French lessons are designed with this in mind, providing resources and explanations that allow teachers to deliver high-quality lessons independently without necessarily relying on additional adults.

If additional support is suggested in a lesson, it is clearly marked within the Have ready part of the lesson plan.

Kapow Primary’s French curriculum is designed to be taught on a half-termly basis.

For schools with limited curriculum time, Kapow Primary offers a condensed French scheme that maintains full National curriculum coverage while streamlining content to focus on the most essential knowledge and skills.

Lessons encourage discussion, reflection and verbal explanations.

This allows teachers to capture pupils’ understanding through questioning, class discussions and recorded responses, supporting a broader view of progress beyond written work.

The Assessment spreadsheet helps to help track pupils’ French attainment over time.

This tool allows teachers to track progress against learning objectives and assessment statements, making it easier to monitor development and identify areas for support.

Kapow Primary’s French scheme supports school improvement using:

• Consistent, high-quality teaching – a structured scheme ensures a coherent approach across year groups, supporting curriculum progression.
• Assessment and evidence tracking – built-in assessment materials help teachers monitor progress and demonstrate impact.
• Alignment with Ofsted expectations – the scheme supports personal development, broadens pupils’ horizons and ensures a knowledge-rich curriculum, helping schools meet inspection criteria.

By reducing workload, building teacher expertise and ensuring high teaching standards, Kapow Primary contributes to a confident teaching staff and a well-structured, effective curriculum that supports whole-school improvement.

• Assessment materials (e.g. Unit quizzes, Knowledge catchers and the Assessment spreadsheet) can be used to provide information about pupil progress.
• Written outcomes and pupil voice show engagement, understanding and the ability to recall knowledge.

• Key documents and CPD videos help subject leaders confidently discuss the curriculum.
• Knowledge organisers and lesson plans provide details of what has been taught and learned.
• The Adaptive teaching section in each lesson provides an opportunity to discuss inclusivity and demonstrate how all learners are supported.

• The scheme broadens pupils’ horizons, develops critical thinking and promotes British values, contributing to Ofsted’s personal development and well-being criteria.
• Lessons integrate real-world connections and cultural capital, showcasing a rich learning experience.

• Equips subject leaders to articulate intent, implementation and impact – CPD videos provide clear explanations and subject knowledge to help leaders confidently discuss the curriculum with inspectors.
• Builds teacher confidence and consistency – ongoing training ensures all staff understand the curriculum structure and feel prepared to deliver high-quality French lessons across the school.